This delicious and easy-to-make St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn recipe makes a fun and festive treat! We’ve got a mix of M&M’s, Lucky Charms marshmallows, sprinkles, and popcorn all coated in white chocolate. This mix is a colorful and tasty snack that is perfect for sharing with friends and family. Whether you’re planning a St. Patrick’s Day party or just want a fun treat to enjoy at home, this recipe is sure to be a hit!
Try some of our other St. Patrick’s Day Treats or this festive Leprechaun Bait next!
St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and I’m already planning some fun surprises for my little ones including a batch of this festive popcorn! Let me tell you, my kids are popcorn fanatics but add in some creamy white chocolate, colorful M&M®’s, and Lucky Charms® marshmallows, and they go absolutely wild for it!
There’s something about the combination of salty popcorn and sweet, indulgent toppings that makes this snack mix absolutely irresistible. I love that it’s easy to make and perfect for sharing with friends and family. Plus, it’s a great way to add some festivity to any St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Note: M&M’s and Lucky Charms are trademarked brands of snacks and cereals. We use them in their generic sense because of the easily recognized names. Any similar brand of product will also work.
How to make St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn:
- Use freshly popped popcorn: For the best taste and texture, use freshly popped popcorn. Make sure to remove any un-popped kernels before adding the popcorn to the bowl–see the “quick tip” box below!
- Melt the white chocolate in intervals: To avoid burning the white chocolate, melt it in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is smooth and fully melted. This is the key to avoiding burnt chocolate. I recommend stirring every 20-25 seconds to prevent the chocolate from overheating. And don’t forget that chocolate will continue to melt even when it’s out of the microwave.
- Use a really large bowl to toss all the ingredients with the white chocolate; it will be much easier with a large bowl, to ensure it everything gets coated in chocolate without spilling.
- Work quickly when adding the mix-ins: Once you pour the white chocolate over the popcorn, add the M&M’s, Lucky Charms marshmallows, and sprinkles quickly and toss everything together to ensure that the mix-ins are evenly distributed and coated in the chocolate. White chocolate hardens quickly, so we don’t want it set before the mix-ins are incorporated.
- Allow time for the white chocolate to harden: Spread the white-chocolate-coated popcorn mix on a tray lined with parchment paper (or a non-stick baking mat). Keep the popcorn in one even layer and let it stand until firm. Want St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn in a hurry? Pop the tray in the fridge.
Quick Tip
There’s nothing worse than munching on popcorn and running into an unpopped kernel. How do you make sure you don’t miss any? Put the popcorn in a large bowl and place a cooling rack over the top. Invert and shake….and all of the unpopped kernels will come out! Scoop the rest of the popcorn out of the bowl and proceed with the recipe.
St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn Ingredients Needed
- Popcorn. Purchasing already-popped popcorn makes this recipe come together a little bit quicker, but it’s a bit more spend-y. If you’d rather pop your own, these are the packets we use (lightly salted plain popcorn). Of course, you can also use kernels in a popcorn machine or on the stovetop. Whatever you choose to use, measure out 10 cups of popcorn for this recipe. If you make plain popcorn, don’t forget to add a touch of salt.
- White Chocolate Melts or Chips. Choose chocolate made for melting like these melting wafers or you can use white chocolate chips. You’ll get both a better melt and a better flavor with high-quality brands like Ghirardelli® or Guittard®.
- Oil. We recommend adding a touch of oil or shortening to the chocolate before melting. This helps to smooth out the chocolate and makes coating easier.
Ingredients Continued
- M&M’s. When it comes to making this St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn, we’ve found that a variety of M&M flavors really takes it to the next level. But we get it, not everyone wants to buy three separate bags of candy. If that’s the case for you, feel free to use just one or two kinds of them. Our personal favorite combo is plain, miniature, and either pretzel or crunchy cookie M&M’s. Trust us, the salty crunch of the pretzel or cookie M&M’s really adds something special to the mix! But here’s the catch – you’ll need to pull out the green candies from each of these packages. It might seem like a tedious task, but it’s actually a great way to get your little ones involved in the kitchen! They’ll love helping out and feeling like they’re part of the fun. Plus, it’ll make the final product look even more festive with pops of bright color throughout.
- Lucky Charms marshmallows. I have to say, my absolute favorite part of this popcorn snack mix is the Lucky Charms marshmallows! Not only do they add a pop of color, but they also give the snack a deliciously sweet and crunchy texture. You can use either the ones from the “Leprechaun Trap” cereal or the original cereal. (We’ve used the Leprechaun Trap cereal in these pictures.) You can sometimes find the Lucky Charms marshmallows packaged without the cereal. That’ll save you some time, so check online!
- Sprinkles. To add a final touch of color and crunch to this St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn, you can sprinkle some green sprinkles over the popcorn snack mix. This is completely optional.
Storage
Storing St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn
The best way to enjoy this popcorn is to make it fresh and eat it within a day or two. To keep the popcorn fresh for as long as possible, store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
Note that the white chocolate will soften the popcorn the longer it sits, so it’s best to eat the popcorn within 1-2 days of making it. If you need to store it for longer, you can try putting the popcorn in the freezer, which can help to slow down the softening process.
More Delicious Snack Mix Recipes
- Chex Mix Recipe a savory blend of cereal, pretzels, and nuts
- Oreo Popcorn with chocolate and crushed Oreos
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix drizzled in chocolate and peanut butter baking chips
- Zebra Popcorn caramel corn coated in white and dark chocolate
- Sweet Snack Mix with a cinnamon-sugar coating
St. Patrick's Day Popcorn
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn unbuttered (Note 1)
- 2 cups white chocolate chips (or white chocolate melts)
- 1½ teaspoons vegetable (or canola) oil
- ½ cup regular M&M's (pull out the greens) (Note 2)
- ½ cup pretzel or crunchy cookie M&M's (pull out the greens)
- ⅓ cup miniature M&M's (pull out the greens)
- 1 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows (Note 3)
- 1-2 tablespoons green sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- PREP: Line an extra-large sheet pan with foil, parchment paper, or a silicone liner. Set aside. In a very large bowl, measure and add the popped popcorn. Separate out all the green M&M's and marshmallows from the cereal. Measure and set aside.
- WHITE CHOCOLATE: Place the white chocolate chips and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in bursts of 30 seconds stirring in between each burst until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Be patient to avoid burning the chocolate. Once the white chocolate is smooth and fully melted, use a spatula to scrape it out and over the popcorn. Working quickly, toss together to coat in the white chocolate.
- FINISH MIX: Immediately add in all the different M&M's and the Lucky Charms marshmallows. Toss again to coat in the chocolate. Dump mixture onto prepared pan, space in one layer, and immediately sprinkle with sprinkles (if using).
- HARDEN: Let the popcorn harden at room temperature or in the fridge until it becomes solid. Once solid, break it into pieces and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. For the best flavor, eat within 1-2 days.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
