Hi Everyone! Today I’m so excited to share with you the 30 Days of Halloween.
30 Bloggers, 30 Recipes, 30 Days. How amazing is that!? 30 recipes to choose from for all your Halloween Parties! Thanks to Allison from Cupcake Diaries for hosting this every year. It’s amazing, and today I’m a part of it! I’m sharing with you my easy Jello Popcorn Balls AKA Pumpkin Brains. You won’t believe how easy these are to make and they are so colorful and delicious. Be sure to check out all the amazing recipes this year so you can be the talk of the town at the next Halloween Party.
Let’s get started with our Halloween Jello Popcorn Balls AKA Pumpkin Brains.
I always love to sign up to help in my kids classrooms for holidays and parties.
The Halloween Party is the best one in my opinion. It’s fun to see all the kids dressed up in their costumes and I love watching the “parade” they do at the end of the day. So it’s convenient That I’m already there at the school after the party.
I love to bring in special treats to share with the kids and these Jello Popcorn Balls, also known as pumpkin brains, are the perfect treat to share with the kids.
If your school doesn’t allow homemade treats in the classroom, then save this treat for your own Halloween parties and use my other fun Halloween Center Ideas instead.
I got these adorable Jack-O-Lantern cups at Hobby Lobby today and I just had to make something cute to go in them. Isn’t that funny? I found the cup and made something to go in it. That’s how I usually work, backwards.
I also got the cupcake toppers because who says they can only be used in cupcakes? Not me!
I also put some crumbled up wax paper at the bottom of the cups so the popcorn ball didn’t stick to the cup. I know, I’m smart!
These popcorn balls can be served in many different ways.
You don’t need to cute cups for them. You can put them in a cute Halloween cellophane bag or wrap them in wax paper. Actually after they’ve hardened you can stack them on top of each other for a little while to present them on a tray for a party.
Jello Popcorn Balls can be made in a rainbow of colors too! It all depends on what flavor and color of Jello you choose with which to make them. These would be perfect for any party any time of the year.
Make blue or pink ones for a baby shower, choose the color of the wedding for a wedding favor, or make red and green ones for Christmas. The possibilities are endless.
It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish to make these popcorn balls.
They are quick and simple to make. I would be cautious making these with the kids though. The mixture gets to boiling and so it’s very hot. I’d just have the kids be your taste testers for this recipe.
Let’s get started making these adorable Halloween Treats.
Halloween Jello Popcorn Balls AKA Pumpkin Brains
See printable recipe at the bottom of this post
Time: about 30 minutes from start to finish
Makes: about 12 smaller popcorn balls or 6 large popcorn balls
- One 3 oz. box any flavor Jello Gelatin (I used grape and orange and did the recipe twice)
- One cup white corn syrup
- One cup white sugar
- About 9 cups popped popcorn ( I use my Popcorn Maker to make my popcorn)
- Pumpkin Treat Cups
- Cupcake Toppers
Other things you’ll need for this recipe: wax paper, non stick cooking spray, large bowl, whisk, small heavy saucepan, sturdy wooden spoon and a cookie sheet.
Pop the popcorn and put it in a large bowl. I used white popcorn popped in my air popper, but you can use microwave popcorn also. I just like the look of the white popcorn with no yellow butter or salt on it. But you can use microwave popcorn too! Remove all the unpopped kernels so no one breaks a tooth.
Add the corn syrup, Jello and sugar to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat and stir with a metal whisk until the sugar and Jello are dissolved. Mine boiled for about 4-5 minutes.
Carefully pour the syrup evenly over the popcorn and stir well with a sturdy wooden spoon. BE CAREFUL, IT’S VERY HOT!
Let the mixture cool quite a bit before you try to handle it. Keep stirring it while it’s cooling.
Add wax paper to your counter top and spray it with cooking spray.
Using two large metal spoons (which are also sprayed with cooking spray) scoop out a ball of popcorn and put it on the wax paper to cool a little bit more. Do this about three at a time.
Get your hands wet and pick up one of the piles, testing to see if it’s too hot, and form into a ball. Your hands need to be wet or sprayed with cooking spray so the syrup doesn’t stick to your hands.
Firmly form into balls and place back on the wax paper to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining popcorn mixture.
Let the popcorn balls cool completely before serving. To store, put them in an airtight container for up to 3 days or individually wrap them in plastic wrap.
Ingredients
- One box any flavor Jello Gelatin (I used grape and orange)
- One cup white corn syrup
- One cup white sugar
- About 9 cups popped popcorn
- Other things you’ll need for this recipe: wax paper, non stick cooking spray, large bowl, whisk, small heavy saucepan, sturdy wooden spoon.
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn and put it in a large bowl. I used white popcorn popped in my air popper, but you can use microwave popcorn also. I just like the look of the white popcorn with no yellow butter or salt on it. Remove all the unpopped kernels so no one breaks a tooth.
- Add the corn syrup, Jello and sugar to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat and stir with a metal whisk until the sugar and Jello are dissolved. Mine boiled for about 4-5 minutes.
- Carefully pour the syrup evenly over the popcorn and stir well with a sturdy wooden spoon. BE CAREFUL, IT'S VERY HOT!
- Let the mixture cool down quite a bit before you try to handle it. Keep stirring it while it's cooling.
- Add wax paper to your counter top and spray it with cooking spray.
- Using two large metal spoons (which are also sprayed with cooking spray) scoop out a ball of popcorn and put it on the wax paper to cool a little bit more. Do this about three at a time.
- Get your hands wet and pick up one of the piles, testing to see if it's too hot, and form into a ball. Your hands need to be wet or sprayed with cooking spray so the syrup doesn't stick to your hands.
- Firmly form into balls and place back on the wax paper to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining popcorn mixture.
- Let the popcorn balls cool completely before serving. To store, put them in an airtight container for up to 3 days or individually wrap them in plastic wrap.
Alli @ Cupcake Diaries says
Thanks again for making this fun recipe for the series! I love the colors. We will be making this soon!