I remember as a kid that there was a store at the mall that sold popcorn balls. They were sold in a variety of colors and looked like they were absolutely delicious. And my mom never let me get one. Thanks mom.
Popcorn is an absolute staple in my house. My favorite way to make popcorn is with our Whirly Pop on the stove and we like to pretend we need an excuse to make a batch. Typically we make popcorn on Saturday nights with new episodes of SNL or we started watching Breaking Bad again which obviously requires popcorn.
I’ve tried a lot of different popcorn kernels and must say that the Bob’s Red Mill White Popcorn is by far the best. It always turns out crisp and delicious. The corn that pops up always seems fresh and fragrant and it comes in white or yellow. I can’t tell you how much we go through on a monthly basis!
So back to that story about how I was the deprived kid that never got the colorful popcorn balls….This recipe is for you, mom. It’s such a fun little treat for kids and you can make them any size that you would like. I wouldn’t advise that kids help make them because the sugar can get pretty hot. But they’ll definitely have fun eating them!
And here’s a little treat for my readers today! Bob’s Red Mill is giving away a bag of white and yellow popcorn to THREE lucky readers today! All you have to do is comment below and tell me about your favorite way to prepare popcorn. Salted, buttered, kettle corn? The sky is the limit! Giveaway is now closed!
- 7 quarts popped Bob's Red Mill White Popcorn
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place popcorn in a large baking pan; keep warm in a 200° oven.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 235° (soft-ball stage).
- Remove from the heat. Add the butter, vanilla and food coloring if desired; stir until butter is melted. Immediately pour over popcorn and stir until evenly coated.
- When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-in. balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking.

A big bowl of popcorn is great to have for family movie night at home. Can be healthy if not loaded with butter.
My favorite way to make popcorn is in my Whirly Pop!! I have had it for over 15 years! I make it one of two ways: in coconut oil with sea salt & in sunflower oil with sea salt. And, I LOVE my Bob’s Red Mill white popcorn!!!! It’s the best!!!!!!
The Whirly Pop is the best way!
I LOVE white popcorn seeds!! My favorite way is one of two. In my Whirly Pop with coconut or sunflower oil and sea salt!!!
kettle corn!
Has to be salted…
My favorite way of eating delicious popcorn is salted & buttered. =) yum These popcorn balls look amazing.
Thanks!
I put the corn kernels in a big bowl and place it in the microwave with a dinner plate on top. I pop the kernels and then add grated cheese.
My fave way to make popcorn is to airpop it, then sprinkle it with organic cheddar cheese powder i buy from Frontier. Sooo good!.
My favorite way to prepare popcorn is just basic buttered popcorn!
Depends on the day and circumstances but with movies, buttered is the way to go. With TV shows, I go kettle with cinnamon and cloves
Cinnamon and cloves sounds delicious!
Our family likes to use our air popper and add melted butter, salt and parmesan cheese. Yum!
This sounds tasty.
My daughter loves watching the kernals pop on the stove. And we always have Kernal Season’s ranch popcorn seasoning. Yum!
Oooh sounds tasty!
Just salt and butter for me!
Classic sea salt popcorn is my favorite!
I love kettle corn!
Our favorite way is to pop on teh stove, and toss with butter and nutritional yeast…my daughter loves cheese popcron so she adds some cheese powder to hers. We have a popcorn ball recipe, too. I will have to compare it to this and see–it looks similar. Its super yummy but the last time we made it the balls fell apart and stayed too moist so we may try this one next time!
I love popcorn with coconut oil and coconut flakes!
I love popcorn with lots of butter.
We’re a Whirley Pop couple. Always white kernels (my husband turned me on to these in lieu of the yellow and we haven’t looked back), made with a blend of grapeseed + coconut oils. Plain for me, homemade herb salts for him!
We love making salt and buttered popcorn for movie nights!
I love popcorn and it is a go-to snack for us. Buttered and salted is our favorite but homemade popcorn balls bring back such great memories of my grandfather, who would make them as a special treat for us.
Buttered and salted. Sometimes with cheddar cheese, but usually I’m a purist.
My favorite to make popcorn is with Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs
I have an old family recipe for an amazing caramel corn that I would love making with it!
I lerrv popcorn. But it has to be the real deal. No microwave popcorn for me unles it’s the DIY brown lunch bag, real.popcorn, olive oil way. Otherwise it’s on the stove top, pooped in some oil, with a drizze of butter (just the right amount, I don’t want the popcorn dry, but I don’t want it soggy) and a sprinkle of salt. Perfect.
Pop it in my old, but trusty West Bend electric kettle, just salt, no butter.
kettle corn popcorn balls! yummmmmm!!
I liked popcorn salted and buttered. If its good when its hot and you smell the fragrance its like walking in a field of corn.
I love kettlecorn!! I also love to add truffle oil to homemade popcorn.
just a little salt for me
butter and salt for me
I love caramel popcorn
I love to make popcorn on the stove-top with salt and butter!! Nothing special but delicious!
I love kettle corn a perfect blend of sweet and salt!
Sea-salted.
This may be considered cheating but I make mine in the microwave inside a paperbag. I season with a little bit of kosher salt, mixed with a bit of cracked pepper and coconut oil.
We love popcorn! We pop it every weekend in coconut oil and switch up the toppings. The teenagers like parmesan and chili flakes. I splash vinegar on mine when I need a change from the traditional salt and butter. Popcorn is part of our family life; a tradition passed passed down to each generation!
kettle corn!!!!!
white cheddar~
Buttered and salted is my fave!
Classic popcorn made on the stove with a little butter. That is the best!
I like to cook mine in coconut oil and season with butter and salt.
I like popcorn with a little butter and parmesan cheese.
Salt and butter works for me!
My favorite way to prepare popcorn is with butter. I love buttered popcorn.
I love air pop with either butter and parmesan cheese or mixed in with some chocolate chips
We made Smores popcorn!! Popped yellow popcorn, drizzled melted chocolate over the top, and while the chocolate was still warm we sprinkled graham pieces and mini marshmallows over the top. What a treat!!
I make so many different popcorn variations since buying a microwave air popper…Sea salt with nutritional yeast, kettlecorn (plain, with cocoa powder, with vanilla protein powder or powdered peanut butter), sriracha, you name it! Love my popcorn lol.
I love kettle corn
I love kettle corn!!
Kettle Korn for sure!
I love kettlecorn or homemade caramel corn