This simple yet festive treat is a must-have during the holidays.
Nothing melts away the winter blues faster than nibbling on a scrumptious sweet-n-salty treat, which is why we turned to lifestyle expert Maria Provenzano, author of Everyday Celebration from Scratch, to get her homemade popcorn balls recipe.
“My mom and I always made popcorn balls during Christmastime. We’d bring them to holiday parties, give them as gifts, or put them out at local events,” Provenzano writes in her book. “The crunch and flavor of these light and lovely, sweet confections are a perfect winter treat. Plus, they look like a snowball, so that adds a nice festive touch to any snow-day celebration.”
The whole family will adore this bubbly party favor, whether the squad is curling up to watch a favorite holiday flick or worked up an appetite after some sledding. The best part? There’s no need to make another trip to the store. You only need seven ingredients (most of which are already pantry staples). Time to get that popcorn poppin’!
Maria Provenzano’s Homemade Popcorn Balls
Makes 6 to 10 balls, depending on your desired size
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
10 ounces marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 heaping cups of popcorn
Cooking spray (alternatively, you can use room-temperature butter for coating hands)
Sea salt for topping
Instructions:
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with wax paper.
In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium to low heat. Stir in the brown sugar and marshmallows. Continue stirring until the mixture is almost completely melted. Remove the pot from the heat.
Stir in the vanilla extract. Stir in the popcorn and mix until well coated. Allow the mixture to cool enough so that it can be handled.
Coat your hands with the cooking spray or butter. Scoop out the desired size of the popcorn ball and use your hands to shape the mixture into a ball. Place it onto the wax paper. Finish by sprinkling the balls with sea salt.
Maria’s Tips:
Regular sugar cannot be substituted for brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar makes these rich and caramelly.
When I want to be extra fancy, I like to drizzle the popcorn balls with melted chocolate and top them with sprinkles.
