Easter bunny popcorn marshmallow treats are a fun Easter dessert recipe! Add them to your Easter baskets, serve them for dessert, or use them for decoration.
These Easter popcorn treats are easy to make. You can make them in any color you like, and even add sprinkles or candies to the mix!
INGREDIENTS
- Marshmallows: I like to use jet-puffed mini marshmallows. Make sure they’re fresh and not stale, so they’ll melt into a soft and gooey texture.
- Popcorn: You can use air-popped, unflavored microwave popcorn, or stovetop popcorn (see here for how to make perfect stovetop popcorn).
- Butter: This recipe uses unsalted butter. If you’re using salted butter, omit the salt from this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: This takes the flavor up a notch.
- Salt: Salt, in small amounts, enhances the taste and flavor of sweetness.
- Food coloring – I used Americolor gel food coloring. You only need a couple drops to create vibrant colors. But any food coloring will do. Just add enough to get your desired color.
DIVIDING THE RECIPE
Because I wanted to make 3 different colors, I divided my marshmallow popcorn treats recipe into 3 batches – one batch per color. It made about 3 bunnies per color. You can divide or scale the recipe depending on how many colors you’re using and how many bunnies you want to make.
PREPARE THE POPCORN
Step 1: Make 10 cups of popcorn. I used stovetop popcorn (see my recipe for perfect stovetop popcorn here), but you can use air-popped or unseasoned microwave popcorn. Use 1/3 cup popcorn kernels to make 10 cups of popcorn.
Step 2: Make sure to remove all un-popped kernels.
Step 3: Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.
Step 4: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
MAKE THE MARSHMALLOW MIXTURE
Step 5: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
Step 6: Add marshmallows and stir. Cook mixture until the marshmallows are about 75% melted. The residual heat will continue to melt the marshmallows.
Step 7: Remove the marshmallow mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
ADD THE COLORS
Step 8: Pour marshmallow mixture into a bowl. Make sure the bowl is big enough to hold the mixture and popcorn.
Step 9: Add food coloring to mixture. Add as much or as little as you need to get to the desired color.
Step 10: Mix until the food coloring and marshmallow mixture are well combined.
COMBINE POPCORN AND MARSHMALLOW MIXTURE
Step 11: Add popcorn to colored marshmallow mixture. Use a spatula to mix until popcorn is covered in marshmallow mixture.
Step 12: Spread colored marshmallow popcorn onto prepared baking sheet.
MAKE THE BUNNIES
Step 13: Grease the cookie cutter and your hands.
Step 14: Press popcorn into cookie cutter. Cutting through the popcorn with the cookie cutter is very hard to do. It’s best to press the popcorn into the cookie cutter using your fingers.
Step 15: Gently pull popcorn out of cookie cutter.
Tips & Tricks
- Use fresh marshmallows. I can’t emphasize this enough. I’ve tried making these using not-so-fresh marshmallows and they turned into a hard, clumpy ball of marshmallow. I had to throw the whole thing away.
- Don’t use too much heat. The marshmallow mixture will harden and turn clumpy if it’s cooked at too high a temperature. Keep the heat at medium-low to melt the marshmallows.
- Grease the cookie cutter. This will make it easier to release the marshmallow popcorn bunny from the cookie cutter. I used coconut oil.
- Grease your hands. This stuff is super sticky and oil will help keep it from sticking to your hands.
- Work while the marshmallow popcorn is still warm. It’s much more malleable while it’s warm and gooey. I made all three colors first, and then molded them into bunnies. The next time I do it, I’ll make one color at a time.
How Long Do Marshmallow Popcorn Bunnies Last?
Any kind of marshmallow popcorn doesn’t generally last very long in my house! This Easter bunny marshmallow popcorn recipe tastes best right after it’s made, but it’ll last about 3 days if stored in an airtight container. The popcorn does get a bit chewier over time as the popcorn absorbs some of the moisture from the marshmallows, but it still tastes good!
How To Store Marshmallow Popcorn Bunnies?
The best way to store these marshmallow popcorn Easter bunnies is in an airtight container (see here for storage tips and how to keep popcorn fresh). If you still have any left after about 2-3 days, wrap them up in plastic wrap, put them in a freezer safe container, and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
OTHER POPCORN RECIPES
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Ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Food coloring
Instructions
- Pop 10 cups of popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
- Once butter has melted, add in marshmallows. Stir mixture until marshmallows are just about melted.
- Remove from heat and add in vanilla and salt.
- Transfer marshmallow mixture to large bowl.
- Add food coloring to marshmallow mixture. Stir until fully combined.
- Gently fold popcorn into marshmallow mixture. Completely cover the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture.
- Spread colored marshmallow popcorn mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
- Grease cookie cutter and your hands.
- Using your fingers, press marshmallow popcorn into cookie cutter.
- Gently remove marshmallow popcorn from cookie cutter and put on plate.
*Divide or increase this recipe depending on how many colors you'll be using. For example, I made 3 colors using this recipe, so I divided all the ingredients by 3.
Notes
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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