Don’t get me wrong, rice krispie treats rock. I love the combo of chewy, crunchy, and sweet. But they’re played out. Yeah, I said it. So I got to thinking – how can I riff on that same concept, but make it even better? Behold: Funfetti Popcorn Balls.
These treats are a no-bake, super quick, gluten-free, weight watchers friendly masterpiece. Instead of puffed rice cereal, the base of these is POPCORN! It’s a little salty, little sweet. Little chewy, little crunchy. All fun.
To finish these off – a little drizzle of chocolate and some sprinkles amps up the flavor and the fun.
The best part? These are just 3 WW SP each. Enjoy them as dessert, as a snack, or bring them to your next gathering (they’ll be a hit – trust me).
Inside Funfetti Popcorn Balls
First things first, we need to make some popcorn. For this recipe, I advise completely plain popcorn, which I dress up with a few sprays of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray and a hint of salt.
Next, marshmallows which will bind it all together. Any marshmallows will do, but I personally prefer minis because they melt faster.
Butter is also key to getting a nice, smooth marshmallow creme. To keep these WW friendly and lower in calories and points, I swapped butter with Smart Balance. Smart Balance is a vegetable oil based spread, which is lower in fat, calories, and ultimately WW points than butter.
Lastly, topping and mix ins! I mixed in a bunch of rainbow sprinkles to create funfetti popcorn balls. If sprinkles aren’t your jam, feel free to omit. I then drizzled each ball with a little bit of melted chocolate and some extra sprinkles to finish them off. I used Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips, which are only 2 WW SP for 60 chips.
Making the popcorn balls
I love a good no-bake recipe. It’s something you can whip up an hour before you need it and know it’s going to be easy, delicious, and ready in time.
First, prepare your popcorn. Usually it’s as easy as popping it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. I use one of these handy popcorn bowls as well. Once popped, put it into a large mixing bowl and remove any kernels. Nothing fun about chomping down on one of those.
Next, melt the Smart Balance in a medium saucepan, add vanilla, and then add in your marshmallows. You’ll want to stir consistently so that your marshmallows melt evenly and combine with the Smart Balance.
Once you have a smooth marshmallow mixture, pour it over the popcorn, add your sprinkles, and mix! It does get sticky and thick quickly, so you’ll want to work fast. Once fully combined, lightly grease your hands (I use a little cooking spray or you can use some smart balance), portion out roughly 1/3 cup, and roll into a ball. I let mine set in silicone baking cups that I had in a muffin tin.
Once they’re set, drizzle them with some chocolate and top with extra sprinkles for some pizzazz.
Funfetti Popcorn Balls
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 5 cups popcorn plain, popped
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 tbsp Smart Balance
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp rainbow sprinkles
- 4 tbsp dark chocolate chips Lilys if tracking points
Instructions
- Pop popcorn according to package instructions and set 5 cups aside in a large mixing bowl
- In a medium saucepan, melt Smart Balance, add marshmallows and vanilla. Stir consistently until you have a completely smooth mixture
- Pour smooth marshmallow mixture over popcorn, add sprinkles, and mix well
- Lightly grease hands with cooking spray and pull out roughly 1/3 cup of the popcorn marshmallow mixture and rill it into a ball
- If decorating, put popcorn balls in a muffin tin so they don't roll away
- Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals in the microwave, drizzle over popcorn balls, and top with extra sprinkles!
- Store at room temp for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
