St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn is a yummy sweet and salty popcorn treat that is so easy to make. Surprise your family with this fun St. Patrick’s Day dessert.

Close up on a bowl of St. Patrick's Day Popcorn on a white table surrounded by marshmallows, green sprinkles and a St. Patrick's Day table linen.

We are not of Irish descent and yet when we were kids our mom always cooked a special St. Patrick’s Day meal on March 17th complete with Corned Beef and Cabbage and a “green” dessert.  We try to keep up with the tradition (although truth time, sometimes we leave out the cabbage!) and great go-to; green dessert is our sweet and salty St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn.  So easy to make and delicious enough to lure a Leprechaun out of hiding.

Ingredients You Will Need

Ingredients necessary to make St. Patrick's Day Popcorn including popcorn, marshmallows, butter, Green M&M's, Lucky Charms Shamrock marshmallows and Green sprinkles.

Preparing the Popcorn

Collage image showing how to prepare the popcorn including removing the un-popped kernels.

Step 1: You will need 10 cups of popcorn. We pop our popcorn on the stove (you can find our directions on How to Make Perfect Popcorn here) but you can use air-popped or microwave. 
Step 2: After the popcorn is popped, make sure to remove all of the un-popped kernels.  You don’t want to bite down on one of those! 
Step 3: Once you have made the popcorn, salt it liberally.  It is so nice to taste the salty popcorn with the sweet marshmallow coating.  Not quite like Kettle Corn but close.

Preparing the Marshmallow Mixture

Collage image showing how to make the marshmallow mixture.

Step 4: To make the Marshmallow Mixture, add 3 tablespoons of butter to a medium saucepan.  Melt the butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is completely melted.
Step 5: Add 3 cups of mini marshmallows to the saucepan.
Step 6: Stir until the marshmallows are covered in the butter, and then continue to stir until the marshmallows are completely melted.
Step 7: Take the marshmallow mixture off the heat as soon as the last marshmallow has melted.

Making the Marshmallow Popcorn

Collage image showing how to cover the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture.

Step 8 & 9:  Slowly pour about a third of the marshmallow mixture over the salted popcorn.
Step 10: Gently fold the marshmallow mixture in with the popcorn.  Continue to add the marshmallow mixture a bit at a time, stirring between each addition.
Step 11: The popcorn should be completely covered in the warm marshmallow mixture. 

Collage image showing how to arrange the marshmallow popcorn on a cookie sheet.

Step 12: Now pour the popcorn onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, foil, or a Silpat liner.
Step 13: Use the spatula to even the popcorn out on the cookie sheet.

St. Patrick’s Day Candy Mix-Ins

Close up on white ramekins filled with the St. Patrick's Day Candy Mix-ins that will be used to make the marshmallow popcorn.

Step 14: Now it is time for the candy mix-ins.  We pulled out the Shamrock Marshmallows from a box of Lucky Charms cereal.  We used a mixture of Green M&M’s in three different types – M&M Minis, Regular M&M’s, and Pretzel M&M’s. We also mix together two different kinds of green St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles.

Assembling the St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn

Collage image showing how to add candy to the St. Patrick's Day popcorn.

Step 15: Once the popcorn is covered in marshmallow mixture it is time to add the candy.  But don’t wait too long. You want the marshmallow mixture to still be warm and sticky so the candy and sprinkles will stick to it. Sprinkle the candy onto the popcorn.  
Step 16: Allow the St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn to cool. Break apart into pieces and serve.

Expert Tips & FAQS

What kind of popcorn should I use?

We make our popcorn from scratch on the stove – nothing is better than that in our opinion.  You can find all the tips and tricks you need to make the perfect popcorn right here.  You can also use Microwave popcorn but you should use a type that has no butter flavoring added. 

How much salt should I put on the popcorn?

The contrast of sweet and salty in this popcorn recipe is super yummy.  To get that combination you should lean towards over-salting the popcorn.  We try to salt the popcorn as soon as it comes out of the pan so that salt sticks to the hot popcorn.

Are there other candy mix-in options?

If you can’t find M&M’s, you could also use Sixlets which they sell at Walmart and party supply stores.

How long with the popcorn last?

Our family loves this popcorn so it has never lasted longer than a day at our house.  This popcorn definitely tastes the best right after it is made but will keep for a few days in an airtight container. The popcorn is a little chewier the next day because the popcorn absorbs some of the moisture from the marshmallow mixture but it still tastes good.

Close up on a white serving bowl filled with St. Patrick's Day Popcorn, in the background a clear bowl filled with marshmallows and at Str. Patrick's day table linen.

Other St. Patrick’s Day Desserts You Will Love

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St. Patrick's Day Popcorn

Yield 10 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

St. Patrick's Day Popcorn is a yummy sweet and salty popcorn treat that is so easy to make. Surprise your family with this fun St. Patrick's Day dessert.

Ingredients

  • 10 Cups of Popped Popcorn
  • Salt
  • 3 tbsp. Butter (Sweet Cream, Salted)
  • 3 cups Mini Marshmallows
  • Regular M&Ms - Green
  • Pretzel M&M's - Green
  • M&M Mini's - Green
  • Lucky Charms Shamrock Marshmallows
  • Mini Shamrock Sprinkles
  • St. Patrick's Day Sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Pop 10 cups of popcorn and remove all of the un-popped kernels. Salt it liberally and set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to a medium saucepan.  Melt the butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is completely melted.
  3. Add 3 cups of mini marshmallows to the melted butter.
  4. Stir until the marshmallows are covered in the butter, and then continue to stir until the marshmallows are completely melted.
  5. Take the marshmallow mixture off of the heat as soon as the last marshmallow has melted.
  6. Slowly pour about a third of the marshmallow mixture over the salted popcorn.
  7. Gently fold the marshmallow mixture in with the popcorn.  Continue to add the marshmallow mixture a bit at a time, stirring between each addition. The popcorn should be completely covered in the warm marshmallow mixture. 
  8. Now pour the popcorn onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, foil, or a Silpat liner. Use the spatula to even the popcorn out on the cookie sheet.
  9. Once the popcorn is covered in marshmallow mixture it is time to add the candy.  But don’t wait too long. You want the marshmallow mixture to still be warm and sticky so the candy and sprinkles will stick to it. Sprinkle the candy onto the popcorn.  We decorated our popcorn with mini marshmallows, Shamrock Marshmallows from a box of Lucky Charms cereal, and a mixture of Green M&M's in three different types - M&M Minis, Regular M&M's, and Pretzel M&M's. We also mix together two different kinds of green St. Patrick's Day sprinkles.
  10. Allow the St. Patrick's Day Popcorn to cool. Break apart into pieces and serve.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!