Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these festive Christmas Popcorn Balls, featuring perfectly coated red and green marshmallow mixtures and a delightful crunch. Easy to make and sure to bring cheer to any gathering, these colorful popcorn treats combine melted marshmallows, butter, and a touch of vanilla for a sweet, chewy texture enhanced by fun sprinkles.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Base
- 10 cups popped popcorn
Marshmallow Mixture
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorative Ingredients
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- Red and green sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Popcorn: Place the popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl and set aside to ensure it’s ready for coating.
- Melt Butter and Marshmallows: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mini marshmallows and stir continuously until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.
- Add Flavorings: Stir in the light corn syrup and vanilla extract. Remove the saucepan from heat to prevent burning or overcooking.
- Divide and Color Mixture: Transfer the melted marshmallow mixture into two separate bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl and green food coloring to the other, mixing each until the colors are fully blended.
- Coat Popcorn: Pour the red mixture over half of the popcorn and the green mixture over the remaining half. Stir both batches to evenly coat all the popcorn.
- Form Popcorn Balls: With greased hands to prevent sticking, shape the coated popcorn into balls roughly the size of tennis balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup.
- Decorate: Sprinkle the formed popcorn balls with festive red and green sprinkles to enhance the holiday look.
- Set and Serve: Allow the popcorn balls to cool completely and set before serving to ensure they hold their shape and are easy to handle.
Notes
- Greasing your hands before shaping the popcorn balls prevents sticking and makes forming easier.
- You can adjust the size of the popcorn balls according to your preference, just keep in mind larger balls may be harder to set.
- Store the popcorn balls in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to 3 days.
- Make sure to use fresh popcorn to achieve the best texture and flavor.
- For a gluten-free version, confirm that your popcorn and sprinkles are certified gluten-free.
