10/25/2025
🎃 Popcorn Ball Season Is Back! 🍿✨
There’s something downright nostalgic about sticky fingers and the smell of caramel corn cooling on parchment. Popcorn balls were the treat that said “the fair’s in town” or “Halloween’s around the corner.”
Here’s how to make a batch the old-fashioned way — crunchy, buttery, sweet, and just the right kind of messy:
🍿 Classic Popcorn Balls
Makes: About 12 medium balls
Ingredients
10 cups popped popcorn (about ½ cup kernels)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional: ½ teaspoon baking soda (for softer texture)
Optional mix-ins: chopped peanuts, candy corn, mini marshmallows, or chocolate chips
🔥 Instructions
1. Pop the corn.
Air-pop or stovetop-pop your kernels. Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pick out any unpopped kernels (your teeth will thank you).
2. Make the syrup.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt. Stir over medium heat until it starts bubbling evenly.
3. Bring to soft-ball stage.
Let it cook — no stirring now — until it reaches 250°F on a candy thermometer (about 4–5 minutes).
4. Flavor it.
Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla (and baking soda if you want a fluffier, less dense ball — it’ll foam up a bit).
5. Mix it up.
Quickly pour the hot syrup over the popcorn. Stir gently with a greased spatula or wooden spoon until evenly coated.
6. Shape the balls.
Grease your hands (or wear food-safe gloves) and form the popcorn into balls while it’s still warm. If it cools too fast, pop the pan in the oven at 200°F for a few minutes to soften it up again.
7. Let cool & wrap.
Once firm, wrap each in wax paper or plastic wrap. Store at room temp — if they last that long.
💡 Pro tip: Add food coloring to the syrup for festive colors — orange for Halloween, green for St. Patrick’s, or red and white for the holidays.
✨ Question for you all:
Do you remember the first time you had a popcorn ball? Was it from Grandma’s kitchen, a school carnival, or a trick-or-treat bag? Drop your memory below — let’s stir up some nostalgia.