Festive Halloween Caramel Popcorn Balls
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Bring some crunch to your Halloween party with these Festive Halloween Caramel Popcorn Balls. Chewy, sticky, and sweet, these caramel popcorn balls are the perfect mix of nostalgia and seasonal flair. They’re easy to make and fun to decorate with your favorite Halloween sprinkles or candy. Add a pop of orange food coloring for nostalgia!
Why These Popcorn Balls are Perfect for Halloween:
Popcorn balls have long been a classic Halloween treat, and this recipe adds a fun, festive twist with caramel coating and spooky sprinkles that have an old-fashioned feel. Whether you're making them for a Halloween movie night or to hand out to trick-or-treaters, these chewy caramel popcorn balls are sure to be a hit.
Gathering Ingredients:
Popcorn. For this recipe, you will need about 1 cup (234 g) unpopped popcorn. I think Mushroom popcorn works best for popcorn balls, but you can use any large popcorn variety from the grocery store.
Butter. I liked to used salted butter in my recipes.
Light Corn Syrup.
Light Brown Sugar.
Sweetened Condensed Milk.
Food Coloring. This is entirely optional! Without the food coloring, the popcorn balls with be a light caramel brown color.
Sprinkles/Candies. You can add sprinkles or little Halloween candies to your popcorn balls right before pressing them into balls.
How to Make Halloween Popcorn Balls:
Step One: Pop the popcorn and measure it out by cup or weight into a large bowl. This is very important to measure out the popcorn properly! If there is not enough, the popcorn balls can become soggy. If there is too much popcorn, they may not stick together. Set the popcorn aside for now.
Step Two: In a large saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Stirring occasionally, bring the caramel to a boil and continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in the evaporated milk and food coloring. Continue to boil gently until the candy reaches 240° F (116° C) with a candy thermometer.
Step Three: Remove the pan from heat and immediately pour the candy over the popped popcorn. Begin to stir, coating all of the popcorn entirely with the caramel candy. Try your best not to crush the popcorn, though this is almost unavoidable for some pieces! While the candy is still sticky and warm, stir in any sprinkles you may want to use and set some aside for the end.
Step Four: Coat your hands with some butter and begin to scoop out the popcorn. It may be a bit hot, so be careful! The butter will help protect your hands from the heat. Bring about 1 cup (240 ml) of popcorn together and press it firmly with your hands until it sticks together in a tight ball. I like to make mine about 3 to 4-inches (8 to 10-cm) big, about the size of a softball.
Step Five: Place the finished popcorn ball into the parchment lined baking sheet and continue to make the rest of the popcorn balls.
Tips for Making Popcorn Balls:
Butter Your Hands. Coat your hands as you need to with more butter and work quickly, if possible. As the candy cools, it becomes harder and will not stick together as well.
Candy Thermometer. Using a candy thermometer can really help when it comes to making caramel! If the caramel becomes too hot, it can become hard and sticky. Too soft, and the popcorn balls won’t stick together. These popcorn balls are soft and chewy, making them perfect for enjoying!
Chocolate Decorations. For extra festiveness, drizzle colored dark or white chocolate over the popcorn balls for a fun striped effect.
Final Thoughts:
These Festive Halloween Caramel Popcorn Balls are the perfect balance of sweet, chewy, and crunchy—a nostalgic treat with a fun, festive twist. Whether you're sharing them at a Halloween party or handing them out to excited trick-or-treaters, these easy-to-make caramel popcorn balls are guaranteed to delight. Make a big batch and have fun customizing them with your favorite Halloween sprinkles and candies for an extra festive touch. Don’t forget to enjoy one (or two!) while watching your favorite spooky movie this Halloween! These feel like they came right out of your favorite fall children’s story.
xoxo Kayla
Festive Halloween Caramel Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 16 cups (96 g) air popped popcorn, about 1 cup (234 g) kernels (the mushroom variety works best)
- 1/2 cup (116 g) salted butter, plus more for your hands
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 7 oz (198 g) sweetened condensed milk
- Orange food coloring
- Orange and black/brown sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set this aside for now.
- Pop the popcorn and measure it out by cup or weight into a large bowl. This is very important to measure out the popcorn properly! If there is not enough, the popcorn balls can become soggy. If there is too much popcorn, they may not stick together. Set the popcorn aside for now.
- In a large saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Stirring occasionally, bring the caramel to a boil and continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in the evaporated milk and food coloring. Continue to boil gently until the candy reaches 240° F (116° C) with a candy thermometer.
- Remove the pan from heat and immediately pour the candy over the popped popcorn. Begin to stir, coating all of the popcorn entirely with the caramel candy. Try your best not to crush the popcorn, though this is almost unavoidable for some pieces! While the candy is still sticky and warm, stir in any sprinkles you may want to use and set some aside for the end.
- Coat your hands with some butter and begin to scoop out the popcorn. It may be a bit hot, so be careful! The butter will help protect your hands from the heat. Bring about 1 cup (240 ml) of popcorn together and press it firmly with your hands until it sticks together in a tight ball. I like to make mine about 3 to 4-inches (8 to 10-cm) big, about the size of a softball.
- Place the finished popcorn ball into the parchment lined baking sheet and continue to make the rest of the popcorn balls. Coat your hands as you need to with more butter and work quickly, if possible. As the candy cools, it becomes harder and will not stick together as well.
- When all of the popcorn balls have been made, leave them to rest and harden fully, about 2 to 3 hours. Serve the popcorn balls at room temperature. They should keep for about a week at room temperature, stored in cellophane bags.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
349Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
