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Fall Popcorn Balls

March 7, 2018 By Annemarie Rossi
This may contain affiliate links and we may receive a small commission on purchases.

“Laura kept popping corn and Ma made it into balls until the large dishpan was heaped with their sweet crispness.”

These Happy Golden Years

all Popcorn Balls

Popcorn has been an irresistible snack for kids since the 19th century, and a food the Ingalls family could grow in their home garden. While there are many kinds of feed and sweet corn, some of our favorite heirloom corn varieties are popcorn. And with a simple molasses topping, the Ingalls family turned plain popcorn into a special treat in Laura’s house. With back-to-school season upon us, this is a great time to enjoy vintage homemade popcorn balls for a fun snack.

Inspired by the molasses popcorn balls in The Little House Cookbook, this recipe is a modern adaptation that’s easy to make. A straight molasses topping might be an unusual flavor for today’s kids, so this recipe mellows that flavor a bit with fall seasonings and butter. A candy thermometer is a useful modern tool to determine when the sweet coating is ready to go on the popcorn.

Ingredients

12 cups popped popcorn (from 1/2 cup kernels)
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tbs. butter, plus extra for buttering baking sheet and hands (See how to make your own butter!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger root
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Step One:
I use an air popper to make my popcorn, but you can also pop it in a pot on the stovetop for a more traditional experience.

Place a thin layer of oil in the bottom of a large pot, and heat it on the stove over medium. Add the popcorn kernels, cover the pot, and gently move the pot back and forth while the popcorn pops. As soon as the popping slows down, remove the pot from the stovetop and transfer the popcorn to a bowl.

Little House on the Praire Fall Popcorn Balls
Step Two:
In a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, combine the molasses, sugar, water, 2 tablespoons butter, and seasonings. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then turn up the heat a bit to get the mixture to a temperature of 250 degrees. A candy thermometer is a helpful for this.

Little House on the Praire Fall Popcorn Balls
Step Three:
Place plain popped popcorn on a baking sheet with sides or in a very large bowl. Pour the candy coating on the popcorn and mix with a spoon to evenly coat the popcorn. Let the popcorn cool for just a couple minutes, until you can handle it but it’s still warm.

Little House on the Praire Fall Popcorn Balls
Step Four:
Shape the popcorn into balls with buttered hands. (It will be a sticky mess if you try shaping the balls without buttering your hands.) This recipe yields 16 2-inch balls. Place the balls on a buttered baking sheet to let them cool and solidify.

Store the popcorn balls in an airtight container. The extras can be frozen for another day.

Little House on the Praire Fall Popcorn Balls

Children can help make this recipe for a delicious after-school treat. They’ll enjoy buttering their hands and shaping the popcorn into balls. The hard part will be waiting for the balls to solidify before they get to eat them!

Little House on the Praire Fall Popcorn Balls

What are some favorite back-to-school snacks in your house? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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Annemarie Rossi

Annemarie Rossi is the creator of Real Food Real Deals and the author of Conquering Your Kitchen. Her website provides recipes and tips to help families eat healthy food on a budget. Annemarie’s work has been featured in many places, including the Non-GMO Cookbook, Edible Boston magazine, Fox News Online, Babble, and Huffington Post. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two children.
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Latest posts by Annemarie Rossi (see all)

  • Fall Popcorn Balls - March 7, 2018
  • Little House on the Prairie Cinnamon Chicken - July 26, 2017
  • Little House on the Prairie Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe - November 23, 2016

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Recipes Tagged With: Little House Books, Little House Cookbook, Little House on the Prairie Recipe, old-fashioned recipes

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Comments

  1. Bunny+fishylover9 says

    October 3, 2020 at 9:10 am

    Could you use maple syrup instead of molasses?

    Reply
    • Ashleigh says

      October 19, 2020 at 3:09 pm

      did you try maple syrup?

      Reply
  2. Elle says

    April 24, 2019 at 7:07 am

    Love it

    Reply
  3. pamela says

    October 1, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    I have watched this show since i was a young girl now im 53 my daughter grew up to this show ive got a collection of books and a couple dvds.I love to watch littlehouse when its on.my daughter named one of her sons wilder.

    Reply
  4. Linda L Brunner says

    September 26, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    I have all my original books of hers! I have read them over and over! My children have even read them! Great family show. I wish they would bring it back on, especially the early years~!

    Reply
  5. Renna Flanagan says

    October 5, 2016 at 10:35 pm

    My all time favorite show! My favorite actor, Michael Landon, my favorite actress, Melissa Gilbert! I have all the books and the complete DVD set and several VHS. I love Little House on the Prairie!

    Reply
  6. Angela summers says

    September 30, 2016 at 7:13 pm

    I love Laura ingalls wilder I got all her books some other people wrote also would love to see her family tree

    Reply
    • Dianne says

      December 4, 2019 at 5:46 pm

      Hey There Angela I love watching little house I love it from Dianne Gaud

      Reply

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