Calling all peanut butter lovers! These Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls are a delicious treat and so easy to make. Salty popcorn is combined with a creamy peanut butter marshmallow sauce for a scrumptious, sweet and salty snack.

peanut butter popcorn balls on white marble serving tray

Table of contents

Is it just me or do you think of popcorn balls and Halloween hand-in-hand? It’s kind of like stuffing and Thanksgiving. Popcorn Balls were popular in the 1950’s when Americans would still hand out homemade treats to Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween.

Even though, most people have gone the way of pre-packaged candy as a Halloween giveaway, you can still make these delicious homemade Popcorn Balls for close friends and neighbors. They’re a super easy and scrumptious treat that’s perfect for kids!  

Whip these up for a Halloween party or an afternoon treat, either way, I know they’ll be a hit with any peanut butter fan. Since they’re made with a base of marshmallows, instead of corn syrup, they’re similar to Rice Krispie Treats, with the extra deliciousness of creamy peanut butter!

ingredients for peanut butter popcorn balls

Ingredients

  • Popcorn – you’ll need approximately 6 cups of popcorn. A standard 3.2 ounce bag of uncooked popcorn, should pop up to more than enough to make these popcorn balls.
  • Honey
  • Creamy peanut butter – you could also use crunchy, if you’d like a little peanut crunch in the popcorn balls.
  • Mini marshmallows – regular-sized marshmallows will also work, it just takes longer for them to melt down into the peanut butter sauce.

Instructions

I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

peanut butter and honey in saucepan on the stove
peanut butter cooked down in saucepan with mini marshmallows
peanut butter marshmallow sauce cooked down in pot on the stove
peanut butter sauce tossed with popcorn in large bowl
  1. Place popped popcorn in a large bowl.
  2. On the stove, melt the peanut butter and honey together in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Once the peanut butter mixture is smooth and creamy, add the mini marshmallows to the saucepan.
  4. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows are completely melted into the sauce.
  5. Immediately pour the peanut butter mixture over the popcorn in the bowl.
  6. Use a spatula to coat all of the popcorn in the peanut butter mixture. Gently mixing it to make sure you don’t break the popcorn.
  7. Allow the coated popcorn to cool for at least 15-20 minutes, so it will be cool to the touch.
  8. Once it’s cool enough to handle, form the popcorn mixture into 10 popcorn balls.
  9. Serve within 1 hour, or store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.
peanut butter popcorn balls on white serving tray

Pro tips

  • There’s a lot of peanut butter “filling” in these popcorn balls. If you’d like to make them with less peanut butter, simply add 1-2 more cups of popcorn, or until the mixture reaches your desired consistency of popcorn to peanut butter sauce.
  • These popcorn balls are best when eaten the day that they’re made. They will stay good in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, but the popcorn balls have the best texture on the first day that they’re prepared.
  • Popcorn balls are a naturally gluten free treat. Almost all brands of marshmallows in the US are gluten free, but I always recommend checking the label to make sure.
  • Spray cooking spray on your hands before forming the popcorn balls, so they’re easier to handle and the popcorn “syrup” doesn’t stick to your hands.

Try these other easy dessert recipes!

And don’t forget to add these popcorn balls to this fun and festive Halloween Snack Board!

peanut butter popcorn balls on white marble serving tray
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Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

Calling all peanut butter lovers! These Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls are a delicious treat and so easy to make. Salty popcorn is combined with a creamy peanut butter marshmallow sauce for a scrumptious, sweet and salty snack.
Servings: 10 popcorn balls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl.
  • In a saucepan on the skillet over medium heat, add the honey and peanut butter.
  • Stir to combine the ingredients, then add the marshmallows, cook 1-2 minutes, or until the marshmallows have melted.
  • Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the popcorn, toss to coat.
  • Wait 15-20 minutes, when cool enough to handle, form into 10 popcorn balls.
  • Serve within 1 hour, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

  • There’s a lot of peanut butter “filling” in these popcorn balls. If you’d like to make them with less peanut butter, simply add 1-2 more cups of popcorn, or until the mixture reaches your desired consistency of popcorn to peanut butter sauce.
  • These popcorn balls are best when eaten the day that they’re made. They will stay good in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, but the popcorn balls have the best texture on the first day that they’re prepared.
  • Popcorn balls are a naturally gluten free treat. Almost all brands of marshmallows in the US are gluten free, but I always recommend checking the label to make sure.
  • Spray cooking spray on your hands before forming the popcorn balls, so they’re easier to handle and the popcorn “syrup” doesn’t stick to your hands.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 180kcal (9%)Carbohydrates 25g (8%)Protein 4g (8%)Fat 9g (14%)Saturated Fat 2g (10%)Polyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 4gSodium 110mg (5%)Potassium 110mg (3%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 18g (20%)Vitamin A 12mgVitamin C 0.1mgCalcium 9mg (1%)Iron 0.4mg (2%)
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