Popcorn Cake is a super easy no bake dessert recipe that’s great for parties! It has the perfect balance of salty and sweet – with popcorn, pretzels and marshmallows mixed with your favorite candy!
The Best Popcorn Dessert Recipe
This Popcorn cake is one of the most popular recipes on my site since 2009! Gooey, sweet and salty perfection!
This, my friends, is what you call a “Popcorn Cake”. If you’re not a little bit intrigued by this you might need to check your cool kid card at the door.
There is no way that you could frequent this little website of mine and not have the potential of this buttery, salty, sticky sweet cake dotted with M&M’s make your heart skip a beat or three.
This is “want to” food, not “have to” food. It’s a choice you make…
Like we all watch the news and weather because it’s best to know how to dress for the day, or who’s the vice president. But the Bachelor and the Housewives are pure “want to”. Get it?
This cake is the food equivalent to The Bachelor.
I mean, look at this gooey gorgeousness…
The execution is rather simple. Take a look…
You have popcorn, candy, pretzels and melted marshmallow…
Also don’t feel like you’re stuck with M&M’s and pretzels. Sub in chopped Snickers, or Kit Kats…or use potato chips instead of pretzels…or even Rice Krispies to give it some extra crunch!
How to Make No Bake Popcorn Cake
Remove any extra kernels from the popcorn that didn’t pop. Broken teeth aren’t cute y’all.
Then, just stir up the mixture…
And then press it into a lightly greased bundt or tube pan.
Press it down using a sprayed piece of parchment paper…
And let it cool for a about an hour, so it will slice nicely…
Then just invert the pan onto a plate and you’re done!
This is such a fun alternative to a cake at a party!
This has been one of my most popular recipes on the site since 2009 for good reason! Such a fun dessert!
Print
Popcorn Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Popcorn Cake is a super easy no bake dessert recipe that’s great for parties! It has the perfect balance of salty and sweet – with popcorn, pretzels and marshmallows mixed with your favorite candy!
Ingredients
- 2 bags of microwave popcorn, popped with unpopped kernels removed
- 2 cups M&M’s
- 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel sticks
- 16 oz mini marshmallows (8 cups)
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Prepare a large tube or bundt pan by spraying with cooking spray.
- You start with 2 bags of buttered microwave popcorn in a large bowl.
- Pick out the kernels that didn’t pop.
- Now mix in 2 cups of M&M’s and 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel sticks.
- Now melt 1 stick of butter over low in a large saucepan or microwave.
- When melted add in a 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows (8 cups)
- Stir until melted and smooth and remove from the heat.
- Allow it to cool for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly and then pour it over your popcorn mixture.
- Stir until all the ingredients are combined and then press into the prepared pan.
- Cover with foil and let your cake set for at least an hour to cool.
- When you are ready to serve the cake loosen sides of your cake from the pan by running a butter knife around the edges.
- Flip your pan over onto your serving platter.
- Your cake should come out pretty easily.
- You want it to cool completely so it will cut easily.
- Cover tightly and store for up to 1 day.
Notes
store airtight for up to 2 days. Best if eaten same day as made.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 384
- Sugar: 41.4 g
- Sodium: 111.1 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 25.2 mg
Want To Save This Recipe?
Find more recipes like this:
wow look so damn delicious!!
I’m tryin this tonight!! I tried making something similar to this before and it was a mess!! I think because I didn’t really let the marshmallow cool. Thanks!!
im trying to melt the marshmellows and its not working!
How are you trying to melt them?
Thank You for this recipe everytime I go to the movies I get a large extra and then put my favorite peanut m&m’s em it melts sooo………. Good after the chocolate starts to melt in the popcorn but instead of pretzels not a big fan of pretzels ill eating ever now and then but I switch pretzels for almonds sugary peanuts but I might make one with pretzels and one with almonds crunch peanuts fit my nieces b’day party
Made this today for my four year old nieces’s bday party. for the marshmallows I used half strawberry flavored because they are pink and my niece loves pink. The adults were going nuts over this cake. Everyone acted like they weren’t going to try it…..until the first piece was cut then it was all over!!! I’m not sure if any of the kids got a chance to try it 😉
That’s hilarious!
Just want you to know that I found this on pinterest and made it today. I’ve already consumed most of the cake while fighting off my children with a spoonl. I don’t know if I want to hug you for introducing me to this delicious dessert, or report your pin. I’ll settle for saying thanks for now. 🙂
So glad you made it! Thanks for the comment!
I found this recipe on Pinterest and OMG it was delicious! My husband and kids loved it. This will be made regularly at our home. Thanks for sharing it
I like stovetop popcorn. About how many cups of popcorn is in 2 bags of microwave popcorn? Can you venture an estimate? Thanks!
about 8 cups in the 2 bags 🙂
This looks amazing! I would love to try it with the pretzels. I have always used peanuts, still has the salty but the pretzels look super fabulous
I make popcorn cake also but i add mixed nuts gumdrops jelly bean candy corn and other types of candy.. it depends on the holiday… they are delicious…..