Traditional Popcorn Balls

Name: Traditional Popcorn Balls
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 20 servings.
Ingredients: 7 quarts popped popcorn; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup light corn syrup; 1/4 cup water; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Food coloring, optional

Kids of all ages enjoy this popcorn ball recipe as an old-fashioned holiday treat. One batch goes a long way. —Cathy Karges, Hazen, North Dakota

Ingredients

7 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring, optional

Directions

Place popcorn in a large baking pan; keep warm in a 200° oven.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 235° (soft-ball stage).
Remove from the heat. Add the butter, vanilla and food coloring if desired; stir until butter is melted. Immediately pour over popcorn and stir until evenly coated.
When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-in. balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking.

Test Kitchen Tips

For a fun twist, make the basic recipe and divide it into a few portions. Then add different mix-ins to each. Think candies, nuts, dried fruit, even cereal.

Here are five candy-making mistakes to avoid.

Editor's Note

We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Nutrition Facts

1 each: 177 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 203mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 2g fiber), 1g protein.

Originally published as Traditional Popcorn Balls in Taste of Home December/January 1999

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Janet

Dec 15, 2018

To those of you with no candy thermometer, it's not really necessary. Cook to the "soft ball" stage--the stage where the coating, when you drop a small bit into a cup of cold water, forms a soft ball. Not a hard ball--over cooked--and if it doesn't make a ball, you need to cook the syrup longer. Google it for pictures and examples.
Makayla

Oct 25, 2017

The recipe is great but i do not own a candy thermometer and dont know if the mixture was ready or not
GirishKatta

Feb 16, 2016

Nice recipe
BIGJOHNSGAL

Oct 26, 2015

I do not own a candy thermometer? How can i judge when ready?
RavennaAnastasia

Sep 2, 2015

When I was a kid back in the 60's and 70's the lunch ladies would make these treats for us on holidays or special fairs and they would flavor them with Kool-aid (the unsweetened envelopes)--usually orange or raspberry!
mamaknowsbest

Jun 23, 2015

The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the popcorn to cool! I think my teenagers ate half of the hot popcorn mix before we could even form them into the classic popcorn ball. As a volunteer food editor for Taste of Home, I love re-discovering old classic recipes!
kdavie

Nov 2, 2014

I haven't had a home-made popcorn ball in 50 years. My mother use to make them and they seemed so difficult. I just made this recipe and it was so easy and tasted wonderful.
Neeneeskitchen

Dec 4, 2013

I absolutely love this app. Thank you.
Thomasina123

Nov 5, 2013

Don't forget to take the unpopped "old maids" out of the popcorn before forming into balls. We learned that the hard way. Recipe is delicious, though. :)
lovebug2u

Dec 22, 2012

This was super easy and had a great flavor. I loved how chewy they were but not too sticky to handle. I gave these as Christmas gifts! They were so fun to make.