Recipe Background
Spring Popcorn Bars: colorful and sweet, perfect for new beginnings.
One spring afternoon, as I sat in my new apartment, surrounded by towers of unpacked boxes and tangled cords, I found myself craving something sweet and a bit chaotic—much like my current living situation. I glanced at the assortment of unpacked groceries and remembered an unplanned movie night we once had in college. My roommate at the time was obsessed with marshmallow treats, and our dorm floor would gather for sticky, sugary concoctions that stuck to our fingers and laughter.
That memory sparked inspiration for these Spring Popcorn Bars. I always have butter on hand, and a bag of mini marshmallows is an instant ticket to a playful night. It was a matter of minutes to melt them down, remembering to keep the heat low so the popcorn wouldn’t toughen up. I scattered a mix of colorful mini eggs and some chocolate treats over the warm marshmallow-coated popcorn, reminiscing with each sprinkle about impromptu gatherings and the joy of simple pleasures shared with friends.
A handy tip for these bars: let them cool completely before cutting into squares for clean, neat slices. As the drizzle of white chocolate and sprinkles solidifies, you’ll find each bite brings a snap of sweetness—perfect for a new beginning. As I savored a bar amidst my moving chaos, I realized these treats were just the whimsical break I needed—a mash-up of fond memories and fresh starts.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows divided
- kosher salt to taste
- 8 cups kettle popcorn
- 1/2 cup mini Cadbury Eggs
- 1/2 cup mini Robin Eggs
- 1/2 cup Peanut M&M's
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon multi-colored sprinkles
Directions
- Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Reserve 1 cup of the marshmallows.
- Add the remaining marshmallows and the salt to the melted butter and heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows have melted completely.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Fold the kettle popcorn into the melted marshmallow mixture until it is well-coated.
- Immediately pour 1/2 of the popcorn mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Quickly sprinkle 1/2 of the mini Cadbury Eggs, 1/2 of the mini Robin Eggs, 1/2 of the Peanut M&M's, and 1/2 cup of the reserved marshmallows over the popcorn mixture in the dish.
- Quickly pour the remaining popcorn mixture over the candy layer and smooth it out. Be careful not to pack too much into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining mini Cadbury Eggs, the remaining mini Robin Eggs, the remaining Peanut M&M's, and the remaining reserved marshmallows over the popcorn mixture and gently press to adhere.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and the coconut oil and microwave in 20-second intervals until they have melted and are smooth.
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate-coconut oil mixture over the popcorn bars and top with the sprinkles.
- Let the popcorn bars rest until they have cooled completely and the drizzle has solidified.
- Cut the bars into squares.
- Serve.
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