Celebrate the spooky season with this fun Halloween popcorn balls recipe! An easy 3 ingredient snack, they’re an easy way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. Dip them in white or dark chocolate, and add your favourite toppings for a festive homemade treat great for Halloween parties, movie nights, and more. The perfect Halloween treat!
Healthy Popcorn Balls – Perfect for Halloween!
This healthy Halloween popcorn balls recipe has become a new fall favourite in our house and with only 3 ingredients, they couldn’t be much easier to make! My kids love to help make them for a fun fall treat.
Unlike the traditional popcorn balls, this version is made without corn syrup or marshmallows, so they’re a better-for-you snack infused with sweet and savoury flavours to satisfy all your cravings.
What I love most about this recipe is that these popcorn balls are super versatile and full of fibre to keep you full. Even better, when dipped in dark chocolate, they pack in tons of antioxidants, too!
They’re great to have on hand when you’re craving something sweet and chewy, but don’t want the sugar overload of Halloween candy. Plus, making this easy popcorn ball recipe is such a fun way to spend quality family time in the kitchen during the fall.
Prepare them in advance to have on hand for movie night, parties, or an easy Halloween treat!
For more fun Halloween treats, check out these Halloween Donuts and Halloween Dirt Cups too!
What Are Popcorn Balls?
A crunchy snack full of sweet and savoury flavours, popcorn balls are exactly what they sound like. They typically consist of popped corn kernels that have been tossed in a mixture of corn syrup, white sugar, melted marshmallows, and salt and rolled into balls. Some variations contain chocolate or candy pieces, but it isn’t necessary.
For this version, we swapped out the corn syrup and marshmallows for a better-for-you recipe that’s just as tasty as the original. All you’ll need for this fun treat are 3 ingredients and a little imagination!
Why We Love This Halloween Popcorn Balls Recipe
- Customizable: Feel free to add in your favourite mix-ins and toppings to make this recipe your own.
- Great to make with the kids: Quick and easy to make, your little ones will love decorating their own popcorn balls! Include candy eyes, festive Halloween sprinkles, and more for a fun Halloween treat perfect for little hands.
- Healthier option: Unlike store-bought popcorn balls that contain corn syrup and additives, this recipe uses just 3 better-for-you ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
- Popped Popcorn: Any popcorn you like best can be used. To keep this recipe healthier, I typically opt for plain unpopped kernels and simply pop them in the microwave or air popper. You can also purchase microwave popcorn or pre-popped plain popcorn at the grocery store for a faster option.
- Chocolate Chips: I alternate between white and dark chocolate chips to create a sweet coating, but semi-sweet varieties would work as well.
- Edible Decorations: Use a variety of candy eyeballs, sprinkles, coconut flakes, and more to decorate your popcorn balls and add a little extra flavour and crunch.
How to Make Popcorn Balls without Corn Syrup
To begin, line a muffin tin with 12 silicone muffin liners. You can also use a silicone muffin pan or line each cup of a regular muffin tin with saran wrap, if you prefer.
Step 1 – Prepare the Dark Chocolate Popcorn Balls
- Pour 2 cups of the popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, measure out the dark chocolate chips, and melt them in the microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is smooth, being careful not to burn it.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn, and toss until it is evenly distributed.
- Working quickly, carefully scoop the chocolate-covered popcorn into 6 of the lined muffin cups so that they form a ball shape.
Step 2 – Prepare the White Chocolate Popcorn Balls
- In a second large bowl (or use the same bowl that contained the dark chocolate, and clean it beforehand), add the remaining 2 cups of popcorn.
- In another small microwave-safe bowl, measure out the white chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is smooth, once again being careful not to burn it.
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the popcorn and toss until evenly distributed. Similar to the dark chocolate popcorn balls, carefully scoop the white chocolate-covered popcorn mixture into the remaining 6 lined muffin cups to form approximately 3-inch balls.
Step 3 – Decorate
- While the chocolate balls are still wet, decorate them with your desired decorations and toppings, pressing gently so that they adhere to the chocolate.
Step 4 – Allow to Harden
- Place the muffin tin and popcorn balls in the fridge for 15-20 minutes or until the chocolate has completely hardened. Then, carefully pop the hardened popcorn balls out of the silicone liners or muffin pan, and serve immediately.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- Try to work as quickly as possible when adding the chocolate covered popcorn to the muffin tin and decorating it, as the chocolate will start to harden after sitting for several minutes, making it harder for the decorations to adhere to the surface.
- If desired, you can use all one type of chocolate chips (either dark or white). Just double the amount of melted chocolate chips and pour over all 4 cups of the popcorn. You can also mix the two together for more of a marbled effect.
- Feel free to get creative with the decor. In the photos, we stuck on candy eyeballs, used some colourful sprinkles, drizzled white chocolate onto the dark chocolate balls for “mummies” and used unsweetened coconut on the white chocolate popcorn balls for “ghosts.”
- If you prefer to skip the microwave, you can also melt the chocolate chips over the stove. Simply set a heat-proof bowl over a small pot of boiling water and heat over medium-low heat until melted.
- These chocolate popcorn balls are best served fresh out of the fridge as they will start to get a bit soft and sticky if left at room temperature for an extended period of time. Eat once the chocolate has fully hardened to avoid a sticky mess!
Recipe FAQs
Any popcorn you like best can be used to make these Halloween popcorn balls as long as it has been popped before adding the coating. You can either use unsalted or salted if you like that sweet and salty taste!
In most recipes, sticky corn syrup or marshmallows are used to hold the popcorn together. However, for this version, the melted chocolate is enough to bind the balls together after they harden in the fridge.
These popcorn balls are best served right away. However, if you have leftovers, they will stay fresh in an airtight container or sealable bag at room temperature for up to one week.
Yes, they can be frozen for up to one month! To do so, wrap each popcorn ball with plastic wrap, and transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container.
Yes, on their own popcorn and chocolate are naturally gluten-free. Just be sure to double-check the ingredients list on all of your toppings if you require a gluten-free option..
How to Store
To keep your popcorn balls fresh, individually wrap popcorn balls in plastic wrap, and then place them in an airtight container in a single layer. They can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or freezer for up to one month.
If stacking them in the freezer, be sure to separate them with parchment paper or wax paper to prevent them from sticking together if you don’t wrap them individually.
Decorating Popcorn Balls for Halloween
The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating your Halloween popcorn balls! To get you started, some of my favourite ideas for this crunchy treat include:
- Using candy eyes to make a spooky face or monster
- Drizzling white chocolate on dark chocolate balls to resemble a mummy (or vice versa)!
- Using white chocolate and coconut for ghost popcorn balls
- Adding Halloween-themed sprinkles on top
Serving Suggestions
Serve these chocolate popcorn balls on their own or with a warm mug of hot chocolate (try this Hot Chocolate with Cacao} for a satisfying snack, or prepare a full spread and include:
- A Halloween Fruit Tray
- Caramel Apple Skewers
- Pumpkin Pie Hummus
- Healthy Rice Krispie Treats
- Caramel apples, and more!
You can also poke fun paper straws into the popcorn balls before they harden and eat them off a stick!
Recipe Variations
- Make them colourful: Add a drop of orange or green gel food coloring to the white chocolate.
- Switch up the candy: Mix in your favorite candy such as M&Ms or candy corn into the balls for extra sweetness and a little crunch.
- Add nuts: Add a drizzle of nut butter on top of the balls, or a sprinkle of chopped nuts for a hint of saltiness.
More Festive Treats
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Halloween Popcorn Balls Recipe {Without Corn Syrup}
Ingredients
- 4 cups plain popped popcorn
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- Assorted edible decorations (candy eyeballs, sprinkles, coconut, etc.)
Instructions
For the dark chocolate popcorn balls:
- Line a muffin tin with 12 silicone muffin liners. You can also use a silicone muffin pan or line each cup of a regular muffin tin with saran wrap.
- Pour 2 cups of the popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, measure out the dark chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is smooth and melted, being careful not to burn it.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn and toss with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
- Working quickly, carefully scoop the chocolate covered popcorn into 6 of the lined muffin cups so that they form a popcorn ball.
- Decorate with desired decorations, pressly gently so that they adhere to the chocolate.
For the white chocolate popcorn balls:
- In another large bowl (or use the same bowl and clean it beforehand), add the remaining 2 cups of popcorn.
- In another small microwave-safe bowl, measure out the white chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is smooth and melted, once again being careful not to burn it.
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the popcorn and toss until evenly distributed. Similar to the dark chocolate popcorn balls, carefully scoop the white chocolate covered popcorn into the remaining 6 lined muffin cups to form popcorn balls. Decorate with desired decorations, once again pressing gently so that they adhere to the chocolate.
- Place the muffin tin and popcorn balls in the fridge for 15-20 minutes or until the chocolate has completely hardened. Carefully pop the hardened popcorn balls out of the silicone liners or muffin pan. Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an air-tight container for several days.
Notes
- Try to work as quickly as possible when adding the chocolate covered popcorn to the muffin tin and decorating it, as the chocolate will start to harden after sitting for several minutes, making it harder for the decorations to adhere to the surface.
- If desired, you can use all one type of chocolate chips (either dark or white). Just double the amount of melted chocolate chips and pour over all 4 cups of the popcorn. You can also mix the two together for more of a marbled effect.
- Feel free to get creative with the decor. In the photos, we stuck on candy eyeballs, used some colourful sprinkles, drizzled white chocolate onto the dark chocolate balls for “mummies” and used unsweetened coconut on the white chocolate popcorn balls for “ghosts.”
- If you prefer to skip the microwave, you can also melt the chocolate chips over the stove. Simply set a heat-proof bowl over a small pot of boiling water and heat over medium-low heat until melted.
- These chocolate popcorn balls are best served fresh out of the fridge as they will start to get a bit soft and sticky if left at room temperature for an extended period of time. Eat once the chocolate has fully hardened to avoid a sticky mess!
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