These Marshmallow Popcorn Balls are sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy. And they’re soft enough to pull apart with your fingers. Incredibly perfect, and such an easy recipe!
Admittedly, I can be a bit of a popcorn ball snob. I learned very early on that many popcorn balls are densely packed and hard as rocks = so hard to chew! So I came up with a delicious, easy-to-eat solution. Marshmallow Popcorn Balls! They are incredibly delicious and so much fun, and you don’t need a candy thermometer to make them!
Why These Popcorn Balls Are My Favorite
My inspiration for this marshmallow popcorn balls recipe comes from my aunt Roxie’s popcorn cake. She was famous for it, making it for every birthday, holiday, and random celebration. (See more about Roxie’s cake at the end of this post, after the recipe card.) The cake was perfection in terms of both texture and flavor, almost like an old-fashioned popcorn ball and a chewy Rice Krispie treat had a baby!
- Soft and chewy. Unlike traditional popcorn balls, this recipe gives you a treat that’s crunchy and chewy, and soft enough that you can just pull it apart with your fingers, one delicious bite at a time.
- No candy thermometer needed. When I was young, I remember Mom making traditional popcorn balls for Halloween. She used a candy thermometer, which took a bit of know-how to get the temperature just right. If the candy syrup wasn’t cooked long enough, it didn’t want to hold the popcorn together – and if it was cooked too long, the balls would be like eating hockey pucks. Well there’s no need for all that stressin’ with this easy recipe that uses marshmallows!
- Perfect for parties. If you add the optional gumdrops, you can use colors to coordinate with the holiday, season, or party theme. I love adding orange gumdrops for Halloween, or red and green for Christmas!
For more crispy-chewy impossibly delicious treats, try my Oreo Fluffernutter Rice Krispies Treats and Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats too!
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
This is the best kind of treat: you only need a handful of ingredients to make it! Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Popcorn – I recommend stovetop or air-popped popcorn, as the artificial butter and salt in microwave popcorn will change the flavor of your marshmallow popcorn balls. I always look for white kernels, as I like that pure white popcorn!
- Miniature marshmallows – Make sure they’re fresh for the best soft, chewy texture.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter for the binding mixture and for rubbing onto your hands as you form the popcorn balls.
- Peanuts – Dry roasted and salted peanuts are optional for some extra crunch and salty contrast.
- Gumdrops – Or gumdrop fruit slices; these are also optional, for some fruity flavor and additional chewiness. I usually make these popcorn balls for fall gatherings or Halloween, so most often use orange gumdrops. But you can use whatever color you like!
How to Make Marshmallow Popcorn Balls
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making these super fun marshmallow popcorn balls. (If you’ve got kids in the house, be sure to enlist them to help!)
- Pick over the popcorn. Remove all the unpopped kernels.
- Make the marshmallow binder. Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a pan set over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat once the marshmallows are almost but not completely melted.
- Add the marshmallow binder to the popcorn. Pour half of the marshmallow mixture over the bowl of popcorn.
- Fold together. Fold the marshmallow binder into the popcorn. Then pour the rest of the marshmallow binder over the mixture and fold again.
- Add the (optional) mix-ins. If you’re using the peanuts or orange candies, add those and fold again.
- Form the popcorn balls. Grease your palms with the remaining butter and roll half-cup portions of the popcorn mixture into balls.
- Cool. Set the popcorn balls on parchment or waxed paper and let them cool completely before serving, storing, or wrapping.
Tips for Perfect Popcorn Balls
Marshmallow popcorn balls are incredibly easy, but a few simple tips will help you make sure they turn out perfect every time!
- Be sure to get all those unpopped kernels out. This is important! When you’re eating popcorn out of a bowl, the kernels naturally sink down to the bottom. But once you stir in sticky marshmallow, those kernels will stick to the popcorn and biting into them isn’t fun!
- Use a BIG bowl. You’ll need ample room for folding the marshmallow mixture and popcorn together.
- Use gentle pressure for forming the balls. If you press the popcorn balls super tightly, they’ll be harder to eat (and just harder in general). Lightly pressing them together is best!
More Mix-In and Variation Ideas
There are so many ways you can put your own spin on this marshmallow popcorn ball recipe! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Leave out the mix-ins. Like the photo above, this gives you the purest form of marshmallow popcorn balls. For those who don’t like nuts in dessert, this is the way to go!
- Brown the butter. For a more sophisticated flavor that adults will appreciate, let the butter brown before adding the marshmallows. The little brown bits add nutty flavor to the popcorn balls.
- Make them extra-festive. Add candy eyeballs for a spooky Halloween treat, or fold in colorful sprinkles, M&Ms, or other candies.
- Give them a drizzle. Melt dark, milk, or white chocolate and drizzle it over the marshmallow popcorn balls once they’ve cooled. If you use white chocolate, you can tint it with food coloring for a little extra flair. Just know that holding this treat in your hand will be a bit messier.
- Add some fruity marshmallows. Use regular white marshmallows for the binder. But then, after stirring together the popcorn and binder, fold in some of those colorful fruit-flavored mini marshmallows. They’ll add a fruity flavor and some extra chewiness. You can also do this with regular marshmallows.
How to Store
Store these marshmallow popcorn balls individually wrapped in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container with parchment or waxed paper between the layers. They’ll keep for up to a week.
More Fun Treats To Make With Marshmallows
- Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies
- Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispies Puffs
- Peanut Butter Truffles – with marshmallow and krispies
Marshmallow Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 14 cups popped corn (stovetop popcorn or air-popped is best – I like to use white popcorn kernels)
- 10 ounces miniature marshmallows
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus another tablespoon for greasing your palms when rolling the balls, if desired
- 1½ cups dry roasted and salted peanuts, optional
- 1½ cups diced orange gumdrops or orange slices, optional
Instructions
- Place popped corn in a very large bowl, removing any unpopped kernels.
- In a medium pan over medium heat, melt ½ cup of the butter and all the marshmallows, stirring frequently. Take care to not let the marshmallows scorch – if needed, turn the heat down a bit. When the marshmallows are almost fully melted, take pan off heat and stir to finish melting completely.
- Immediately pour half the melty marshmallow mixture over the popped corn, then fold gently to coat the popcorn.
- Pour the remaining marshmallow mixture over the popped corn and fold again to coat completely.
- Optional mix-ins: Add the peanuts and fold again. Evenly sprinkle the orange pieces over the top, then fold to fully incorporate.
- While mixture is still warm, lightly grease your palms with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Gather up a generous half cup of marshmallow popcorn mixture (or make them bigger if you like) and press together gently yet firmly to mold into a ball shape, about 2½'' to 3" in diameter. Do not compact them too tightly, or they will be hard to eat once set. Aim for balls that are held together as lightly as possible, and they will be much more enjoyable to eat!
- Place on parchment paper or waxed paper to cool.
- To give as treats, wrap each cooled popcorn ball in plastic wrap or place in a small clear treat bag and tie with a festive ribbon. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Remembering My Aunt Roxie’s Famous Popcorn Cake
My aunt Roxie was such a dear to mail me her original Popcorn Cake recipe cards, a handful of special family photos, and a lengthy letter telling of all the celebrations this cake has witnessed over the decades. Roxie’s mom (upper right photo) started making these cakes in an angel food cake pan for her grandchildren’s birthdays. The cakes were so popular that Roxie starting making them, too. The recipe became part of her family’s birthday celebrations and holidays…green and red gumdrops for Christmas, orange for Halloween, green for St. Patrick’s Day, and red for Valentine’s Day.
When Roxie serves the popcorn cake, she does not cut it. She expects her family and friends to just pull off as much as they want. Roxie was fun like that. And I have to agree…pulling out a handful of sticky, marshmallowy deliciousness is just part of the experience!
This post was originally published in 2012, then updated in 2025.
Brenda – these bring back a flood of memories of the popcorn balls I’d make with my Grandmother for Halloween.
These are just too cute!
Oh I love this post Brenda!! the pictures are wonderful…and so is the recipe. My kids would love this!
so fun! it’s tradition in our house to have popcorn balls for Halloween!
how fun! Pinned these!
Been lurking and cooking up a few of your recipes. LOVE them. My question: Can you substitute the candy for caramel or butterscotch chips? I had a bad experience with jelled candy slices. Long story short…had a very smart greyhound that liked to remove the candy dish lid and move the candies around until she found the right one. Greyhound goobers are not cool!
Hi Teri! This recipe can handle most anything. I would just be careful about using something that easily melts, as you’re working with warm marshmallow and forming the balls with your hands. I’m not sure how butterscotch chips would hold up.
What a great family tradition to revive. I love all your nostalgic photos and original recipe cards…these are some of my favorite memories as well – time spent with my mom and grandma in the kitchen!
Thanks bunches, Amy. I love my digital scrapbook!!
I love the old photographs! And the addition of gummy orange slices is a deal maker for me -love those things!
Brenda, there is nothing I love more than Halloween treats! these are so fun. :)
Wanna know something really sad? I don’t think I’ve ever had a popcorn ball. Popcorn balls have never really interested me all that much, but these do look really really good :) And I just so happens I’ve got a life times supply of popcorn (go college!) and a bag of mini marshmallows waiting to be used :)
You’ve been missing out, Becca! These are my absolute favorite. But then again, I’m crazy for anything marshmallow. ;)
These popcorn balls sound wonderful. I love the addition of the orange slices.
What a great idea to add orange gumdrop candy to these!
My Great Aunt Mildred always handed out giant popcorn balls at Halloween….ah I miss her. Thanks for bringing back such a great memory. I may have to make some in her honor.
I’m liking the idea of softer popcorn balls and who doesn’t love marshmallows?
P.S. Made chunky applesauce in the slow cooker. Not your Mom’s complete recipe because of the water amount but the slow cooker does make a good applesauce :)
That’s great to hear, Paula – thanks!
What fun memories these bring back! Making popcorn balls is so much fun! Love that these are so soft!
More than anything that old Halloween picture with those masks bring back SO many memories. We have so many pictures like that!! These look so fun to make!!
Our girls got the biggest kick out of that picture. Just a hard plastic mask was all it once took to trick-or-treat! It’s such a production these days.
These were my favorite as a kid! I am a big popcorn ball snob – I only want the good homemade ones! I do love making them too!
My grandma’s popcorn balls were my favorite treat on our trick-or-treating for UNICEF route. These look scrumptious! (Cute photo of you goblins, too.)
Thank you, Kim – so nice to hear from you! :)
These are so fun and festive, Brenda!
Love this easy to make recipe from Roxie. Craving one right now!