This Grinch Popcorn recipe is fun and easy to makeĀ and tastes like it came from a high-end candy shop. It is the perfect holiday treat and ideal for gift-giving!
Suitable for vegetarian and gluten free diets.
Thereās nothing better than getting into the Christmas season and cuddling up with the family on the couch for holiday movie night. Grab a warm blanket, the How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie, and a big bowl of Grinch Popcorn. Itās easy to make, tastes great, and will make your heart grow three sizes!
The Grinch popcorn bucket is sure to set your holiday season off to a great start. Start with our simple homemade stovetop popcorn, and you need just 3 ingredients to whip up this festive popcorn treat with candy and mini marshmallows.
Just like these Grinch Cookies, this sweet and salty candy melt popcorn is perfect for movie night, holiday parties, or for after the kids go to bed, and you donāt want to share. #dontbeagrinch
Take your holiday movie night to a whole new level and serve this sweet Grinch popcorn with other Grinch-inspired treats such as Grinch Punch and fun Grinch Kabobs. It is colorful, fun, festive, and sure to become a family favorite in your home during the holiday season.
If youāve ever marveled at the gourmet popcorn adorning the shelves of high-end candy shops, then prepare to be pleasantly surprised. This candy melt popcorn is simple enough that even your older kids can make it with minimal supervision.
Why Make This Grinch Popcorn Recipe
- Itās easy and budget-friendly. This delicious punch is budget-friendly and easy to make,
- Ideal for gift-giving. Wrap Grinch popcorn buckets in colorful cellophane to give as gifts for friends, coworkers, teachers and anyone who deserves some holiday cheer.
- Perfect for a crowd. The recipeĀ can easily be doubled or tripledĀ when entertaining a crowd.
- Perfect for the holidays. Great for all your Christmas parties, festive tea parties, Grinch movie nights, and impromptu get-togethers.
Ingredient Notes
- Popped Popcorn ā Begin with already popped popcorn. You can use stovetop, microwave, instant pop or air popped popcorn. Remove any unpopped kernels.
- Candy Melts ā Select bright green candy melts for that classic Grinch color. You can also use white candy melts and add coloring.
- Christmas Sweets ā White marshmallows and red holiday candies offer a nice contrast to the green popcorn, but you can use whatever candy you have on hand.
How To Make Grinch Popcorn
Get complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Add the popcorn to a large bowl and gather the rest of the ingredients.
- Melt the candy melts in a large bowl according to the packet instructions.
- Pour the melted candy over the popcorn and mix until all coated.
- Then stir in the Christmas sweets and add mini marshmallows.
- Spread the mixture onto parchment paper and allow the mixture to cool so the chocolate hardens.
- Decant into bowls or bags for serving or gift-giving.
How To Make Stovetop Popcorn
Making homemade popcorn is simple, and this stovetop popcorn method only takes a few minutes. Of course, you are welcome to use microwave popcorn, and you can even make popcorn in your Instant Pot.
- Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.
- Then add 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.
- When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in the pan and shake gently so that they lay in an even layer and cover.
- Once the kernels start popping, you should keep shaking the pan gently so that the kernels keep dropping back into the coconut oil and as many as possible pop. Try to leave the lid open a tiny bit as this helps to reduce the steam so you get nice crispy popcorn.
- Eventually, the popping will slow down, at which point you can remove the pan from the heat and decant into a sharing bowl.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
Grinch Popcorn Tips For Success
- Use a silicone spatula or spoon to mix the melted candy melts into the popcorn. The melted candy can be hot so we donāt recommend using your bare hands.
- Prep all of your ingredients ready to go before you melt the candy. The candy melts will harden back up fairly quickly so youāll want to prep the popcorn and be ready to go when it is time to mix.
- Follow the instructions on the candy melt package to melt them properly. Use a microwave-safe bowl and heat in short intervals, stirring in between, to avoid burning. Candy melts should be smooth and pourable.
- You can add in a variety of extra sweets. You can add in pieces of holiday cookies, sprinkles or marshmallows. A fun twist is also to add a little cinnamon and nutmeg while mixing.
- Once the popcorn is completely set, gently break it apart into bite-sized clusters. The popcorn should no longer feel sticky to the touch.
- If serving for a party, you can make aheadĀ and store in Ziploc bags until party time. This is a fun treat for holiday-themed parties or homemade holiday gifts for teachers.
- You can also make this with melted marshmallow mixture and green food coloring. I love adding in a drizzle of melted chocolate too.
Delicious VariationsĀ on Grinch Candy Popcorn
I love to make candy melt popcorn all year long. And this recipe for Grinch Popcorn can be quickly adapted to suit any holiday or special occasion.
Here are a just a few of the possibilities:
- Monster Halloween Popcorn: CombineĀ green and yellow candy melts with crunchy sprinkles, candy, and fun edible monster eyes.
- Witchās Brew: Make this spooky Halloween version with black candy melts (or melted dark chocolate), pieces of candy corn and gummy worms.
- Harvest Cornucopia: Your Thanksgiving guests will love this combination of fall flavors. Add pumpkin pie spice to melted caramel and mix in the popcorn, mini pretzels, and chopped pecans.
- Sweetheart Popcorn: This sweet Valentineās Day treat usesĀ red candy melts, conversation hearts and mini marshmallows. You can even get extra creative and form the popcorn into individual heart shapes.
- Leprechaunās Gold: Celebrate St. Patrickās Day by following this recipe for Grinch Popcorn, but swap the Christmas sweets with your favorite green candies and some shelled pistachio nuts.
- Bunny Corn: Mix the popcorn with melted white chocolate and combine with jellybeans and pastel-coloured sprinkles. Package in individual treat bags for a cute Easter basket treat.
Prep And Storage
- Prep Ahead ā Pop the popcorn in advance and remove any unpopped kernels.
- Store ā If you have any leftover popcorn, store it in an airtight container for a couple of days. Be aware that the popcorn will be a little softer, not crunchy as you store it.
- Freeze ā Freezing the popcorn is not recommended.
Grinch Popcorn Bucket FAQs
Microwave popcorn is a convenient option. Just make sure to choose a plain or lightly buttered variety to allow the candy coating to adhere properly. You can also make stovetop popcorn following our instructions in this post or try making Instant Pot Popcorn.
While the classic Grinch green is iconic, you can use other colors of candy melts. feel free to experiment with other colors of candy melts that suit your theme or occasion.
Itās so fun to use different candy mixins and get creative! Make this Grinch popcorn with different candy mixins like mini chocolate chips, holiday-themed sprinkles, crushed candy canes, and even dried cranberries.
Yes, you can make a large batch of this Grinch popcorn. Just scale up the recipe accordingly. Keep in mind that working in smaller batches while drizzling the candy melt coating helps ensure even distribution.
Using a flavored popcorn can add an extra layer of complexity to the flavor. Just be mindful of how the popcornās existing flavor will blend with the candy coating and mixins.
Similar Recipes
Be sure to check out my entire collection of festive Christmas Grinch Treats!
More Christmas Recipes Youāll Love
Get in the spirit of the season with these great Christmas recipes;
Recommended Tools
Try some of these other fun and festive Christmas recipes!
Thank you for reading my The Grinch Popcorn Bucket recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot recipes, Southern recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
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Grinch Popcorn
The whole family will love movie nights with Grinch Popcorn this holiday season.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 161kcal
Grinch Popcorn
Add the popcorn in a large bowl and grab the rest of the ingredients.
Melt the candy melts in a large bowl according to the packet instructions.
Pour the melted candy into the popcorn and mix until all coated.
Then stir in the Christmas candy, spread the mixture onto parchment paper, and allow the mixture to cool so the chocolate hardens.
Stovetop Popcorn
Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.
Then add 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in the pan and shake gently so that they lay in an even layer and cover.
Once the kernels start popping, you should keep shaking the pan gently so that the kernels keep dropping back into the coconut oil and as many as possible pop. Try to leave the lid open a tiny bit as this helps to reduce the steam so you get nice crispy popcorn.
Eventually, the popping will slow down, at which point you can remove the pan from the heat and decant into a sharing bowl.
-
- Use a silicone spatula or spoon to mix the melted candy melts into the popcorn. The melted candy can be hot so we donāt recommend using your bare hands.
- Prep all of your ingredients ready to go before you melt the candy. The candy melts will harden back up fairly quickly so youāll want to prep the popcorn and be ready to go when it is time to mix.
- Follow the instructions on the candy melt package to melt them properly. Use a microwave-safe bowl and heat in short intervals, stirring in between, to avoid burning. Candy melts should be smooth and pourable.
- You can add in a variety of extra sweets. You can add in pieces of holiday cookies, sprinkles or marshmallows. A fun twist is also to add a little cinnamon and nutmeg while mixing.
- Once the popcorn is completely set, gently break it apart into bite-sized clusters. The popcorn should no longer feel sticky to the touch.
- If serving for a party, you can make ahead and store in Ziplock bags until party time. This is a fun treat for holiday-themed parties or homemade holiday gifts for teachers.
- You can also make this with melted marshmallow mixture and green food coloring. I love adding in a drizzle of melted chocolate too.
- Storage ā keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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