My Grandma’s Candy Popcorn is a must-make every Christmas! It’s fun and colorful and the kids love it 🙂 Choose any colors to switch things up for game day, a birthday party or any other holiday. SO easy! Includes a step by step recipe video.
This post has been updated from November 3, 2015
I’m going to be completely honest.
As soon as September rolls around, I’m waiting for Christmas.
It’s not that I want to rush the snow, or the cold, or the snowsuits and icy roads. But I think Christmas is my favorite time of year.
I feel like such a child saying that, you know? I promise you it’s not all about the Lego waiting under the tree. It’s just that there’s nothing else we prepare for so far in advance. By the middle of November, for sure, I’ve got the Christmas tree and decorations up and am well into my Christmas shopping.
I love buying, wrapping and giving gifts.
I love a holiday that requires weeks of baking in advance (No Bake Christmas Trees or Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies anyone?).
I love the lights, the first snowflakes, and s’mores over the fire (inside!).
This is my Grandma’s Candy Popcorn recipe, and it’s one I’m sure I’ve eaten every Christmas since childhood except the last.
Since my Grandma passed away last November, I find myself becoming more emotionally attached to family recipes.
For some people, maybe that’s strange. But for you fellow food lovers, maybe you can see the significance of cooking or baking the same things that your parents and grandparents made years — or decades — earlier. I hope to store up a good number of them here!
A simple air popper and a few other basic ingredients are all you need to make this fun treat that I promise the adults will love as much as the kiddos 😉
This recipe is really simple, and can easily be customized. You could add flavored extracts if you wanted, change up the colors for any birthday, game day, or holiday, or mix in things like sprinkles, nuts, candies, etc. The options are endless!
Grandma’s Candy Popcorn
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups popcorn kernels popped (about 25 cups popped popcorn)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon food coloring
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place popcorn in a large bowl (you’ll need room to stir the candy mixture in!)
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring sugar, water, and butter to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in food coloring and salt and pour over popcorn, stirring to coat (make sure you work quickly!). Spread on baking sheets lined with wax paper and let dry for 1-2 hours until no longer sticky.
- *This popcorn lasts a long time at room temperature in an air tight container! It’ll be good for at least 1-2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Carol Caruso says
I tried this recipe tonite to take to a get-together in the park tomorrow. I made two batches because there will be a lot of kids. My second batch (using the same pots and bowls) came out grainy, very different from the first batch. I would ask what went wrong because I’d like to fix that, but… the grainy batch got snarfed down the same as the first. My family said it’s not possible to mess up this recipe!! I’ll need to make another batch tomorrow so I’ll have enuff.
Thank you for a pretty easy, economical, delightful treat!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Carol! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review! I’m not sure what would of made your second batch grainy especially since the first one came out fine.
ellen says
It’s probably the stirring. Typically when making candy you don’t stir the sugar or it crystallizes
S. Eldridge says
Can you also add some flavoring to the sugar mix. I would use green food coloring and add some artificial lime extract or red dye and strawberry flavoring.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi S! I haven’t tried it myself but maybe? If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Niqole says
Have you tried this with floss sugar? (Cotton candy sugar) you’d have different flavors & colors w/o having to add extras. Just wondering if the sugar would act the same. I just ordered a handful of floss sugar flavors! Def have to try this out!
The Recipe Rebel says
No I’m sorry I have not Niqole.
James McDermott says
This recipe is the same as the one my Grandmother made for us at Christmas time with an additional ingredients. When I was in the Army I would get care packages with little toys from the five and dime store mixed up in with the candy coated popcorn. The guy’s in the bairics got a lot of fun 😊 playing with the toys while eating the corn. My family still makes this recipe every year even though we’re living in other parts of the country. This year I am putting it in plastic bags and using it pack jams to send to the grandkids.
The Recipe Rebel says
That’s a great story James!