Halloween Popcorn Balls

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freegluten freenut freevegan
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Close up of a halloween popcorn ball made with marshmallows, candy corn and halloween sprinkles.

Why you’ll love these halloween popcorn balls

  • Allergy friendly. These popcorn balls are super easy to make. Marshmallows, dairy free butter and popcorn are free-from most major allergens, which means that everyone can enjoy them. You can even make them vegan if you swap out the marshmallows for Dandies brand.
  • Easy to make. Since we’re making them with marshmallows (rather than the more traditional corn-syrup version) they’re so easy to make. No baking. No candy thermometer. You can have these ready within 30 minutes.
  • Kids love them. My kids go crazy for these little popcorn balls, especially when we add candy corn and sprinkles into the mix. And, when they get to help make them, they love them even more.
Candy corn popcorn balls on a halloween platter.

Here’s what you’ll need to make them

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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Popcorn – You can make your own popcorn (we like to use our Whirley Pop), or buy store bought popcorn such as Skinny Pop. I like to make sure my popcorn has a little bit of salt to balance all of the sweetness in the popcorn balls, but that’s totally up to you.
  • Marshmallows – We use mini marshmallows because they melt faster, but you can use any size you have at home, just make sure it’s the same total weight. If you want to make this vegan, make sure to purchase a vegan marshmallow brand, such as Dandies.
  • Vegan butter – We used Earth Balance sticks for this recipe. Use whatever kind of dairy free butter you would normally use for baking or cooking.
  • Candy corn – These are optional, but we love adding them for extra sweetness and the kids love them. If they don’t work for you, leave them out.
  • Sprinkles – Some sprinkle blends contain whey, so make sure you double check the label on your sprinkles to make sure they are dairy free. If you are making these vegan, you will also want to avoid confectioner’s glaze.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Close up of popcorn balls made with candy corn and halloween sprinkles.

How to make halloween popcorn balls

Make the glue. Heat the dairy free butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan, stirring them as needed, until they melt.

Mix the popcorn. Add the popcorn and candy corn to a large bowl (the biggest one you can find). When the marshmallow mixture is melted, pour it into the bowl and stir to coat the popcorn and candy corn as quickly as you can.

Shape the balls. First, spray or rub your hands with cooking oil to prevent the popcorn from sticking to you. Then roll the popcorn mixture into balls, gently pressing to remove air pockets.

Decorate the popcorn balls. Immediately add sprinkles to popcorn balls. You want to do this before the marshmallows have had time to set. I thin it helps to have two sets of hands to get this done faster, but one person can get it done. Just work quickly.

* Dairy free recipe tip

Not all sprinkle mixes are dairy free. You will want to check the label before purchasing a mix and look for ingredients such as whey. I found this blend and this blend on Amazon to be dairy free ingredient listings can change over time so always double check.

Popcorn balls for halloween on a serving platter next to a halloween themed kitchen towel.

Everything you need to know about making popcorn balls with marshmallows

What are popcorn balls made of?

There are a couple different ways to make a popcorn ball. Some are made like a rice krispy treat, using marshmallows, while others are made using corn syrup to create a candy coating. Making popcorn balls using marshmallows allow the recipe to be a no bake recipe.

Why are my popcorn balls falling apart?

If your popcorn balls are not sticking together, try sticking them in the fridge after you form the ball shapes or pressing them together more tightly when assembling them.

Halloween popcorn balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

More popcorn recipes you will love

More dairy free halloween recipes to try

Halloween popcorn balls made with candy corn and halloween sprinkles on a halloween platter.
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Halloween Popcorn Balls

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Description

Popcorn balls have been a staple Halloween treat for decades, and they’re a great allergy-friendly option. These Halloween popcorn balls are studded with classic candy corn and spooky colored sprinkles to create a modern version of this traditional homemade treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 cups popped popcorn
  • 6 cups mini marshmallows*
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • 3/4 – 1 cup candy corn
  • Halloween sprinkles, garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, melt dairy free butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and allow them to melt, stirring as needed.
  2. In a large bowl, combine popcorn, candy corn and melted marshmallow mixture. Stir until evenly coated. Roll popcorn into balls pressing gently to remove air pockets. Garnish with sprinkles immediately to ensure the sprinkles stick to the marshmallow.
  3. Allow the treats to cool completely before serving or packaging.

Notes

* if making this recipe vegan, make sure to purchase vegan marshmallows.

  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 50
  • Sugar: 2.4 g
  • Sodium: 31.6 mg
  • Fat: 1.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
  • Fiber: 0.9 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! You can leave a rating or review in the comment section below. Ratings and reviews help this site grow and help others who make the recipe in the future!

Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another Cocktail Blog, a cocktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.

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