This easy Halloween Popcorn Candy Balls recipe combines marshmallows, candy corn, and Reese’s candy with the perfect amount of gooeyness and sweetness. They’re a perfect treat for spooky season and make great party favors, too.
This post has been updated with more information for the reader and new images – September 2023.
These Halloween Popcorn Balls are not like the ones you may recall from your childhood. No corn syrup or thermometers are needed to make them. In fact, these are so simple to make that you can make them for any holiday or occasion. Snacking is an occasion, just saying.
I didn’t have any popcorn in the house other than a bag of Skinny Pop popcorn and it worked wonderful with this recipe, eliminating the need to pop the kernels. Already this recipe is a time saver!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Halloween Popcorn Candy Balls
- Equipment
- Ingredients
- How to Make Halloween Popcorn Candy Balls
- How to Store Popcorn Balls
- Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
- Other Popcorn Treats You May Enjoy
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- So easy to make that the kids can help, too.
- Halloween Candy Popcorn Balls have that sweet and salty combination that makes the perfect treat.
- Popcorn balls are easily adapted to create a fun treat for any holiday.
Halloween Popcorn Candy Balls
I already mentioned that this recipe is simple to make with ingredients that are easy to find. While I used Skinny Pop popcorn, you can use any popcorn you want. If you have an air popper, air-popped is best but I’ve made them with microwave popcorn with delicious results. I also found that while kettle corn is a great choice, cheddar cheese and butter varieties are not a great flavor for these popcorn balls.
Choosing the candy for the popcorn balls was easy for me as I had candy corn and Reese’s candy in the house. But you could easily use Halloween sprinkles and your favorite candy bar cut into small pieces.
Traditional popcorn balls require boiling corn syrup, sugar, water, and salt to a certain temperature, using a candy thermometer. Way too much time for busy people like us!
My recipe takes a cue from a rice krispie treat recipe and makes it so easy and almost effortless to make. Melting mini marshmallows and butter together and adding already-popped popcorn, you get an easy combination to mix in your favorite candy or sprinkles. No rushing to mix everything together before the caramel coating hardens as in the traditional method. Even forming the popcorn balls is easier to do!
You’ll love this fun, festive Halloween treat! Great to make for Halloween parties, movie night, birthday parties, and so many more occasions.
Equipment
- Measuring cup
- Large pot
- Large bowl
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Plastic gloves (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (half of a stick)
- 1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows (or one 10-ounce bag of regular-sized marshmallows)
- 10 cups popcorn (popped – I used SkinnyPop Original popcorn and you will have some leftover)
- Candy eyeballs
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup EACH of candy corn and Reese’s Pieces
- non-stick spray (or more butter)
How to Make Halloween Popcorn Candy Balls
Step 1
Place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper on a large baking sheet.
Step 2
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the whole bag of marshmallows. Stir until melted completely. Remove pan from heat.
Step 3
Get out the largest bowl you own and pour in the 10 cups of popcorn. Then pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn so that it totally coats the popcorn. Using a buttered spatula or wooden spoon, combine the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Step 4
Mix in HALF each of the candy corn and Reese’s candy into the popcorn mixture. Spread the mixture out onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Set the rest of the candy aside for now.
Step 5
Put on the plastic gloves and spray with non-stick cooking spray or spray your hands with the non-stick spray (lightly). Form the popcorn mixture into balls, the size is up to you.
Step 6
Press some of the reserved candy into each ball and then add in the candy eyes. Let the popcorn balls cool and firm up on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
How to Store Popcorn Balls
It’s best to store popcorn balls wrapped in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and delicious for 3-5 days.
Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
- You can use any small type of candies in the popcorn balls. M&Ms, chopped-up candy bars, like Snickers are delicious in the balls, even gummy worms can be used.
- Broken pretzel sticks are great to use in the mix as they add more of the salty-sweet flavors.
- If you want to make colored popcorn balls, add your food coloring or gel food coloring to the melted marshmallows and combine well.
- To make mini popcorn balls, use a large cookie scoop to press the popcorn mixture into and then form your ball.
- If you’re giving these out as treats at your Halloween party, wrap them in an individual cellophane treat bag. These Halloween treat bags are cute, too.
- Why aren’t the popcorn balls sticking together? This can happen because the marshmallow hasn’t been set up/cooled enough. Go back and repress the popcorn balls.
Other Popcorn Treats You May Enjoy
If you need an easy Halloween treat to make that comes together fast, these Halloween Popcorn Balls are perfect. Deliciously gooey marshmallow popcorn balls with your favorite candy will delight everyone.
Check out more Halloween recipes here.
Easy Halloween Popcorn Candy Balls
Equipment
- Measuring cup
- large pot
- Large bowl
- Parchment paper (or wax paper)
- baking sheet
- Plastic gloves (optional)
Ingredients
- 10 cups of popcorn (popped, I used SkinnyPop Original popcorn (you will have some left over) you will only need one bag – there will be a bit leftover
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, half of a stick
- 1 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows (or one 10 ounce bag of regular marshmallows)
- ⅓ – ½ cup EACH of candy corn and Reese’s Pieces
- candy eyes
- non-stick spray
Instructions
- Place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper on a large baking sheet.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the whole bag of marshmallows. Stir until melted completely. Remove pan from heat.
- Get out the largest bowl you own and pour in the 10 cups of popcorn. Then pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn so that it totally coats the popcorn. Using a buttered spatula or wooden spoon, combine the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Mix in HALF each of the candy corn and Reese’s candy into the popcorn mixture. Set the rest of the candy aside for now.
- Put on the plastic gloves and spray with non-stick spray or spray your hands with the non-stick spray (lightly). Form the popcorn mixture into balls, the size is up to you. Press some of the reserved candy into each ball and then add in the candy eyes. Let the popcorn balls cool and firm up on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
- It’s best to store popcorn balls wrapped in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and delicious for 3-5 days.
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Enjoy!
These look so good!! You make it look easy!
How adorable! I love the candy eyes…and I always seem to have some in my sprinkles drawer.
These would be great for a kids Halloween party!
These are too cute! I love how easy they are to make but so dramatic