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Originally published in September 2012, I’m sharing again since it’s the season for popcorn balls again!
Ahhh popcorn balls. I guess, back in the old days, back when everybody actually knew everybody (and by that I mean not just Facebook friends) – people would give out homemade popcorn balls on Halloween. My mom has made them every Halloween for as long as I can remember – mostly to send to my Grandma (her mom) who LOVES them.
My mom got this recipe from her aunt Eileen M. It’s not necessarily gourmet and it will rot your teeth. BUT it is very, very yummy and it is very, very easy. Maybe make a batch and bring them to your neighbor, just for old times sake.
INGREDIENTS
20 cups of popped popcorn (air popped is best)
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1 small package of JELL-O, any flavor
DIRECTIONS
1.) Bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. When sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Be careful you don’t want to burn this stuff.
2.) Stir JELL-O into syrup and sugar mixture.
3.) Put popped corn into a very large mixing bowl and pour the mixture over the popcorn.
4.) Spray hands with a non-stick spray or you could use butter. Anything to grease your hands up so the popcorn doesn’t stick.
5.) Form popcorn into balls. Let harden. Store in Ziploc bags or wrapped in cellophane until ready to eat. Store at room temperature.
Have you made homemade popcorn balls before? What’s your favorite flavor?
(Thank you for the recipe and photo mom. Wish I was up in Alaska to make them with you!)
Reader Interactions
Comments
Nancy Draayer saysI love jello popcorn balls. So easy to make and can have any flavor or mix of flavors. Everyone that I have given them absolutely adores them.
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- Rhonda says
Do these popcorn balls stay soft or do they get hard???
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- Nancy Taylor says
I made these today with blueberry jello. I added 2 cups mini marshmallows, 1 cup cashews cut up (my granddaughter can’t have p/nuts) 1 cup dried pineapple and mango (the healthy part), 1 cup cut up strawberry licorice ad 1 c m*m’s. My son said they were wonderful and the grandkids will try them tomorrow. It made 19 balls with the above recipe. I put them in squares of wax paper and twisted the tops.
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- Shawna says
Nancy – did you melt the marshmallows into the sugar mixture or add them to the popcorn?
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- Becky says
My kids will love these!! Great idea! Top 15 Foodtastic Friday!
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What a fun idea! Thank you for sharing it.
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- Deauna says
I’ve never made popcorn balls before, but this gives me a reason to use the Jell-O in my cabinet! Stopping by from the Totally Tasty Tuesday link party.
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- Helen in Meridian says
Popcorn balls and candy apples were my favorite Halloween treats. I made a big batch of caramel corn late yesterday for us to munch on watching the Boise State Football game. My mom made us popcorn balls, but I have never heard of using Jello in it, but sounds good. I bought some popcorn balls at the store last year and they were awful. They didn’t taste at all like the wonderful homemade ones. My husband would throw all homemade treats my son got Trick or Treating into the garbage. I immediately took the garbage into the kitchen and saved it for myself. Not a razor blade in a one of them.
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- Kolleen says
I remember my Mom making popcorn bags for Halloween…back in the day when you did not worry about awful things in your bags…she popped the corn all day long in order to get ready for the 200 or so trick or treaters we would get…I get under 20 each year now but I love every one of them! I just buy candy bars and stamp something for them.
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- Angela says
That’s so cool! I like to do these at Christmas.
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- Lila says
I love homemade popcorn balls. My grandma used to make them for the family. It was a great tradition that we used to do. Since we have moved so far away from home I may try to make them myself for the kids this year. I have never tried it with jello so that will be interesting to see how they turn out. Thank you 🙂
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