Grinch Popcorn is a festive and fun holiday treat inspired by the classic Dr. Seuss character and it's perfect for movie night! This delicious snack has fluffy popcorn coated in a sweet marshmallow glaze that is Grinch green! The finishing touch is Christmas Hearts and Red M&M's!
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Grinch Popcorn
Grinch-themed desserts are a theme for me this holiday season, so of course, I had to share a Grinch Popcorn recipe. This sweet and salty treat is a perfect snack for the kids when they're out of school for Christmas!
More Grinch Treats
If one of your favorite Christmas movies is The Grinch Stole Christmas, then you have to make one (or more) of these Grinch recipes for your fun Christmas movie night!
- Grinch Punch
- Grinch Hot Chocolate
- Grinch Fudge (coming soon!)
- Grinch Cakes
- Grinch Cookies
- Grinch Shots
- Grinch Pancakes (coming soon!)
- Grinch Cupcakes
Tools Needed
- Large Bowl
- Medium Saucepan
- Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Serving Bowl
Ingredients
The following ingredients could not be simpler and are easily found at your local grocery store!
- Microwave Popcorn - I prefer microwave popcorn because it's already a buttery, salty popcorn that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the melted marshmallows. If you prefer homemade popcorn, see suggestions below.
- Butter
- Mini Marshmallows
- Vanilla Extract
- Green Gel Food Coloring
Garnishes
- Mini marshmallows*
- Red M&Ms
- Heart Sprinkles
Find the complete recipe with ingredients measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
Popcorn. This recipe calls for 8-9 cups of popped popcorn. This is approximately 1 bag of microwave popcorn – I use Act II brand from Walmart and it's the perfect amount. Other brands may vary in quantity. If using homemade popcorn, add salt and other flavors based on your tastes. When we do homemade popcorn, we do it in our air popper and add salt and Kernal Seasonings Butter flavor seasoning. It's SO good!
Garnishes. Red hearts are an obvious choice for this Grinch Snack Mix but there are several other fun options for this festive treat.
- I used only red M&M's but you could mix in Green M&Ms too!
- Cinnamon Hearts
- Red Gummy Candies (such as Dots)
- Red Sanding Sugar or Edible Glitter for a touch of sparkle.
Marshmallows & Butter. For a different flavor of popcorn, skip the marshmallows and butter and instead melt green candy melts (green chocolate) and toss it with your popcorn. You get the same festive popcorn with the flavor of melted white chocolate instead of melted marshmallows. I'm not gonna like - both are delicious and both make sweet Grinch popcorn!
How to Make Grinch Popcorn
- Pop one bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions. While it's popping, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl. Remove any un-popped kernels to avoid breaking a tooth.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 cups of mini marshmallows and vanilla, then turn the heat low and continuously stir until the mixture is completely smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat and add a drop of green food coloring. Stir and add more coloring until you like the color. If you like a more lime green color, add a drop of yellow food coloring to brighten it up!
- Pour over the popped corn in a bowl and stir with a silicone spatula until the popcorn is well-coated and completely green.
- Spread out the coated popcorn on the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with the last cup of mini marshmallows, heart sprinkles, and M&Ms before the drizzled marshmallow mixture begins to cool.
- Allow the popcorn mixture to cool and dry before serving.
- Break into pieces and serve in a big bowl or on a large platter.
Pro Tips
- Add some green food coloring and red sprinkles to my Caramel Popcorn Balls recipe to make Grinch Popcorn Balls.
- Don't have green food coloring but wondering how to make green popcorn? Add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring and a small drop of blue food coloring to get a similar Grinch Green popcorn!
- To easily remove unpopped popcorn kernels, place a cooling rack (the grid type) over a cookie sheet and pour your popcorn on to it. The unpopped kernels will fall through and you can collect all of the popped corn from the rack.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at room temperature.
- Make this easy snack for a Grinch Stole Christmas Movie Night.
- It's also the perfect treat for Christmas Eve.
- This perfect popcorn will be a huge hit with kids at holiday parties!
Storage Directions
We never have leftovers of this yummy Grinch Popcorn at our house (and it's best served the day it's made). But if you have leftover popcorn, it can be stored in an airtight container for a few days. The popcorn becomes slightly chewier as it absorbs moisture from the marshmallow mixture, but it’s still just as delicious.
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PrintRecipe
Perfect Grinch Popcorn (Fun Treat for Movie Night)
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 9 cups 1x
Description
Grinch Popcorn is a festive and fun holiday treat inspired by the classic Dr. Seuss character and it's perfect for movie night! This delicious snack has fluffy popcorn coated in a sweet marshmallow glaze that is Grinch green! The finishing touch is Christmas Hearts and Red M&M's!
Ingredients
- 8-9 cups popped popcorn (approximately 1 bag of microwave popcorn - I use Act II brand from Walmart… other brands may vary in quantity)
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 5 cups mini marshmallows*
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Pop one bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions. While it's popping, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl. Remove any un-popped kernels to avoid breaking a tooth.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 cups of mini marshmallows and vanilla, then turn the heat low and continuously stir until the mixture is completely smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat and add a drop of green food coloring. Stir and add more coloring until you like the color.
- Pour over the popped corn in a bowl and stir with a silicone spatula until the popcorn is well-coated and completely green.
- Spread out the coated popcorn on the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with the last cup of mini marshmallows, heart sprinkles, and M&Ms before the drizzled marshmallow mixture begins to cool.
- Allow the popcorn mixture to cool and dry before serving.
- Break into pieces and serve in a big bowl or on a large platter.
Notes
- Add some green food coloring and red sprinkles to my Caramel Popcorn Balls recipe to make Grinch Popcorn Balls.
- Don't have green food coloring? Add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring and a small drop of blue food coloring to get a similar Grinch Green popcorn!
- To easily remove unpopped popcorn kernels, place a cooling rack (the grid type) over a cookie sheet and pour your popcorn on to it. The unpopped kernels will fall through and you can collect all of the popped corn from the rack.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cool Time: 10
- Cook Time: 3
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