Popcorn Cake Recipe
Is there a cake more fun than a popcorn cake? Not that I’m aware of! Popcorn cake is buttery, marshmallow-y and is studded with M&Ms or your choice of candy.
When I was young and of trick-or-treating age, there was one house in particular that was a must-stop. The lady that lived there always gave out homemade popcorn balls.
It must have taken her hours to prepare for the influx of kids – and even parents – that came to get one of her famous treats.
To this day, I always associate popcorn balls (and to a lesser extent, popcorn cake) with Halloween.
So I have decided to post this fun and festive popcorn cake just in time for the Halloween weekend.
Customize This Popcorn Cake For Any Holiday
This cake can be customized for any holiday. Just use holiday-colored M&Ms, gum drops or other candies.
If you’re more keen on making popcorn balls, by all means, please do. This recipe works either way.
Just remember to let the mixture cool a bit before shaping into balls – and butter your hands to avoid a sticky mess.
The Cost: Popcorn Cake
This fun and delicious recipe is also budget-friendly. Popcorn is one of the cheapest foods out there. For just a few cents, you end up with a big bowl of popcorn enough to share with your whole family. This recipe is fun and festive, yet affordable. And it makes popcorn into something really special. (As if I needed another reason to make popcorn. I make it all the time!)
I made stovetop popcorn for this recipe. A huge batch cost just 23 cents. You can also use microwave popcorn for this recipe.
- Popcorn = $.23
- Marshmallows = $1.49
- Oil = $.19
- Butter = $.75
- Candy pieces = $.79
Total cost of recipe = $3.45
More Holiday-Inspired Popcorn Recipes
Make a popcorn Christmas tree!
Red, white, and blue popcorn for the 4th of July
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Popcorn Cake
I added M&Ms to my popcorn, but you could use gum drops or Halloween candy if desired. Many popcorn cake recipes also call for peanuts. Tip: If you're popping your own popcorn, let it come to room temperature before adding the toppings. You don't want soggy popcorn!
Ingredients
- 12 cups popped popcorn
- 1 lb. bag of marshmallows
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup M&Ms or other candy
Instructions
- Spray an angel food or bundt cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Pop popcorn and place into a large mixing bowl with candy (and peanuts, if desired).Let the popcorn cool to room temperature.
- Heat the oil, butter, and marshmallows in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Let the mixture cool slightly - about 2 or 3 minutes - before pouring over the popcorn mixture.
- Press popcorn mixture into the angel food or bundt pan. Allow to sit for awhile until cool. Invert pan onto a plate and remove from pan.
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This recipe was a waste of time and money. You left some instructions out because my popcorn cake turned out horrible. The marshmallow never dried and the popcorn was wet and not at all crunchy. All the M&M’S melted to a brown mess. I hate when people post recipes that haven’t been tested. I followed your instructions to the T.
Thanks for your comment, Paula. I don’t know why your popcorn was wet, but you could try bagged popcorn next time. You’ll also want to make sure to use room temperature (not hot) popcorn. I’ve made this recipe numerous times. I hope it works out for you next time.
I have made this twice and it turned out perfectly! I used green and yellow m&ms for st. Patrick’s day, red and blue for the 4th of july and I think I will use brown, yellow & orange for the one I am going to make for Thanksgiving. I put peanuts in mine too. So good, and perfect for a get togethers!!
Awesome, Kate! I’m glad it worked out for you. This is such a great recipe for color customizing for holidays/seasons.
P.s. to my first comment. I used an air popper to make my popcorn.
I made this today, followed the recipe and it came out all wet too??? The marshmallow never dried up and I used bagged popcorn, 12 cups! Very dissatisfied!
It’s the oil I bet!!! Why on earth would there be 1/3 cup of oil on top of a stick of butter. I thought that was weird, but I added it anyway.
I’ll take another look at the recipe… Thanks for your comment.