Description
These festive Christmas Popcorn Balls are a delightful holiday treat combining crunchy popcorn with melted marshmallows, colorful M&M candies, and vibrant sprinkles. Perfect for gifting or enjoying as a sweet snack during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
Marshmallow Mixture
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 10 ounce bag miniature marshmallows
Toppings and Mix-ins
- 1 cup red and green M&M candies
- ⅓ cup festive sprinkles
Instructions
- Pop the Popcorn: Pop your popcorn kernels using your preferred method. Remove and set aside any unpopped kernels, keeping the popped popcorn ready for mixing.
- Melt Butter and Marshmallows: In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter completely. Add the miniature marshmallows and heat, stirring often, until the marshmallows are fully melted and smooth.
- Combine Popcorn and Marshmallow Mixture: Remove the pot from heat and pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the popped popcorn. Gently stir to ensure all popcorn is well-coated.
- Incorporate Candies and Sprinkles: Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the M&M candies and festive sprinkles carefully to distribute evenly without melting the candies.
- Form Popcorn Balls: Spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Scoop about one cup of the popcorn mixture and gently press it into balls. Spray your hands as needed to make shaping easier.
- Set the Popcorn Balls: Place the formed popcorn balls on a tray or parchment and allow them to cool and set completely at room temperature.
Notes
- Store the popcorn balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- The warmth from the marshmallow mixture and your hands may cause the M&M candies to melt slightly; to avoid this, press extra candies onto the outside of the balls right after shaping.
- The recipe yields about 13 to 16 popcorn balls depending on the size; forming each ball with one cup of mixture makes approximately 16 balls.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 popcorn ball
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
