These Candy Corn Popcorn Balls are a great treat and take on a Halloween look by adding the candy corn. I am combining two treats that I LOVE to make the perfect Halloween Treat.
There are a couple of challenges to be aware of. Let the sugar mixture cool just a bit before pouring over you candy corn popcorn mixture, or your candy corn might start to melt because of the heat. This stuff is pretty hot, so be careful or you can end up with a bad burn. The other thing is to keep an eye on the thermometer. It will rapidly go from 250 up to 300, if you get distracted. This is the difference between hard ball and hard crack (peanut brittle).
Enough cautions about making them. They actually came out great. The two tastes work well together as long as your taste buds can take the sugar rush. These should have the kids fighting over them. They are very sweet, but what would you expect with all that sugar, corn syrup and candy corn. After all, Halloween is only once a year so you might as well indulge.
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1¼ cups Water
- ½ cup Corn Syrup
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1 cup Candy Corn
- 2 bag microwaved Popcorn
- Cook Microwave Popcorn per instructions and set aside.
- In a medium or large saucepan, combine sugar, water, corn syrup and vinegar.
- Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 250 degrees (hard ball) on a candy thermometer.
- Mix popped corn and candy corn on baking sheet.
- Pour mixture over popcorn mixture, tossing to coat.
- When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 2 to 3 inch balls with lightly greased hands.
- Cool on waxed paper and serve or store in air tight container.
I hope you try these and let me know what you think. I think they are absolutely delicious!
Need more Halloween Treat inspiration? Be sure to Follow me on Pinterest and check out my Halloween Treat Board for lots more yummy recipes!
These were horrible. I mixed everything on the pan as in the recipe, but there was no “tossing to coat” because it immediately turned into a hard, hot mess. When it was cool enough to work with, I was able to make about 6, but they are inedible. They stick to your teeth like a nightmare. One bite was enough to make me hate it. Now I have a pan full of candy goo and about a bag of unusable popcorn stuck to the pan. The recipe makes way too much goo and not clear enough instructions on how to coat all the pieces evenly. Sorry. Terrible recipe.
It sounds like you got the candy mixture too hot. If it’s too hot it turns too hard and makes it difficult to coat the pieces. When you melt the candy you have to be so careful not to get it hotter than 250. That makes them softener and the mixture is easy to pour over the popcorn. I just shake the cookie sheet and stir with a greased spoon or my hands to get it to coat. Sorry it didn’t work for you!
I made these over the weekend and they were awesome! Well, the first batch not so much. I got the sugar mixture too hot like you warned against. Oops. Then I made a second batch and it was fine. My family ate them all so I had to make a third batch so we could pass them out to neighbors. I think I have it perfected now. Thanks! Oh and if you have goo stuck on your cookie sheet I just let mine soak in really hot soapy water for a while and it came right off. You could also line it with a silpat mat or parchment paper but I didn’t think of that until I was finished. 🙂
I love popcorn balls what a fund Halloween treat to make.
What a cute idea for a fall treat 😀 I would love for you to share this post at my Create & Share Link Party tonight (7:00 PM MST)! Hope to see you there 🙂 https://designsbymissmandee.blogspot.com/
what a fun treat! Thank you for sharing and for linking up to the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Watch for your feature on Monday xo
What a fun idea! Thanks for sharing with Foodie Friends Friday. Hope to see you this week!
These are such a fun treat for Fall! Thanks for sharing the recipe with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
How fun to add candy corn in your popcorn balls. Thank you for sharing at Share It One More Time. Cathy
These look so good. I’ve never tried candy corn.
I love candy corn and popcorn so these treats are perfect for me… Thanks for sharing these last week on Foodie Friends Friday and I want to let you know that these are my host favorite for the week. I hope you join us tonight.
I always say I’m going to make pop corn balls and never do (lol) , I used to make them with my grandma when I was a kid.This year I have to! Thanks for sharing at the party. Theresa @DearCreatives
Oh, those would be very dangerous for me. I love popcorn balls and candy corn!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
This looks so yummy! Just wanted to let you know that I included this in the candy corn roundup on my blog. Thanks for sharing!! https://theroadtocrazy.blogspot.com/2014/10/31-days-of-halloween-2014-day-9-candy.html
How long so you have to let the mixture before putting it over the candy corn/popcorn?