Hamdi Saidani Pioneer Woman popcorn balls are stovetop kettle corn bound with melted marshmallows and butter, mixed with candy corn and roasted peanuts, then shaped by hand in about 25 minutes.
Ree’s recipe appears as Candy Corn Popcorn Balls on Food Network and in her cookbook A Year of Holidays. She pops the kernels with sugar on the stovetop for a kettle corn base, then folds in candy corn and peanuts before binding everything with melted marshmallows. Skip the candy corn and peanuts for classic popcorn balls any time of year.
The sugar goes in with the kernels while they pop, not after. This creates a kettle corn base where every piece of popcorn is already sweet before the marshmallow coating goes on. Without it, the marshmallow does all the work and the balls taste flat and one-note.
Pioneer Woman Popcorn Balls
Description
Homemade kettle corn tossed with candy corn and salted peanuts, then held together with a gooey marshmallow and butter binder. Shape them while the mixture is warm and they firm up as they cool.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pop the corn. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the popcorn kernels and peanut oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the kernels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake the pot occasionally until the popping slows down, about 8 minutes.
- Cool and combine. Remove the pot from the heat and let the popcorn cool for a few minutes. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, then add the popcorn, candy corn, and peanuts.
- Melt the binder. Combine the marshmallows and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Coat the popcorn. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn mixture and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Shape the balls. Spray your hands generously with cooking spray, then press the mixture into 3-inch balls while still warm. Set on a parchment-lined tray and let cool completely before serving or wrapping.
FAQs
Why does Ree pop the corn with sugar instead of adding it later?
Sprinkling sugar over the kernels while they pop coats each piece in a thin caramel layer as the heat melts the sugar around it. This builds sweetness into every bite of popcorn before the marshmallow even touches it.
Adding sugar after popping just leaves loose granules that fall to the bottom of the bowl. The stovetop method is how kettle corn gets made, and it is the reason these popcorn balls taste richer than versions using plain popped corn.
Can you use microwave popcorn instead of stovetop?
You can, and it cuts the time nearly in half. Use about 8 cups of plain popped microwave popcorn and skip the peanut oil and sugar steps entirely.
The tradeoff is flavor. Microwave popcorn does not get the caramelized sugar coating that Ree’s stovetop method creates, so the finished balls lean more on the marshmallow for sweetness. If you go this route, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of butter to the marshmallow mixture for richness.
Why do you need cooking spray on your hands?
The marshmallow mixture is extremely sticky and will bond to bare skin, making it impossible to shape clean balls. A generous coat of cooking spray creates a nonstick barrier so you can press and roll without the mixture pulling apart.
Reapply the spray every two or three balls because it wears off quickly. Some people prefer using wet hands instead, but water can make the surface of the balls tacky as they dry.
How long do popcorn balls stay fresh?
They hold up well for two to three days at room temperature when wrapped individually in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. The marshmallow binder keeps them from going stale as fast as plain popcorn would.
After three days the popcorn starts to lose its crunch and the balls get chewy in a dense, stale way. Do not refrigerate them because the cold makes the marshmallow layer hard and the popcorn soggy from condensation.
Can you make these without the candy corn and peanuts?
Yes, and the base recipe works perfectly on its own as classic popcorn balls. The marshmallow and butter bind the kettle corn just the same without any mix-ins.
You can also swap in other add-ins to match the occasion: mini M&Ms for a birthday party, crushed pretzels for a salty-sweet version, or sprinkles pressed onto the outside after shaping. Keep the total add-ins to about 1 1/2 cups so the marshmallow ratio stays right.
