No bake popcorn cake is like a loaded, more fun version of Krispie treats! Crunchy popcorn gets combined with lots of sweet and salty add in’s, formed into a bundt pan and sliced like a cake!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Popcorn cake isn’t to be confused with traditional cake- despite the name, this gooey, no bake treat is made from popcorn, pretzels, nuts, m&m’s and marshmallows! It’s assembled in a bundt pan and sliced like a cake which makes it a fun alternative to cake! I love making it for birthdays, holidays or even a movie night!
Making this easy, no bake dessert is fast and comes together in less than 15 minutes! You’ll toss everything to coat in a buttery marshmallow mixture, then form it in a bundt pan and invert before slicing!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter
- Marshmallows
- Vanilla extract
- Popcorn
- Pretzel sticks
- Peanuts
- m&m’s
Feel free to easily switch up the add-ins! Try adding other chocolate candies like Reese’s pieces or chopped Snickers bars. You could throw in other salty snacks like potato chips or switch up the m&m’s for other festive color varieties depending on the holiday!
How to make the best popcorn cake:
- Grease your bundt pan liberally with melted butter and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, marshmallows, and vanilla extract. Stir continuously until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl combine popcorn, broken pretzel sticks, peanuts, and m&m’s. Toss to combine, then pour the melted marshmallows mixture on top.
- Fold everything together one more time to coat in the marshmallow mixture, then transfer to your greased bundt pan.
- Press the mixture into your bundt pan using a square of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to cool completely.
- Once cooled, invert the “cake” from the bundt pan and slice to enjoy!
My top tips:
- You’ll need roughly 12 cups of popcorn for this recipe- but it’s up to you how you pop it! Feel free to pop your own using about ½ cup kernels, use the microwave bags, or buy pre-popped popcorn in a bag. No matter which route you choose, make sure you remove any unpopped kernels.
- When combining everything with the marshmallow mixture, try to make sure you’re getting all the way to the bottom of your mixing bowl because the peanuts and m&m’s tend to sink to the bottom. This way, everything will be evenly distributed in your popcorn cake!
- As I’m sure you can already guess- the marshmallow popcorn mixture can get a little sticky! It’s important you grease your bundt pan before adding the popcorn mixture so that you’ll be able to invert the cake without it sticking to the pan. I don’t recommend using cooking spray here cause it’ll taste funny since this isn’t being baked. Melted butter is what I like to use!
- If you have parchment paper on hand, cut a square and use it to press the popcorn mixture into the bundt pan. This makes it easier to get the mixture packed into the pan because the gooey marshmallows won’t stick to the parchment paper.
- You’ll want to let the mixture sit in the bundt pan for about 5-10 minutes before inverting it, this just ensures the “cake” comes out in one piece. You may have to loosen some edges with a butter knife but it should come right out!
Looking for more fun, no bake recipes? Try these out!
Popcorn Cake
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp butter 1 stick
- 1 (16 oz) bag marshmallows
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 cups popcorn about 1/2 cup kernels
- 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel sticks
- 1 cup peanuts
- 2 cups m&m's 1 full bag
Instructions
- Grease your bundt pan liberally with melted butter and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, marshmallows, and vanilla extract. Stir continuously until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl combine popcorn, broken pretzel sticks, peanuts, and m&m’s. Toss to combine, then pour the melted marshmallows mixture on top.
- Fold everything together one more time to coat in the marshmallow mixture, then transfer to your greased bundt pan.
- Press the mixture into your bundt pan using a square of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to cool completely.
- Once cooled, invert the “cake” from the bundt pan and slice to enjoy!
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Can you make these into popcorn balls since I don’t have the Bundt pan or put in a regular rectangular cake pan and make squares
Definitely! Hope you try it out!
Tried this to compare it to rice crispy/cereal treats. Came out Very Good!. I didn’t have any good fresh peanuts so I substituted Fritos that I broke apart. Didn’t want it to have too much chocolate so I used a few chocolate peanut m&m’s. Used a 5oz bag of Dots seasoned pretzel sticks. Used Orville Redenbacher tender white corn microwave popcorn, 2 bags. Will definitely make this again. I didn’t make the Bundt cake but opted for a 9×13” baking dish so I could have popcorn balls. I liked the sweet/salty mix but thought it could have a bit more of the salty side. I also put in ½ cup rainbow sprinkles which gave it some nice color.
Next time:
Use 2 cups of Fritos and only break them in large pieces. Use 2 cups Dot pretzel sticks. Just 1 cup peanut m&m’s. If considering using potato chips, I’d opt for kettle cooked as they will hold up better with the marshmallow mixture poured over them.