With Halloween just around the corner and my recent exploration into the history of popcorn, I was tempted to make a vintage popcorn treat. Popcorn balls were a fixture at Halloween parties during the 1950s, a time when treat-or-treaters regularly enjoyed homemade treats rather than packaged store-bought candies. The first recipe for popcorn balls was published in 1861 in E.F. Haskell’s Housekeeper’s Encyclopedia, and by the turn of the century many cookbooks included popcorn ball recipes.
This recipe comes from an absolutely adorable 1940s vintage cookbook called the Children’s Picture Cook Book by Margaret Gossett and Elizabeth Dauber. It’s written for kids in the kitchen, with every recipe and cooking step illustrated. I couldn’t resist sharing the step-by-step pictures for this recipe. They’re too cute!
These popcorn balls were really easy to make (not surprising, since the recipe comes from a children’s cookbook). I’ve given you the old-fashioned stovetop method for popping the corn, but you can feel free to use an air popper or another popping device if you prefer. Make sure you have a candy thermometer on hand, the syrup temperature is very important here. Otherwise it’s a really straightforward recipe. It’s also a fun one, especially at this time of year. The smell totally takes me back to my childhood. Enjoy!
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Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- 3-4 tablespoons oil, choose one with a high smoke point like grapeseed or peanut
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup molasses or corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
NOTES
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. You’ll want to use enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan, so adjust the amount accordingly.You can test your oil by tossing in a few kernels and covering the pot. Once they pop, you’ll know your oil is hot enough to add in the rest.
- Add the rest of the popcorn in an even layer across the bottom of your pot.Remove the pot from the heat for 20 seconds to allow all of the kernels to come to the same temperature. Once 20 seconds have passed, return the pot to the heat and cover. Once the kernels are really popping, carefully move the pot back and forth across the burner.
- When the popping slows down and there are long pauses between pops, remove the popcorn from the heat and immediately transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a saucepot with a heavy bottom, boil sugar, water and molasses or corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Heat syrup until it reaches 260 degrees F. This can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes. The syrup will be extremely hot and sticky so be sure to cover your hand with an oven mitt when you take the temperature.Add in vinegar, vanilla and salt. Stir just enough to mix well.
- Immediately pour syrup over popcorn and turn with a rubber spatula to be sure it is all coated evenly.
- Allow the popcorn mixture to cool for a few minutes, then spray your hands lightly with cooking spray and gently shape the popcorn into balls about the size of an apple.
- Place on a sheet tray lined with wax paper or parchment and allow to cool until hardened.
- Once cool, wrap balls in plastic wrap or place in plastic zipper bags to keep them fresh.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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My popcorn balls are firm but sticky.? Why followed recipe perfect however it is humid today. I wrapped in saran wrap so we will see if the dry a it. Any suggestions?
Hi Mavis, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. The popcorn balls will be a bit sticky, however if you feel they are too sticky it may be the humidity that’s causing it. Hope they turned out okay after saran wrapping!
Just made these. I had been craving these as my mother used to make popcorn balls with molasses. These are wonderful. I only did a 1/2 recipe as I wanted to try them and is only hubby and I, next time I will do the whole recipe. With a half I got 10 popcorn balls ranging in size of 1- 1/4 Oz and 1- 5/8 Oz. They turned out perfect, but with knowledge of candy making and humidity, being a dry sunny day I cooked as directed if this had been a humid day I would have a bit longer cooked the syrup. thanks for the recipe.
When I was a young girl, I would go to stay with my friend Lois and her family.
Quite often Lois’s mom would make us molasses popcorn balls. Soooo good.
Had no idea how to make, but I do now.
Thanks! Will now make and I am pretty sure some of those old 50 year old memories (all good) will come to me as I smell and taste this delicious treat.
Wow……….. beautiful…….. you too much!
My grandmother and her siblings made popcorn balls and sold them at a movie theater about 1920 to 1925. I am writing a play about Grandma’s girlhood and wanted to have a better idea about how they made popcorn balls and what they looked like and the fragrance. You’ve answered my questions and given me a great idea for the concession stand on opening night! Thank you!
I think that is awesome and your grandma will be very happy for you to do such a special memory! Best of luck!
Did your grandmother use a thermometer? Problems didn,t have th back then. I use to help my mom make them in the 40,s. She would test the boiling mixture by dipping a spoon in the hot mixture, and let it drip off the spoon till it looked like a hair or thread. They were delicious. My Dad road the work bus into Alabama. Mama would meet the bus many times,with a big pan of popcorn balls, giving everybody one.
My son just asked for these, my grandma used to make them for us, but I don’t have her recipe. I am thinking it is a traditional one. So I will start with this one. Thank for posting it, and all the nice comments. I am hoping this will start a new tradition in our family also. All the kids now are old enough to start baking Christmas cookies and bars. Perhaps this will be one of their favorites.
I am making these later tonight. I believe this is the one my mom made back in the 60’s and 70’s.Can’t wait.
When My mom made them we added pecans or walnuts to the balls.. she used part karo syrup and part light sorgum molasses and then bring the syrup to a soft ball stage. I don’t recall if she used the vinegar or baking soda though. OMG they were so good.. She didn’t have a recipe that i knew of.. but she was the type that just threw the ingredients in and id it.
I have the same recipe. My Mother also used equal parts Molasses and Karo syrup to lighten the strength of the molasses.
Also, after reaching hardball crack stage with the vinger (an acid) in the mix. By adding a little baking soda (a base), the chemical reaction causes the syrup to bubble and tripple in size. Always add the baking soda at the very last minute before pouring over the popcorn. You will have to move quickly!
Since it is sugar, don’t make this recipe on a high humidity day, it won’t set up.
Just a few comments. It depends on what part of the US you live in as to how long you heat it. In the south where humidity is always high i heat the mix usually around 15 minutes on a medium boil. and then drop a drop in ice cold water. If it turns to a hard boil then it is ready. We have been using this mix for over 50 years. The only difference is that we use 1/2 stick of butter and 1 1/4 cups of sorghum molasses. Once we pour the mix over the popcorn it makes 12 perfect balls. This was my daddy’s way to make them an I am 62 years old.
I am going to make these for my Grandpa’s 95th birthday; he loves popcorn balls! I have never made them though. Do you use 1/2 stick butter 1 1/4 cup molasses and the 1 1/2 cup s water, vinegar, vanilla and salt? I think butter would be quite a good addition.
made your popcorn ball recipe for the grandkids -just a comment I remember as a child making these with my Gramma we used butter on our hands gives a nice flavor to the product
vintage Chef: buttering your hands – my Gramma did too!
–Jefferson County, NY
My Grandmother used butter on her hands too!
-Texas
Ruth is correct, it takes a long time to get the syrup up to temperature, and it won’t firm up if you don’t get it hot enough. It appears there is too much water although I’ve not yet tried it with less.
Thanks for reporting back Woody. Oddly, it did not take us as long to bring it to temperature when testing. Perhaps try heating it over a higher heat level?
Loved them when I was a kid and making them today for the gobblins who come to our door tonight… I am looking for the cook-book, it looks great.
This is a really great recipe only it more like 45 minutes to get the syrup mixture up to temperature.
I had that cookbook & just passed it on to my daughter & grandson. It was my first of many cookbooks. The recipes were easy to follow with the pictures & instructions. Made those popcorn balls a lot.
You read my mind! Every Halloween our babysitters gave us those and my Dad would steal them out of our bag. Two sweet old ladies they were. Not a month goes by I don’t think of them we called them Grandma Park, and Grandma Pack. So one year we said can we have an extra for Dad he takes them every year and we really love them. They busted out laughing gave us an extra for him and the recipe. When my sister got married and moved to Ohio, mom gave the book and that recipe to her. Grrr! I was thinking I’d make the Grandma’s popcorn balls for Dad this Halloween, so thank you, beyond words for the recipe and the memories!
What does the vinegar do for the recipe?
Hi Jane, I am not a food scientist but from what I gather the vinegar lowers the pH of the candy syrup (makes it more acidic). It is there to help with the texture of the final product.
Yum! Can I replace molasses and corn syrup with brown sugar or something else like maple syrup?
Hi Josie! The benefit of using corn syrup is that it will not crystalize. As a sub for corn syrup you can use 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/8 cup of water whisked together on the stovetop till melted into a syrup, or for the molasses you can use 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/8 cup of water prepared the same way; however, I’m not entirely sure how well that sub would work in this recipe since I haven’t tried it and I don’t know if it would become sticky enough. It’s worth a shot though!
When my step-daughter was little (4), we used to make all the decorations on the tree out of edible things: we would make sugar cookies with toothpick holes through the top to string them on the tree with thin ribbon, cranberry garlands, popcorn garlands, candy canes, and little Icy Cup chocolates (which come wrapped to look like tiny Christmas presents) which we hung from the tree with ribbon that was tied around the “present”. All the decorations were edible, and when we got up on Christmas morning, there was a trail of cookie crumbs and Icy Cup wrappers all the way from the tree back to Kassandra’s bedroom…!
She was a lucky girl to get a step mom like you!
I remember the days when my mom and I would make popcorn balls and decorate our Christmas tree by stringing them on thread, cord, twine or anything we had that was sturdy enough to hold the popcorn balls. I thought our tree was so beautiful back then but that was many, many years ago, but when my niece was a little toddler, she and I would make them together and now that she is grown, married and has a little four year old daughter herself, we all three get together during the holidays and string popcorn balls. We created our own family tradition and I hope to be around many more years to see it passed down at least one more time. This is what the Christmas holidays mean to me, being with family and creating our own traditions…..We also made some just to eat and enjoy 🙂
I love that Ann! Those types of memories are the ones I cherish most.
My mom used to make these all the time, I am so glad that I found this recipe.
Molasses? Now I’m tempted.
I think I’d just make caramel corn, though, not take it to the shaping stage, but maybe that’s just me. (I find the ball shape in particular kind of hard to manage once it’s time to eat.)