Grinch Popcorn Christmas Party Snack
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This Grinch popcorn is a festive and fun treat, perfect for bringing the holiday spirit to your next fun Christmas movie night or holiday party. With its vibrant green color and sweet, salty mix, it’s the perfect snack that will be a hit for both kids and adults.
Whether you’re watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas or enjoying a cozy night by the fire, this yummy Grinch popcorn recipe is sure to be the perfect festive treat.

This is one of our easy Christmas recipes you will want to bookmark.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for movie nights: Pair this easy snack with your favorite Christmas movies for the ultimate festive vibe.
- Simple ingredients: Uses easy-to-find items like popcorn, marshmallows, butter, and red M&Ms.
- Customizable: Adjust the food coloring to get the perfect Grinch green, or mix in fun extras like candy canes or cinnamon hearts.
- Holiday spirit: This bright treat will add a pop of color to your Christmas Eve snacks or holiday parties.
- Great for gifts: Package it in airtight containers or decorative bags for a fun homemade gift.
- Quick to make: Just a few minutes of prep and you’ll have a sweet Grinch popcorn ready to serve.
Ingredients for yummy Grinch popcorn

- Popped popcorn – microwave popcorn works great
- Miniature marshmallows – adds ooey gooey goodness
- Unsalted butter – unsalted works best because the popcorn is already salted
- Brown sugar – adds a delicious sweetness to the salty popcorn, making it a sweet and salty snack
- Green food coloring – use neon green gel for that perfect Grinch color
- Red M&Ms – for the Grinch’s heart Note – you can also use red heart candies if you like.
How to make this sweet and salty treat
Step 1 – Melt Marshmallows.
To a medium saucepan, add miniature marshmallows, butter, and brown sugar. Heat over medium—low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.

Step 2 – Make it Green
Add a generous amount of green gel food coloring and stir until color is incorporated.

Step 3 – Prepare Popcorn.
Add the popcorn to a large baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Save The Recipe!

Step 4 – Coat Popcorn
Drizzle the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn and toss

Step 5 – Add Red Candies
When serving, sprinkle the popcorn with red M&Ms.

Tips for the Best Results
- Choose your popcorn wisely: Use homemade popcorn, microwave popcorn, or even leftover popcorn. Make sure to remove any unpopped kernels before starting.
- Get the right Grinch green: Use neon green gel food coloring for the best result, but for a more unique shade, try adding a small drop of blue or a couple of drops of yellow food coloring to achieve your desired color.
- Drizzle evenly: For even coverage, drizzle the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn while it’s on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to toss the popcorn mixture gently.
- Room temperature is key: Let the popcorn cool completely at room temperature before adding the M&Ms so that they do not melt.
- Airtight storage: If you have leftover popcorn, store it in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Substitutions and Variations
- M&Ms: If you can’t find red M&Ms, swap them for red hearts or green M&Ms to stay in theme with the Grinch’s colors. You can even combine red and green candy melts or white chocolate for an extra decorative touch.
- Butter: For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with coconut oil for a slightly different, but equally delicious, flavor.
- Fun extras: Want to make Grinch popcorn balls? Shape the popcorn mixture into balls before it cools. Or drizzle some melted white chocolate over the top for added sweetness.
FAQs About This Recipe
Store any leftover popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature. This keeps it fresh for a couple of days.
Use a large bowl for serving during a Grinch movie night or portion it into smaller serving bowls for holiday parties.
Yes! Cinnamon hearts, green M&Ms, or even crushed candy canes are fun options to sprinkle over the top.
More fun Christmas recipes

Grinch Popcorn
Ingredients
- 13 cups popcorn, popped about 1-2 bags
- 2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Neon green gel food coloring
- Red M&Ms
Instructions
- To a medium saucepan, add miniature marshmallows, butter, and brown sugar.
- Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted.
- Add a generous amount of green gel food coloring, and stir until color is incorporated.
- Add the popcorn to a large baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn, and toss.
- When serving, sprinkle the popcorn with red M&Ms.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks so much for sharing at Tuesday Turn About. I’m delighted to be featuring your post at this week’s party!
How exciting – Thank you Julie!
I have been looking for a gift idea for my coworkers, and this is perfect and easy for me to pull off too! And it will be delicious! Thanks for sharing it and this post will be a feature this week. #HomeMattersParty