Easy Christmas Popcorn

Kick off your festive holiday season with easy Christmas Popcorn. Adults and kiddos alike will be clamoring for a taste of this sweet treat. Plus it’s so easy you may even need to make another batch!

Holiday baking will always be a favorite pastime, but sometimes I need a quick, low-pressure Christmas snack. This recipe takes almost no time to whip up and is great to bring to any last minute holiday party.

The kiddos even love to help assemble this yummy marshmallow treat. They love to help add the candies to the mix and squish them into the sticky stuff. And the best part? They don’t have to wait long till you get to eat it!

I love easy Christmas snacks during the busy holidays. Much like this Christmas reindeer Chex mix recipe, frosted ginger cookies, our white chocolate Christmas crack or this Christmas crack chex mix.

At holiday parties, I love serving this simple crowd pleaser alongside a festive hot cocoa bar. And a Christmas charcuterie board keeps snack time going during the whole party.

This delicious popcorn recipe is one of the best ways to spread holiday cheer, not just because you can whip it up in a jiffy, but because it’s absolutely delicious and so easy to get creative with.

Add whatever candies you like to mix because you simply can’t go wrong. Just save some for our pancake spaghetti for your Elf themed night!

What are you waiting for? I think I’ll go make some right now, myself. Come join me and we’ll do it together!

Why you should make this recipe

• This sweet treat is too easy to pass up.
• It’s a festive crowd pleaser.
• This recipe is the perfect pairing to all your favorite holiday movies.
• You can whip it up in 20 minutes or less.

Ingredients needed

• Air popped popcorn - I recommend popping the popcorn yourself to make sure you don’t have any extra flavors. Be sure to remove any unpeopled kernels.
• Salted butter - No popcorn recipe is complete without butter.
• Salt - Regular table salt works great.
• Large marshmallows - Because you want lots of marshmallow-y goodness, get the big ones.
• Red and green M&Ms - Make this popcorn even more festive with red and green.
• Christmas sprinkles - Whether they’re Christmas colors or shapes, toss those cute little sprinkles in. We also use them on our Christmas crack chex mix.

How to make Easy Christmas Popcorn

Get started

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Make sure your air-popped popcorn is ready to get coated in deliciousness by putting it in a large bowl big enough for stirring.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and salt to to the skillet and let the butter melt. Then add the marshmallows. Stir occasionally to let the mixture melt together. 

Bring it together

When the marshmallows are nearly melted, remove from heat and keep stirring to melt the last bits of marshmallow.

Pour marshmallow mixture over the popcorn and stir until the popcorn is well-coated. Try not to eat it all in this state. I know it’s tempting.

Add some color

Gently press the gooey popcorn onto your prepared baking sheet. Spread it out to create a nice even layer.

Add the Christmas sprinkles and festive M&Ms on top of the popcorn mixture. Lightly press them in so they stick to the gooey marshmallow. When the mixture cools, break it into pieces and devour.

Tips for success

Prepare up front

Measure everything up front to make this easy recipe even easier. Make sure that cookie sheet is prepared ahead of time so you don’t have to pause while the mixture is still warm. It will start to firm up as it cools and be more difficult to spread.

Variations

• Winterize - Add a dash of blue food coloring to the marshmallow mixture just before pouring over the popcorn. Then use snowflake sprinkles and shredded coconut for snow.
• Add nuts - Use your favorite roasted, salted nuts instead of M&Ms or alongside them to add an extra texture and slightly salty flavor.
• Popcorn balls - With a little butter on your hands you can turn this treat into popcorn balls instead. Then you can package them like ornaments and give as gifts!
• Candy cane - Crush up some candy canes or peppermint candies to throw on with the M&Ms or instead of them. This will give your popcorn a festive elevation of peppermint.

Storage and Freezing

Storing - You can store sweet and salty popcorn in an airtight container for up to one week. 

Freezing - Freeze in an airtight container for up to six months.

FAQ

Can I make this gluten free?

Easily! Popcorn is naturally gluten free, as long as you’re using plain popcorn you pop yourself and not something with extra flavors, you should be just fine. Make sure you don’t use pretzel or crispy M&Ms because they are NOT gluten free. Stick to plain, almond, peanut, or peanut butter to keep it gluten free. 

Can I make it dairy free?

Yes! Use vegan butter or coconut oil in place of the butter. If you still want the chocolate, then use dairy free chocolate chips in place of the M&Ms. Or melt the chocolate and create a melty chocolate drizzle over the popcorn.

Can I use pre-popped, hull free popcorn?

I see no reason you couldn’t. Certainly cuts down on a teensy bit of time if you need to. If you do this, I recommend removing the salt from the recipe since the popcorn will already have plenty.

Ways to enjoy

I can’t help but think of all the fun Christmas parties I can serve this scrumptious treat along with our Christmas Oreo truffles. And that means I need to pair it with the best cheeseball, and bacon wrapped tater tots.

No holiday party would be complete without some drinks! Candy cane Christmas mocktails can never be wrong and I love cranberry mocktails. Holidays bring people together, and these make it fun for the whole family.