It's Time To Throw Some Marshmallows In Your Bowl Of Popcorn

Who doesn't enjoy a buttery, salt-kissed bowl of hot popcorn? While popcorn has a history of being used for more than your crunchy snack of choice, this whole-grain, gluten-free food has, over time, won the hearts and stomachs of countless food lovers around the globe. Fast forward to the present day and popcorn has taken on many new flavors and roles in everyday recipes. Not only do you have the luxury and ability to make white chocolate rainbow popcorn and cinnamon-spice berry popcorn with ease, but nowadays you can add your favorite sweet treat accompaniments to your standard movie snack in more ways than one.

Next to chocolate chips and peanut butter, marshmallows are the perfect ingredient to take your next round of crunchy popcorn to sweet and salty heaven. The idea of adding marshmallows might initially seem like an old concept, given the fact that popcorn balls have been around since the mid-19th century. Unlike these traditional treats, which are made with added corn syrup or honey, marshmallow-infused popcorn isn't necessarily made with a one-size-fits-all recipe. Marshmallows and popcorn can be made into a sticky confection or a sweet and salty trail mix of sorts — the choice is yours.

While marshmallows have become synonymous with classic s'mores, there are additional confections you can make with the inclusion of crunchy popcorn. The key to making these tasty desserts is to first melt down the marshmallows with a bit of butter. These spongey, cloud-like toppings transform into an edible glue that holds other ingredients together. For starters, you can swap out the Rice Krispies in Rice Krispies treats and use freshly-popped popcorn instead. You may want to play around with the ratio of popcorn to marshmallows to achieve your desired amount of stickiness. You might also feel compelled to add some brown sugar to the melting mixture or extra salt to your popcorn to make a more sweet and savory dessert. Once the marshmallows, butter, and any extra sugar (if using) have been melted down, pour over the popcorn, mix, and press into a shallow pan.

If you want to get extra fancy, you can make a popcorn cake with the same essential ingredients but add in your favorite candy additions like mini M&Ms, chopped nuts, and caramel sauce. Instead of using a rectangular pan, try a fancy bundt pan (generously coated with non-stick spray!), pressing firmly into the greased or lined crevices so the confection comes out in an eye-catching uniform shape — no baking required. If you don't want to trouble yourself with a sticky mess, however, there are a few mess-free ways to enjoy the delightful combination of popcorn and marshmallows.

If you like the idea of melted marshmallow popcorn but want to avoid a sticky mess, be judicious with your melting mixture and allow your sweet treat combination to rest before enjoying a bowl. Start with a smaller amount of marshmallows and butter so the mixture isn't too sticky. Use the standard Rice Krispies treats recipe as a rough guide, yet instead of pressing the mixture down into a shallow pan, spread your gooey combo out onto a lined cookie sheet and leave it to cool and firm up. Once set, you should be able to break apart the mixture in sections, just like you would yogurt or chocolate bark. However, keep in mind your resulting sweet and salty treat will still have a slight element of stickiness, so keep some napkins handy.

Conversely, for those of you who would rather lean into melt-free ways of enjoying marshmallows and popcorn together, the process is quite simple. Just mix freshly popped popcorn with mini marshmallows after your popcorn cools from the stovetop or microwave. Alternatively, you can also throw in a cup of whole mini marshmallows, like in one of our many snack-happy trail mix recipes. Turn your marshmallow popcorn mix into a s'mores-inspired delight or add in some dried fruit and nuts for more variety. While you can always melt marshmallows to create mouthwatering treats, a simple marshmallow popcorn trail mix is just as tasty.