Pumpkin Popcorn Balls

You can make and decorate some orange popcorn balls and share them with your friends.

You will need an adult to help with this recipe.

Supplies needed:

1/2 cup margarine or butter

2 – 10 ounce packages of miniature marshmallows
(White marshmallows work best, but you can also make this recipe with the little multicolored marshmallows if that is what you have on hand)

Orange food coloring paste (This is also available at party stores, or other hobby stores that have a cake decorating section such as Michael's, and Joanne’s and even at some Wal-Marts) - From Amazon Wilton Neon Gel Food Color Set


15 cups of popped popcorn (you can pop this with a hot air popper, or microwave- be sure to pick out all the kernels that did not pop)

Chocolate chips, M&Ms, fruit leather or other candies for decorating the jack-o’-lantern popcorn balls

Black or green licorice

Here’s what to do after you gather the supplies:

1. Pop the popcorn and pick out and throw away the kernels that did not pop
2. Pour all the popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl
3. Melt the margarine in a non-stick pan over medium heat
4. Add the marshmallows and stir until they are all melted
5. Add a few dabs of the orange food coloring paste (start with about ¼ teaspoon, and slowly increase the amount until it is bright orange like a pumpkin)
6. Pour the melted marshmallows over the popcorn and stir to coat- this will be very sticky
7. Grease your hands with a dab of margarine or butter, then form the popcorn into balls
8. If your hands feel too hot after doing the first popcorn ball, dip them in cold water and then form another popcorn ball (the margarine stays on and keeps your hands greased so they won’t stick to the popcorn)
9. On the top of each popcorn ball, add a piece of black or green licorice to be the stem of the pumpkin
10. If you just want the popcorn to just be pumpkins, use the green licorice and then out of some fruit leather cut a leaf and put it up by the stem
11. If you want to decorate them to be jack-o’-lanterns use the black stem (licorice). Then press chocolate chips or M&Ms into the popcorn ball for facial features. You can add a mouth, eyes, nose and even ears. (Hot Tamales candies make good ears)
12. Another way to make a face is to cut the features out of fruit leather – be sure to use clean scissors, and wash them after because they will be sticky
13. Wrap the popcorn ball pumpkins in plastic wrap and tie with a green ribbon if you want to give them to friends. They will stay good for up to a week.

This recipe makes 15-20 pumpkin shaped treats, depending on the size you make them.

I hope you enjoy this project. It can be a fun family project where everyone gets to decorate a few pumpkins. You can share them with your neighbors or friends.