Did you make popcorn balls as a kid? Sadly my childhood was void of popcorn balls, which is a shame because they are so much fun to make! They are the perfect thing to make with kids, or for kids, because they require just a few basic ingredients and absolutely no baking.
I didn’t even have a popcorn ball until I was an adult. I have a friend that makes them every year for the holidays to hand out for friends and family. I look forward to her popcorn ball delivery every year! But these puffy, sweet popcorn confections shouldn’t be reserved for Christmas. They seemed perfectly suited for Easter, too!
You may already have everything you need to make these popcorn balls in your pantry. All I needed to pick up from the store were the marshmallows. We always seem to have a monster, Costco-sized bag of SkinnyPop in our pantry, so I used that instead of making popcorn from scratch. So much easier, plus I have something to snack on while I make the popcorn balls!
Just find the biggest bowl you have and pour in your popcorn. I like this one because it has the measurements on the side so I don’t have to individually measure out 8 cups of popcorn.
Set your popcorn aside and get to work on the sweet marshmallowy goodness to pour on top. Melt together the butter, corn syrup, and sugar. If you want to tint your marshmallow mixture, this would be the time to add your food coloring. Then add in the marshmallows and watch them dissolve into a creamy sauce.
Once all the marshmallows are all melted, pour them right over the popcorn and use your biggest spatula to stir everything together until all the popcorn pieces are covered. If you feel like getting a little crazy, you can also add some sprinkles.
Now, to form them in to Easter eggs, you could just form them with your hands into a slightly uneven oval shape. Make sure you grease them up with a little cooking spray or else to you will have sticky popcorn all over your hands.
OR…
You could add a little something extra by stuffing some M&Ms into the center!
To make your surprise inside Easter Eggs, use the largest plastic egg you can find and press the popcorn mixture into one half. Then use your finger to form a little hole and fill it with the candies. Do the same thing with the other half then press the two sides of the Easter egg together. When you pull the plastic egg apart, you should have one while popcorn ball Easter egg.
How adorable are these? Wouldn’t they be a fun addition to an Easter basket? I wrapped them up in plastic wrap once they had set a bit and you could barely tell they were wrapped.
And of course they look like a plain Easter Egg Popcorn Ball, but you and I both know that there is a little somethin somethin inside.
Because every Easter Egg should be filled with candy! Even the popcorn variety!
Ingredients
- 8 cups popcorn, popped
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 5 oz. (half a bag) marshmallows
- 1 tsp vanilla
- food coloring (optional)
- sprinkles (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate candies
Instructions
- Add popcorn to a large heat-safe bowl. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, corn syrup, and sugar. Once sugar has completely dissolved, add in vanilla and food coloring (if using) then pour in marshmallow. Stir marshmallows until they have completely melted.
- Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and stir to coat each kernel of popcorn. Sprinkle in sprinkles and fold to distribute through the popcorn.
- Line the inside of a large plastic Easter Egg with a small piece of plastic wrap. Press the popcorn mixture into half off the Easter egg. Use your finger to press a small indentation into the center of the egg. Fill with chocolate candies. Repeat the step on the other half of the Easter egg, then press the two halves together, firmly. Remove the popcorn balls from the Easter eggs, and wrap the plastic around them to keep their shape.
- Make 4-5 more Easter eggs with the remaining popcorn. Allow the eggs to set in the plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes before setting out.
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