These old-fashioned Popcorn Balls are a beloved family recipe my mom made every Halloween, and I’m sharing her exact from-scratch method. A warm caramel syrup coats freshly popped corn for glossy, chewy popcorn balls that wrap beautifully for trick-or-treaters or gifting.
All the kids in our neighborhood knew that when they held out their bags on Halloween night at our door, they’d walk away with one of these scrumptious treats.
I have my sister, Barb, to thank for this post. She was in possesion of my mom’s famous recipe for Popcorn Balls and we spent a recent afternoon reminiscing and cooking up a batch to refresh my memory. I hadn’t bitten into one of these since I was a kid and let me tell you, the rush of nostalgia was overwhelming!
This is a classic caramel syrup–based popcorn ball, no marshmallows, and no shortcuts. But, fear not! They’re fun to make and the tips in this post will help you make perfectly set, but chewy Popcorn Balls.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Popcorn: Use plain, freshly popped popcorn (air- or oil-popped). I use my handy-dandy silicone popcorn popper. Skip buttered microwave bags and pick out all unpopped kernels.
- Granulated sugar + light brown sugar: The mix balances clean sweetness with some caramel depth.
- Light corn syrup: Keeps the syrup smooth and gives the coating a chewy, glossy finish.
- Water: Helps dissolve the sugars and ensures even cooking.
- Distilled white vinegar: A small amount of acid (white vinegar) helps prevent sugar crystals from forming. That means a glossy, smooth syrup that sets nicely instead of turning gritty. The amount is so small you won’t taste it.
- Salt: Rounds out and balances the sweetness. Fine ground sea salt or table salt is best.
- Pure vanilla extract: Added off heat for warm, old-fashioned caramel flavor.
- Butter: Enriches the syrup and adds classic buttery flavor. Real butter only!
How to Make Popcorn Balls
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Combine the sugars, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until bubbling.
- Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and continue to cook until the temperature reaches 200 degrees F. Begin stirring the mixture constantly to ensure it won’t burn, and continue cooking to a temperature of 245 degrees F. This process is slow, so just pull up a chair. It can take about 20 minutes.
- As soon as the temperature reaches 245 degrees F, quickly move the pan off the heat. Immediately add the butter pats and vanilla, stirring until the butter has melted.
- Immediately pour the caramel syrup over the warm popcorn.
- Use 2 large spoons to stir and toss the popcorn until the caramel has been distributed throughout.
- As soon as the mixture is just cool enough to handle (should be within a minute or two at the most) use your hands to form it into 3- to 3 ½-inch balls, setting them down on the piece of wax paper. Work quickly (the balls can be difficult to form if the syrup cools too much).
Tips for the Best Popcorn Balls
Prep your space first. Set a large sheet of wax paper on the counter for placing the balls as you form them. Then cut about 18 small squares (just big enough for 3-inch balls) to wrap each one after they’re formed.
Deal with sticky hands. Keep a bowl of cool water next to your work area for dipping your hands while shaping, or keep 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter nearby to lightly coat your hands as needed. (Mom used butter, but the water method worked great for us too.)
Keep the popcorn warm. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. As you pop, transfer each batch to a large 16- to 20-quart metal bowl or roasting pan, removing any unpopped kernels. Set the bowl in the oven while you make the syrup so the popcorn stays warm, which helps it coat more evenly and hold together better.
Freeze excess popcorn. If you end up with more than you need, did you know you can freeze popcorn to keep it crunchier? Try it!
Use a candy thermometer. Accuracy matters. Cook the syrup to 245 degrees F (firm-ball stage) so the popcorn balls set up but stay pleasantly chewy (not too soft or too hard).
Wrap and store. Wrap each popcorn ball in a wax paper square and place in an airtight container at room temperature (I just stuff them into large ziptop bags). They’ll keep their chewy texture for about 5 days, sometimes even longer. Avoid the refrigerator which can make them harder and more brittle.
More Halloween Treats You’ll Love
- Caramel Corn
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
- Halloween Oreo Brookie Bars
- Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
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Popcorn Balls
Equipment
- 1 large metal bowl or roasting pan
- 1 wax paper optional
Ingredients
- 7 quarts popcorn, (about 28 cups, *see notes below)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup butter, cut into pats
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.
- Set a large sheet of wax paper on an open area on your kitchen counter to set the popcorn balls once they are formed.
- Cut off 18 square sheets of wax paper just large enough to hold the 3-inch popcorn balls.
- Fill a medium bowl with cool water and set it next to the wax paper (for dipping hands while forming the balls). Or, keep an additional 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter nearby for coating hands.
Pop the Popcorn
- Pop the popcorn, transferring the batches to a large (16- to 20-quart) metal bowl or large turkey roasting pan, being sure to remove any unpopped kernels. Transfer the bowl to the oven to keep the popcorn warm in between batches and while you make the caramel syrup.
Make the Caramel Syrup
- In a heavy saucepan, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt and place it over MEDIUM heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 200 degrees F. At this point, stir the mixture constantly to ensure it won’t burn, and continue cooking to a temperature of 245 degrees F. This process is slow, so just pull up a chair. It can take about 20 minutes.
- As soon as the temperature reaches 245 degrees F, quickly move the pan off the heat. Immediately add the butter pats and vanilla, stirring until the butter has melted.
Mix and Form the Popcorn Balls
- Quickly remove the bowl of popcorn from the oven and Immediately pour the caramel syrup over the warm popcorn. Use 2 large spoons to stir and toss the popcorn until the caramel has been distributed throughout. As soon as the mixture is just cool enough to handle (should be within a minute or two at the most) use your hands to form it into 3- to 3 ½-inch balls, setting them down on the piece of wax paper. Work quickly (the balls can be difficult to form if the syrup cools too much). If your hands get too sticky, dip your hands in the cool water or coat with softened butter in between forming the balls.
- Once all the popcorn balls have been formed, wrap each one, individually, in a square piece of wax paper.
- Store at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
