Simple Popcorn Bars with M&Ms
Popcorn is always a favorite snack in my house. And when you combine salty popcorn with sweet candy, you have a delicious snack for any occasion! These simple popcorn bars are a great treat idea for enjoying at home or at your next party. And since these bars are naturally gluten free, they make a delicious gluten free dessert to enjoy any time.
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I love easy treats that are quick to make. And these popcorn bars couldn’t be any simpler! They’re a fast no-bake treat you can whip up in a matter of minutes, which means they’re perfect for a last-minute snack for any get-together.
Whether you’re planning a movie night at home or need a simple snack for your kid’s birthday party, you’ll love how quickly this popcorn bars recipe comes together. And since they’re so simple to make, you don’t even need an excuse to whip them up!
How to Make Popcorn Bars
Popcorn bars are basically Rice Krispies treats with popcorn instead of cereal. That means that there’s no baking involved! And you only need a handful of ingredients to make them. Here’s what you’ll need to make these marshmallow popcorn bars:
- Popcorn. To make my bars, I used my air popper to pop the popcorn kernels, then topped it with a little bit of salt. You can also use microwave popcorn for this recipe, but I suggest choosing one without much butter flavor or other seasonings added in.
- Butter. To help melt the marshmallows and form the bars, you’ll need butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. But if your popcorn already has salt and butter flavor, it may be a good idea to choose unsalted butter for the marshmallow coating.
- Marshmallows. Adding marshmallows to your bars will help them stick together and give them an ooey-gooey texture.
- Corn syrup. Another must-have component to turn your popcorn into bars is corn syrup. This sweet syrup will combine with the butter and marshmallows to create a bond for the popcorn.
- Chocolate chips. Complement the saltiness of your popcorn with some sweet chocolate to create a delicious treat.
- M&Ms. Add some color and sweetness to the top of your bars with the help of M&Ms. These candies are the perfect sweet accompaniment to your salty popcorn.
No Bake Popcorn Bars Recipe
Once you have all your ingredients gathered, you can start mixing. This simple recipe really only takes a few minutes to prepare. The hardest part is waiting for your marshmallows to cool so you can dig in!
Start by melting the butter in a large stockpot. I love using one big pot for mixing all the ingredients because it’s easier than trying to transfer the sticky marshmallows into a bowl later on.
After the butter is melted, add the corn syrup and marshmallows and stir to combine. Keep stirring until the marshmallows are fully melted, then remove the pot from the stovetop.
Pour the popcorn into the melted marshmallow mixture and carefully stir to coat the popcorn. Continue stirring until all the popcorn is coated with marshmallows.
Add the chocolate chips to the pan and stir again to mix the chocolate into the popcorn. As you stir, the chocolate will melt, making it easier to fully mix it into the popcorn.
Spread the popcorn mixture into a greased pan. If you want a lot of thin popcorn bars, use a 9×13 pan to form your bars. You can also spread the mixture into a 9×9 pan for thicker bars, but you won’t get as many.
After spreading the mixture into the pan, spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and press the popcorn into the pan to form one large sheet of popcorn. Continue pressing until the popcorn is formed into an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle the M&Ms over the top of the popcorn bars, then use your hand to press them into place. Don’t skip this step or the M&Ms will just fall off after you cut the bars.
Give your popcorn bars time to cool and set, which usually takes 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how hot your house is. After they’re set, cut them into bars and enjoy!
Popcorn Treat Ideas
This easy popcorn treat recipe is perfect for a quick dessert. And since it’s so simple, you can easily make adjustments to the recipe to suit your needs.
Leave out the chocolate chips. If you don’t think you’ll be a fan of all that chocolate, simply leave out the chocolate chips in your popcorn bars. Instead of adding the chocolate, just skip that step in the recipe and go streat to forming the popcorn into bars.
Top the bars with different candy. I love the combination of M&Ms and popcorn, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way you can dress up your popcorn bars! There are several different candy options to choose from when making your sweet and salty bars. Try crushing up these candies and adding them to the top of your bars:
- Buncha Crunch
- Snickers
- Heath Bar
- Whoppers
- Chocolate covered raisins
- Butterfinger
- Reese’s Pieces
- Reese’s cups
- Cookie dough bites
- Chocolate covered peanuts
Popcorn Bars Recipe
These simple popcorn bars are topped with M&Ms, making them a delicious sweet and salty treat.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 1 10-ounce package mini marshmallows
- 8 cups popped popcorn
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup mini M&Ms
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large stock pot and melt over medium low heat.
- Add the marshmallows and corn syrup and stir, cooking over low heat until melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the popcorn.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Press the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Top with mini M&Ms and press the candy into the bars.
- Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 1g
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
Picked up some amazing ideas from your blog, thank you so much for taking the time to share them it is much appreciated.