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This Christmas Popcorn is the perfect mix of sweet, salty, and festive! Made with a buttery marshmallow coating that holds together crunchy popcorn, colorful M&Ms, salty pretzels, and a flurry of holiday sprinkles, it’s a treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Whether you’re bagging it up for gifts or serving at a holiday party, this snack will bring instant holiday magic to every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Festive and fun! Bursting with red and green M&Ms, pretzels, and sprinkles, it looks just like Christmas in a bowl.
Sweet + salty combo. The perfect balance of buttery, marshmallow sweetness and crunchy, salty goodness.
Quick and easy. Ready in about 10 minutes—no baking required!
Perfect for gifting. Package it in cellophane bags or tins for a cute and delicious homemade holiday gift.
Kid-friendly. Little kids will love helping mix in the colorful add-ins!
Ingredients Needed
- Popcorn. You can use microwave popcorn or pop your own.
- Butter, salted
- Mini Marshmallows
- Brown Sugar
- M&M’s
- Sprinkles
How to Make Christmas Popcorn
- Pop popcorn using your favorite method and remove all unpopped popcorn kernels.
- Melt butter and brown sugar in a suacepan over medium heat.
- Add the marshmallows and stir until marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour mixture over the popcorn.
- Stir to coat evenly. Cool slightly (you don’t want to melt the candy)
- Add the M&M’s and sprinkles and toss gently until evenly distributed. Reserve some candy to add to the top of popcorn after you spread it out.
- Spread in a single layer on a parchment paper lined cookie sheets to set up completely.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use fresh popcorn. Stale popcorn won’t hold up well once coated in the warm marshmallow mixture. Air-popped or lightly salted popcorn works best. I have also used microwave popcorn.
- Melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat and stir constantly to avoid burning the marshmallow mixture.
- When combining the popcorn with the melted marshmallow mixture, fold carefully so you don’t crush the popcorn or pretzels.
- Stir in M&Ms and sprinkles after the mixture has cooled slightly so the colors don’t melt or bleed.
- Work quickly. The marshmallow coating firms up fast, so have all your mix-ins measured and ready to go before melting.
- This recipe is great to customize. Add in a dark chocolate or a melted white chocolate drizzle, chocolate chps, crushed candy canes, or holiday-themed cereal or other candy for fun flavor twists.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will Christmas popcorn last?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, it will stay fresh and crunchy for about 3 days.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! It’s a great make-ahead treat for parties or gifting. Just keep it sealed until ready to serve or package.
How do I prevent my popcorn from getting soggy?
Be sure your popcorn is completely cool and dry before mixing in the marshmallow coating. Any residual steam or moisture can make it soft.
This Christmas Popcorn is one of those addictive treats you can’t stop snacking on—sweet, salty, chewy, and crunchy all at once! Every bite tastes like the holidays, and it disappears fast, so you might want to make a double batch. Whether you’re sharing it as a homemade gift, serving it at a holiday party, or munching on it during a cozy Christmas movie night, it’s sure to become a new holiday season favorite.
Check out more of my favorite popcorn recipes:
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Christmas Popcorn
Ingredients
- 24 cups popped popcorn 3 bags of microwave popcorn
- 1 cup butter
- 16 oz mini marshmallows
- 1 cup brown sugar
- M&M’s
- red and green sprinkles
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn and remove any unpopped kernals.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Add the marshmallows in and stir until smooth.
- Pour over the popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Cool slightly before adding candy so it doesn't melt.
- Add the M&M’s and sprinkles and toss gently until evenly distributed. Reserve some candy to add to the top of popcorn after you spread it out.
- Spread in a single layer on a parchment paper lined cookie sheets to set up completely.
- Place into festive containers to give as gifts or enjoy yourself!
Tips & Notes:
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Nutrition Facts:
Laurie Hansen says
I don’t see in the instructions when to add the brown sugar? It is listed in the recipe, but not included in the directions.
Help.
Leigh Anne says
Sorry about that – add in with the butter and melt together. I’ve updated the recipe.
Glenna. Jensen says
On the Holiday popcorn, how sticky does this suppose to get mine was very sticky.
Leigh Anne says
It is a little sticky but not so sticky that you can’t get it off your fingers.
Cammi says
Mine was sticky enough that I made into popcorn balls.
Melinda says
It gets drier as it sits. I made it for a family movie night, and it set in the bowl for a few hours. By the time we ate it, it was like a Rice Krispy treat — a totally doable “sticky” level. 🙂 I also found after coating the popcorn with the sauce, that it needed (for me) the slightest bit of salt to bring out the flavor. It really changed it for me. We also added peanuts with the candy and sprinkles to make it “hearty.”