Candy Coated Popcorn Recipe: Popcorn Balls
All set for the holidays? Experiments with popcorn are fun, and especially fun for kids. I pulled together both of my kiddos and had them help me with this recipe as I knew they’d think it was pretty cool how everything comes together so quickly and works out the way it does, liquids to hard popcorn balls. So fun!
Anyhow, if you’ve never made popcorn balls, be prepared as it all does really come together quickly and here’s how it comes together.
Combine your sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and butter in a pan over med-low heat to 270° on your candy thermometer. You’ll want to watch it really closely, stirring constantly with a whisk or spatula.
Once your mixture hits the desired temperature, pour over popcorn in a large bowl. I used my hot air popper as I think it’s the best hot air popcorn popper there is, but I am sure any kid of popcorn will do like this Cuisinart partypop popcorn maker that’s super popular, too. Just be sure to shake the bowl so the kernels can fall to the bottom and you can remove those (eating popcorn seeds unexpectedly is no fun!)
Once your popcorn mix has cooled just a bit (not too much or you’ll have a hard bowl of popcorn!) pour in your candy corn and use buttered hands to make popcorn balls and set on buttered wax paper to cool. Serve these in individually wrapped papers or in a bowl to grab and go. These are so yummy and fun to get in the spirit of the season. 🙂
Candy Corn Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 1 c sugar
- 1/2 c corn syrup
- 1/4 t cream of tartar
- 1/2 T butter
- 1/4 t baking soda
- 3 qts popped popcorn about 12 cups
- 3/4 cup candy corn
Instructions
- Heat first four ingredients in a suacepan to 270 on your candy thermometer and remove from heat.
- Carefully stir in baking soda.
- Pour mixture over popcorn and toss to coat.
- When the popcorn has cooled just a bit (not too long) mix in candy corn and form with buttered hands into 3 inch balls.
- Set aside on buttered wax paper to cool completely.
- Wrap your popcorn balls individually and store in a container
See more of my best holiday recipes.