Calling all popcorn lovers! Get ready to embark on a nostalgic journey with Grandma's Molasses Popcorn Balls. These delightful treats, made with simple ingredients like popcorn, molasses, and sugar, have been a beloved snack for generations. With their chewy texture and irresistible molasses flavor, these popcorn balls are a perfect balance of sweet and salty.
This article presents two variations of this classic recipe to cater to different preferences. The first recipe stays true to tradition, using molasses as the primary sweetener. The second recipe introduces a twist by incorporating brown sugar, creating a slightly caramelized flavor. Both recipes are easy to follow and require minimal ingredients, making them a great option for home cooks of all skill levels.
Whether you're looking for a sweet treat to enjoy on a cozy afternoon or a festive snack for your next gathering, these molasses popcorn balls are sure to be a hit. So gather your ingredients, pop some popcorn, and let's create some delicious memories together.
OLD-TIME POPCORN BALLS
Our whole family loves popcorn. These old-time popcorn balls are great anytime, but they're especially fun to pass out to trick-or-treaters or to use at Christmastime as stocking stuffers! They always look appealing when covered in clear wrap and tied with a festive ribbon. -LaReine Stevens, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Snacks
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine molasses, sugar, water, vinegar and butter. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until mixture reaches 235° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Add baking soda and stir well. , Remove from heat and immediately pour over popcorn, stirring gently with a wooden spoon until well coated. When cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-in. balls, dipping hands in cool water to prevent the syrup from sticking.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 170 calories, Fat 5g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 4mg cholesterol, Sodium 159mg sodium, Carbohydrate 33g carbohydrate (24g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 1g protein.
GRANDPA'S POPCORN BALLS
Great, Great Grandpa Apell had a huge farm in Illinois with prize-winning corn. He made Popcorn Balls for all the Grandkids at Christmastime. He lived to be 106 and claimed workin' the farm and eatin' corn was the secret! This recipe is delicious!
Provided by 3KIDS5
Categories Desserts Candy Recipes Popcorn Candy Recipes Popcorn Ball Recipes
Time 25m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and water. Stir and heat to hard-crack stage or 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Remove from heat, add vanilla or vinegar; mix well.
- Pour slowly over popped popcorn while stirring. Wait 5 minutes and shape into 3 inch round balls.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 457.7 calories, Carbohydrate 75.1 g, Cholesterol 24.4 mg, Fat 18.7 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 317 mg, Sugar 48.9 g
POP'S MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS AND TAFFY
This recipe has been in our family for more than 100 years. My dad's mother would make and pull it on the taffy hook on her kitchen door jam. She would then sell it at the local mercantile in Alberta, Canada. As soon as fall came, my siblings and I would beg Pop to make them. We loved every minute of it, except the burnt hands from the hot syrup, that is. We knew company was coming when they heard Pop was making them. He always let me help when I got old enough. I still make these with my family. The flavor is somewhat like caramel candies. We always double this recipe so we have enough to make taffy and popcorn balls. My pop always made 2 double batches. Posting this recipe has brought back many wonderful and happy memories from my childhood. I do so in honor of my Pop (RIP 1917-1997).
Provided by Dee Stillwell
Categories Desserts Candy Recipes Popcorn Candy Recipes Popcorn Ball Recipes
Time 1h2m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Place popcorn in a large bowl, with room for mixing. Fill another bowl with ice water. Butter several plates, one per each person who will be pulling taffy.
- Combine sugar, corn syrup, molasses, water, butter, and salt in a large 6-quart saucepan over medium heat; attach a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Tip the pan slightly to melt the sugar crystals on the sides, scraping down with a wooden spoon. Heat until the mixture registers 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 155 degrees C) on the thermometer or until a small amount of syrup drizzled into cold water turns hard, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Pour about 1 cup syrup onto each buttered plate. Let cool until safe to handle like a hot potato, 3 to 5 minutes. Pull syrup between your hands until a light golden brown color is achieved; the longer you pull it, the lighter it becomes. Twist into a long rope about 3/4-inch thick and place on back on a buttered plate to let taffy harden and cool. Break the hardened taffy apart.
- Pour the remaining hot syrup carefully over popcorn, while someone else quickly stirs the batch. Butter your hands and dip them in the ice water; working quickly to avoid burns and before taffy hardens, grab some of the popcorn mixture and form into a 3-inch ball. Repeat with the remaining popcorn.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 312 calories, Carbohydrate 67 g, Cholesterol 10.2 mg, Fat 6.2 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 207 mg, Sugar 48.2 g
POPCORN BALLS
No tricks, only treats here! This classic kid-friendly snack is made with just four ingredients-popcorn, melted buttered, marshmallows, and light brown sugar. Feel free to mix in additional sweet ingredients such as dried fruit, toffee bits, or chopped chocolate to these popcorn balls.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes about 12
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Melt butter in a large heavy pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and brown sugar and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
- Pour popcorn and cranberries, or English toffee bits if using, into pot; toss well. With buttered hands, shape into 2 1/2-inch balls. Set on parchment lined baking sheet to dry slightly.
OLD-FASHIONED POPCORN BALLS
Popcorn always make a crowd-pleasing snack...but you can make it into a chewy, sweet delight with this classic recipe.-American Pop Corn Co., Sioux City, Iowa
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Snacks
Time 35m
Yield 1 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place popcorn in a baking pan and keep warm in a 200° oven. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. , Continue cooking without stirring until the temperature reaches 270° on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla; stir just enough to mix. Slowly pour over the popcorn. Cool just enough to handle. Shape with buttered hands.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 161 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 10mg cholesterol, Sodium 213mg sodium, Carbohydrate 28g carbohydrate (21g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 1g protein.
OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES "CARAMEL" CORN
Back in the day, down South, cooks didn't have corn syrup on their shelves, they had sorghum molasses as it was cheaply and locally produced. It's an old fashioned taste I love and candy made w/ molasses is far more flavorful than candy made w/ corn syrup. My Granny cooked her candy till 'hard crack' on the stovetop and poured it over the corn, but doing it that way takes a lot more babysitting and using this method you won't burn or undercook it because it hardens in the oven.
Provided by Weewah
Categories Candy
Time 1h15m
Yield 14 Ziplock sandwich bags, 14 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 250 deg.
- Place butter in a medium pot, on medium heat.
- While the butter's melting, pop the corn and put it in a large roasting pan. I used a disposable aluminum pan and a hot air popper (you won't need to butter the pan).
- Keep an eye on the butter and add the sugar, molasses, and salt to it as soon as its melted.
- Bring the candy to a boil and stir and cook it only till the sugar melts and the butter blends in entirely - just a couple minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir the vanilla and peanuts into the candy.
- Quickly add the baking soda and stir untill it's well mixed. It foams to make a lighter, more delicate candy.
- Pour the candy over the popcorn and toss untill it's evenly coated.
- Put the popcorn in the oven for 1 hour, tossing every 15 or 20 minutes.
- Let it cool completely before breaking up and putting into an airtight container.
- I developed this recipe by hacking others because I couldn't find another to suit me. I made this for Christmas treats and it was INHALED, you'll find it tastes like Cracker Jack; that candy is made with molasses, not corn syrup, I got a box yersterday to compare.
- You can easily double this, but double the baking time too.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 312.9, Fat 10.5, SaturatedFat 6.3, Cholesterol 26.1, Sodium 359.4, Carbohydrate 55, Fiber 2, Sugar 40.7, Protein 1.9
MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS
What a delicious treat for Halloween, or for just about anytime - even that Saturday night of movie watching - the kids can have fun making the popcorn balls!!
Provided by Chef mariajane
Categories Candy
Time 25m
Yield 12-16 Balls
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Combine molasses, sugar and butter or margarine in a 2 quart saucepan. Dissolve sugar by stirring. Cook over medium heat until mixture forms a hard but not brittle ball when dropped in cold water. Stir constantly. Dribble syrup over popped corn stirring to coat all. Make balls with buttered hands when cool. Wrap in waxed paper.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 258.4, Fat 5.8, SaturatedFat 1.4, Cholesterol 2.5, Sodium 23.7, Carbohydrate 52.4, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 35.9, Protein 1.1
Tips:
- Use a large pot to make the popcorn so that it has plenty of room to pop.
- Do not overcrowd the pot with popcorn kernels, or they will not pop properly.
- Keep the pot covered while the popcorn is popping to prevent the kernels from burning.
- Once the popcorn has finished popping, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly before adding the molasses mixture.
- Be careful when stirring the molasses mixture into the popcorn, as it is very hot.
- Shape the popcorn balls while the mixture is still warm and pliable.
- If the mixture is too sticky, add a little bit of butter or oil to your hands to prevent it from sticking.
- Let the popcorn balls cool completely before serving.
Conclusion:
Grandma's Molasses Popcorn Balls are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that is perfect for any occasion. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a sweet and sticky snack that the whole family will love. So next time you're looking for a fun and festive treat, give this recipe a try!
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