Peanut Butter Popcorn
This delicious 5 ingredient Peanut Butter Popcorn is sweet, salty, sticky, and the perfect sweet snack to enjoy this fall. Start by melting the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows in the microwave, tossing the popcorn in the mixture, and baking it all together! This is a must try popcorn recipe!
If you love PB, our incredibly easy peanut butter popcorn recipe is going is going to be your new favorite snack. This sticky, sweet popcorn has all the flavor of peanut butter in a handy snack. No stovetop required!
Popped popcorn is coated in a mixture of brown sugar, butter, peanut butter and gooey marshmallows and baked to perfection. This recipe has just five ingredients and you probably already have them all in your pantry. It's easy and fast to make and everyone loves this unique twist on a classic sweet and salty snack.
Pro Tip for Moms: Popcorn treats like this are perfect for snow days or school holidays!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Popcorn
- Popped Popcorn. You will need about â…“ cup of unpopped kernels.
- Light Brown Sugar. Use dark brown sugar if needed.
- Butter. This adds both flavor and necessary fat for the recipe.
- Creamy Peanut Butter. I have not tried the recipe with crunchy peanut butter.
- Large Marshmallows. We give the amount for small marshmallows as well. Use either.
How to Make Peanut Butter Popcorn
Before you begin making our recipe for peanut butter popcorn, preheat your oven to 300ºF and line your sheet pans with parchment paper. Then spray the parchment with nonstick spray. We recommend using jelly roll pans. The sides will keep the popcorn on the sheet pan. Place the popped popcorn on the prepared sheet pan and set it aside.
Combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave it for one minute and then stir it until the marshmallows are completely melted. If needed, heat again in fifteen second increments until no lumps remain. Stir each time. If you don't have a microwave you can do this step on the stovetop.
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Working quickly, pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is well coated. Separate the popcorn into a single layer if it is clumping up. Bake the popcorn for thirty minutes, stirring every ten minutes. Continue to break apart clumps as it bakes. Cool completely before serving.
Tips for Best Results
Remember that microwaves heat unevenly and make sure to stir the ingredients really well to melt all of the marshmallows and blend the ingredients. If you have to add time to get the marshmallows fully melted, keep a close eye on it because it will burn fast if cooked in a microwave for too long.
Low quality popcorn will have more husks. Use a good microwave popcorn or regular popcorn with a little salt added for a sweet and salty finish. Use plain popcorn if you don't want a slightly salty flavor. Get the best quality popcorn you can find if you want to avoid husks.
This popcorn stays a little on the sticky side. It is not as hard or crunchy as caramel corn.
Variations
Drizzle this popcorn with melted chocolate after you pull it out of the oven for a delicious variation. Drizzled chocolate can be sprinkled with crushed peanuts if desired.
Change things up by using half popcorn and half pretzels. Or you could use a mix of popcorn, pretzels, and roasted peanuts. The process stays the same.
Add one teaspoon of vanilla to the peanut butter mixture.
Experiment with different kinds of nut butters! You can definitely make this recipe using your favorite nut butter of choice if you need to keep it peanut free.
FAQ
How long can I keep leftover peanut butter popcorn?
One week in an airtight container. Keep at room temperature.
Can I make peanut butter popcorn without corn syrup?
Yes. Our recipe uses marshmallows and brown sugar as the sweet elements. You can also find corn syrup variations but it isn't the only option.
Can I use white sugar in this recipe?
No. White sugar will make the peanut butter popcorn grainy after it cooks. You can use dark brown sugar. You can also find variations that use honey.
Can I freeze peanut butter popcorn?
Yes. I was surprised to discover you can actually freeze popcorn in an airtight container for up to two weeks. This is because popcorn doesn't actually freeze. You can eat it cold right out of the freezer or let it warm up to room temperature if you prefer. The coatings on the outside will freeze so proceed with caution.
More Great Popcorn Treats
Peanut Butter Popcorn
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn about â…“ cup popcorn kernels
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 20 large marshmallows about 46.5 regular marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with nonstick baking spray.
- Place the popcorn on the prepared pan and set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, add the brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows. Place in the microwave for 1 minute and then stir until the mixture is completely melted. If it’s not completely smooth, microwave in 15 second increments and stir after each increment until no lumps remain.
- Working quickly, pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is well coated.
- Separate the popcorn into a single layer if it’s clumpy.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Continue to break apart the clumps of popcorn when stirring.
- Allow to cool completely before serving.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
Fun popcorn recipes like this are my favourite! Don't get me wrong, I still love the good ol' butter flavour, but unique flavours you can make at home are much more creative and are sure to surprise your tastebuds and any guests you might have coming over 😋 Plus I'm *obsessed* with peanut butter so I need to try this recipe ASAP!