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Popcorn Cake

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…

This Popcorn Cake is chewy, gooey, sweet and totally over the top! It's such a simple and fun alternative for a party cake!

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.

Baked popcorn cake

Press it down using a sprayed piece of parchment paper

Pressing cake down using parchment paper

And let it cool for a about an hour, so it will slice nicely…

Top-down shot of popcorn cake

Then just invert the pan onto a plate and you’re done!

This is such a fun alternative to a cake at a party!

Popcorn cake served to eat

This has been one of my most popular recipes on the site since 2009 for good reason! Such a fun dessert!

Print
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Popcorn Cake served on a dish

Popcorn Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Shelly
  • 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

Scale
  • 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

  1. Prepare a large tube or bundt pan by spraying with cooking spray.
  2. You start with 2 bags of buttered microwave popcorn in a large bowl.
  3. Pick out the kernels that didn’t pop.
  4. Now mix in 2 cups of M&M’s and 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel sticks.
  5. Now melt 1 stick of butter over low in a large saucepan or microwave.
  6. When melted add in a 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows (8 cups)
  7. Stir until melted and smooth and remove from the heat.
  8. Allow it to cool for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly and then pour it over your popcorn mixture.
  9. Stir until all the ingredients are combined and then press into the prepared pan.
  10. Cover with foil and let your cake set for at least an hour to cool.
  11. When you are ready to serve the cake loosen sides of your cake from the pan by running a butter knife around the edges.
  12. Flip your pan over onto your serving platter.
  13. Your cake should come out pretty easily.
  14. You want it to cool completely so it will cut easily.
  15. 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

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166 comments on “Popcorn Cake”

  1. Oh my goodness! this would be an awesome treat at a sleep over!! I am putting this on my to-bake list!

    and I LOVE me some Bachelor!!! I cannot wait for my kids to get in bed tonight so I can watch.

  2. I would love to live inside your head for a day. I feel like it is the most fun rollercoaster ride ever.

  3. Kristie Maynard

    OMG!!!!! this looks sooooo stinkin' yummy. I have a "potluck crop" to go to at my local scrapbooking studio and I will have to take this. Thanks for the great idea. Can't wait to try it!!!

  4. Lauren @ Crave. Indulge. Satisfy.

    YUM! Looks amazing! Have you seen the previews this week with Bachelor Brad and the vampire all dressed up in black leather…she needs to go ASAP! Unfortunately I'm going to miss tonight's episode we are going to some friends house to watch that College Football Championship game…

  5. I was just thinking that would be the perfect 'Welcome home' treat for my fiance after coming home from a 2 week business trip– but if it's probably only good for a day or so, I should wait until there are more than 2 of us around to eat it. Otherwise I'll feel bad and want to eat the entire thing… 🙂

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