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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!
Christmas popcorn is the delicious sweet and salty snack. A perfect combination of buttery, marshmallow sweetness and crunchy salty popcorn. And with the addition of red and green M&Ms and sprinkles, it is festive and fun too! Christmas in a bowl.
This treat is quick and easy to make. It can be ready in about 10 minutes, no baking required, if you need a quick holiday snack. It is also perfect for gifting. Easy to make in a large batch and then package in cellophane or a Christmas tin for a cute and delicious homemade hoiday gift. And the recipe is so easy, kids of all ages can help you make it for friends and neighbors.
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 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:
Rosalinda Torres says
How long can you keep them in a container?
Leigh Anne says
A few days in an airtight container.
Denise says
Do you think this will work with microwavable popcorn?
Leigh Anne says
It does, it just makes it a little salter but it’s still delicious.
Donna Howard says
Made these for our Elders and they loved loved loved them!! Thanks for such a great idea!! Merry Christmas to you and your adorable family!!
Cindy says
This looks yummy. I love your recipe for the white chocolate popcorn with M&M’s, pretzels and marshmallows too. It feeds a bunch and everybody loves it. I’ll have to give this one a try.
Jenn says
Do you do this with air-popped corn? Looks fun and easy!
Thanks!
Leigh Anne says
Jenn, Yes, that is usually what I do