Keep small hands busy shaping dinosaur popcorn balls! They’re simple to make, super tasty, and a guaranteed hit with kids and adults alike.
How to Make Dinosaur Popcorn Balls
- Make the sauce: To make the red popcorn balls, combine the brown sugar and butter and melt on the stovetop. Use medium heat and stir frequently. Pour in the red Skittles® candies and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.
- Prepare the popcorn: Follow the packet instructions to pop the popcorn. Add the popcorn to the melted Skittles mixture and stir to coat. Stir in the remaining Skittles.
- Form the balls: When the mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3-inch balls. Repeat for each color. Allow all to fully before storing in airtight containers for up to a week.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: Dinosaur popcorn balls will stay fresh and yummy for about a week. Make sure to keep the balls in an airtight container to prevent the popcorn from going stale faster.
To Freeze: Popcorn balls are best enjoyed fresh. Freezing might cause the popcorn to go soggy during defrosting.
Recipe Variations for Dinosaur Popcorn Balls
Pineapple twist: Swap Skittles for dried pineapple, white chocolate chips, and coconut flakes. Add half a cup of each to the melted butter and sugar mixture.
Caramel popcorn: Replace Skittles with caramel candies. Melt half a cup of caramel candies with butter and sugar, then mix in the popcorn for a sweet, gooey treat.
Peanut butter and jelly twist: Use peanut butter chips instead of Skittles. Mix half a cup of peanut butter chips with the melted butter and sugar for a classic flavor combo.
S’mores version: Switch Skittles for mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Stir in half a cup of each after melting the butter and sugar for a campfire-inspired treat.
Minty twist: Opt for mint chocolate chips instead of Skittles. Add half a cup of mint chocolate chips to the melted butter and sugar.
Lemon lime zest infusion: Replace Skittles with lemon and lime zest. Mix in the zest of one lemon and one lime with the melted butter and sugar. Add half a cup of white or dark chocolate chips (your choice).
Berry popcorn: Use freeze-dried berries instead of Skittles. Crush half a cup of freeze-dried berries and mix them with the melted butter mixture for a burst of fruity flavor.
Maple pecan popcorn: Swap Skittles for maple syrup and chopped pecans. Stir in a quarter cup of maple syrup and a quarter cup of chopped pecans with the melted butter and sugar.
Chocolate hazelnut twist: Replace Skittles with Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. Mix in a quarter cup of Nutella and a quarter cup of chopped hazelnuts after melting the butter and sugar for a rich, nutty treat.
Spicy cinnamon upgrade: Opt for cinnamon candies instead of Skittles. Melt half a cup of cinnamon candies with the butter and sugar, then mix in popcorn for a spicy twist.
Dinosaur Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
For the blue popcorn balls:
- 3 cups plain, unsalted popped popcorns
- 3 oz butter
- ½ cup blue Skittles
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp Skittles, assorted colors (for decoration)
For the yellow popcorn balls:
- 3 cups plain, unsalted popped popcorns
- 3 oz butter
- ½ cup yellow Skittles
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp Skittles, assorted colors (for decoration)
For the green popcorn balls:
- 3 cups plain, unsalted popped popcorns
- 3 oz butter
- ½ cup blue Skittles
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp Skittles, assorted colors (for decoration)
For the orange popcorn balls:
- 3 cups plain, unsalted popped popcorns
- 3 oz butter
- ½ cup orange Skittles
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp Skittles, assorted colors (for decoration)
For the red popcorn balls:
- 3 cups plain, unsalted popped popcorns
- 3 oz butter
- ½ cup red Skittles
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp Skittles, assorted colors (for decoration)
Instructions
- To make the red popcorn balls, add the butter and brown sugar to a pot.
- Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the red Skittles® candies.
- Stir until melted.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the popcorns and stir to coat.
- Stir in remaining Skittles.
- When the mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into 3 inch balls.
- Repeat for each color.
- Allow all to fully set.
- Store in airtight containers for about a week.
Notes
- Mixing tip: When adding popcorn to the Skittles, fold the popcorn into the mixture to keep them intact. Hard mixing will cause the popcorn to break and deflate.
- Shaping tip: To prevent sticking, lightly grease your hands with butter or cooking oil before shaping the popcorn mixture into balls.
- Safety first: Allow the popcorn mixture to cool slightly before shaping into balls to avoid burning your hands.
- Storage tip: To prevent the popcorn balls from sticking together, store them in a single layer in an airtight container. Alternatively, add a sheet of wax paper between the layers to fill the container to the top and make storing more space efficient.
- Popcorn preparation: Make sure your popcorn is plain and unsalted for the best flavor of the popcorn balls.
- Even coating: Take your time when stirring the popcorn into the melted butter and sugar mixture to ensure each kernel is evenly coated.
- Decorative touch: Add the assorted colored Skittles on top of each popcorn ball immediately after shaping to ensure they stick.
