Old fashioned Popcorn Balls are the perfect sweet and salty snack. Fresh air popped popcorn coated in a sweet candy syrup, they are both chewy and crunchy, satisfying any kind of snacking desire!
Quick and easy to pull together this snack is loved by kids and adults alike, making it a real party favorite! There is just something about this sticky, gooey snack that takes us back to our childhood.
Served individually, Popcorn Balls are great for serving at any party, get together or holiday celebration. Add a little food coloring or your favorite candies to transform them into a festive treat. Add green and red M&M's for a tasty Christmas dessert.
For more no-bake treats give our Caramel Rice Krispie Treats, Scotcheroo Bars, Raspberry Cheesecake or Oreo Cheesecake Pie a try.
🥫 Ingredients
With just four basic ingredients these old fashioned Popcorn Balls are a quick and easy treat to make and enjoy.
- Butter
- White Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Popcorn Kernels
- Food Coloring (optional)
Popcorn Calculations
- 2 tablespoons popcorn kernels = 1 quart (4 cups) popped popcorn
- ¼ cup popcorn kernels = 2 quarts (8 cups) popped popcorn
- ½ cup popcorn kernels = 4 quarts (16 cups) popped popcorn
- ¾ cup popcorn kernels = 6 quarts (24 cups) popped popcorn
- 1 cup popcorn kernels = 8 quarts (32 cups) popped popcorn
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Pop Popcorn
Firstly, we want to pop the popcorn kernels. You can use your favorite method to pop corn. We like to pop our kernels using an air popper popcorn machine.
You can also use microwave popcorn for simplicity, (there is roughly 10 to 12 cups of popcorn in each popped bag). However, keep in mind any flavorings added to your microwave popcorn will come across in your Popcorn Balls, so try to use a natural plain popcorn.
When it is all popped spread the popcorn out on a baking sheet. Pick out and remove any un-popped or burnt kernels.
Prepare Syrup
Afterwards add the popped corn to a large mixing bowl, the bigger the bowl the easier it will be to mix. Then we need to prepare our syrup mixture. In a pot add your sugar, corn syrup, butter and food coloring if using any.
Heat your syrup mixture over medium heat and stir until it comes to a full boil, letting it go for 1 minute. As soon as that minute is up though, pull the pot from the heat.
You don't want to over boil the mixture or you will end up with harden sugar when the popcorn is cooled. We want our syrup mixture to stay sticky and gooey when cooled.
Mix Popcorn Balls
After removing from the heat pour the sugar syrup over the popcorn in the large mixing bowl. Using a spoon combine your popcorn and syrup to make sure each kernel is fully coated.
Once coated we want to get to work quickly to shape the popcorn into balls roughly 4 inches large. This can be tricky because obviously you don't want to hurt yourself or get burnt, but working with the mixture while it's still hot and pliable is KEY.
Shape Popcorn Balls
Firmly press your popcorn into a ball shape, leaving some air pockets. If you compress your popcorn balls to tightly it will make them dense and difficult to eat. When your balls are all formed add any additional toppings or decorations pressing them into your Popcorn Balls.
Store Popcorn Balls
Then when done shaping all of the balls wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. Once wrapped your Popcorn Balls can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Keeping them at room temperature will help them stay soft and chewy.
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
Flavor
When making Popcorn Balls swapping some of your white sugar for brown sugar would give your treat more of a caramel flavor tone. Another easy swap is switching the light corn syrup for a dark corn syrup to get a warmer molasses flavor.
You can add another level of flavor by tossing your popped corn in sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin spice. Or try adding a ½ teaspoon of a favorite extract like vanilla or maple with a pinch of salt to your syrup mixture.
Mix-Ins
Adding mix-ins is another great way to customize your Popcorn Balls or bring in some extra holiday fun and cheer! Yummy mix-ins to try adding or rolling each ball in are chopped nuts, favorite candies, chocolate or peanut butter chips. You can also try adding food coloring to your syrup mixture to make a big impact!
Keep in mind though that the more extras you add to your popcorn balls the further your syrup mixture will need to go. If the syrup mixture doesn’t coat the extra ingredients the balls won’t hold together.
Also keep in mind that the mixture is hot and your mix-ins could melt or bleed their color if not careful. If your mix-ins run that risk you will want to wait to press those pieces into the ball at the end once they have cooled down a little.
💭 Shaping Tips
Temperature
When it comes to properly shaping your Popcorn Balls keep in mind that the temperature of your mixture is key. Obviously you don't want to hurt or burn yourself, but you have to work with the mixture while it's still hot and pliable.
Be careful though, if you allow your mixture to cool too much it will harden and be difficult to form into balls that hold their shape.
Sticking to your Hands
If you find the popcorn is sticking to your hands too much try spraying your hands with non-stick cooking spray or dipping in cold water before forming. And then be careful when shaping not to pack each ball too tightly.
Pressing Together
You want to press firmly enough to shape the popcorn into balls but not so firmly that it compacts each ball making it dense and difficult to eat.
Sizing the Balls
Then you can make your popcorn balls any size you would like. We like to shape our balls so that they are roughly 3-4 inches in diameter, but any size will work.
You can even try forming them into bite size – pop-able pieces for snacking! Or add a popsicle stick to each ball for a more portable, easier to enjoy snack.
📋 FAQ's
How much popped popcorn does un-popped kernels make?
- 2 tablespoons popcorn kernels = 1 quart (4 cups) popped popcorn
- ¼ cup popcorn kernels = 2 quarts (8 cups) popped popcorn
- ½ cup popcorn kernels = 4 quarts (16 cups) popped popcorn
- ¾ cup popcorn kernels = 6 quarts (24 cups) popped popcorn
- 1 cup popcorn kernels = 8 quarts (32 cups) popped popcorn
Why won't my popcorn balls stick together?
There are two likely reasons your popcorn balls may not be holding together like you hope.
The first is that your popcorn mixture wasn't the right temperature when you went to form your balls. If the syrup mixture is too hot it won't allow the popcorn to hold together and if it has cooled too much it will make it difficult to mold and form the popcorn into balls.
The second issue can also be that there is not enough of a syrup to popcorn and toppings ratio. Be mindful when adding in extras that you aren't adding so much that you don't have enough glue to keep your balls together.
Why is my popcorn chewy?
The biggest cause of chewy popcorn is because steam is being trapped in the pot while the kernels are popping. Be sure that your pot, bag or vessel is well ventilated when popping for light and crispy popcorn.
📖 Recipe
Popcorn Balls
Fresh air popped popcorn coated in a sweet candy syrup is a fun snowball shaped treat. Chewy and crunchy they are the perfect sweet and salty snack.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¾ cup corn syrup
- ¾ cup popcorn kernels, (6 quarts popped popcorn)
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn kernels and spread out on a baking sheet. Remove any un-popped or burnt kernels. Transfer remaining popcorn to large mixing bowl.
- In a pot add sugar, corn syrup, butter and food coloring (optional). Heat the syrup mixture over medium heat and stir until it come to a full boil. Allow syrup mixture to boil for 1 minute.
- Pour the syrup into the mixing bowl over the popcorn. Stir to combine until each kernel is coated with syrup.
- Begin to shape popcorn into balls roughly 4" large. Roll each popcorn ball into desired extra toppings or press them in gently.
- Wrap each ball individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Notes
Don't miss other helpful tips, recipe variations and storage information in the full article above.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 39mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information provided is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products used and any changes made to the recipe. If these calculations are important to you, I recommend calculating them for yourself.