Patriotic Popcorn Cake

If you want a classic dessert that is more addicting than some traditional cakes, this popcorn cake is for you! It’s filled with red, white, and blue chocolate candies to make it perfect for a Fourth of July picnic dessert!

Making homemade Rice Krispie Treats has never been a favorite activity of mine… but I definitely prefer to have some salty/chocolate to go along with marshmallow. That’s why this popcorn cake has been the dessert we didn’t anticipate, but the one we really needed all along.

If you’re wondering how to make the PERFECT melty-marshmallow popcorn cake, this is the recipe for you!

slice of popcorn cake on a spatula

What You’ll Love About This Popcorn Cake:

  1. It’s just 5 ingredients. You’ll love how easy this is to put together! Once you get everything measured out, it’s just a few simple steps!
  2. It’s quick. You’ll have to work fast because of the melted marshmallow mixture, but once it’s in the pan it’s completely done!
  3. It’s a little messy but it’ll be worth it. Soon you’ll be cutting into a delicious marshmallow-coated chunk of popcorn, chocolate, and nuts. It sounds a little ridiculous but it’s amazing.
marshmallow pouring over peanuts and popcorn

Tips on Making This Popcorn Cake:

It may be slightly messy, but there are a few ways you can avoid some of the craziness!

  1. Don’t overheat the marshmallow and butter. Just make sure it’s melted and mixed all the way through, and you’re good to go!
  2. When adding the marshmallow mixture, add the chocolate candies last. Mixing them TOO much will make them melt everywhere and get super messy.
  3. When pressing the mixture into your buttered bundt pan, be sure to put butter or oil on your hands to keep the marshmallow from sticking. It’ll make the whole process a little faster and a little less sticky!
popcorn cake mixture in a bowl

What Do I Put On Top Of Popcorn Cake?

For this recipe, we drizzled some white chocolate candy coating on top! Here are a few other options for topping:

  1. Crush peanuts and sprinkle with chocolate candy. This can be done with or without a chocolate drizzle!
  2. A plain chocolate drizzle.
  3. Chocolate drizzle with sprinkles.
  4. Chocolate drizzle with mini marshmallows.
  5. Anything else – get creative!! 🙂
white chocolate over a popcorn cake

Can I Leave Out The Peanuts or add Other Ingredients?

You can definitely leave out the peanuts if you don’t like them! You can either leave the other ingredient amounts as they are, or add a little bit more popcorn.

If you’re adding another ingredient (another nut, toffee, chocolate chip or something), do half the amount of peanuts and half the ingredient of your choice. That way you’ll still have enough marshmallow coating.

popcorn cake with patriotic m&ms

How Long Should I Let Popcorn Cake Set?

For the best result, we let this cake sit covered in plastic wrap overnight. It needs to set at least 4 hours after turning out of the bundt pan, but after that it should be ready to slice and serve.

You may also love our July 4 cupcakes!

patriotic popcorn cake
patriotic popcorn cake

Patriotic Popcorn Cake

4.50 from 2 votes
A delicious combination of marshmallow, popcorn, peanuts and chocolate candy to create an irresistible dessert! Perfect for a Fourth of July picnic.
Servings 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 3 quarts popped popcorn (plain)
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 16 ounces mini marshmallows (one bag)
  • 8 ounces roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 16 ounces red, white, and blue M&M's
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips (for drizzling over the top, optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl, mix together the popcorn and peanuts. Set aside.
  • Generously butter a bundt pan.
  • Melt the marshmallows and butter in a saucepan over low heat, mixing until fully combined and the marshmallows are melted. Take off the heat once everything is fully melted.
  • Add the melted mixture to the popcorn and peanuts and mix. Add the M&Ms and mix just until combined. Work quickly because the mixture will set quickly!
  • Butter your hands if needed in order to prevent the mixture from sticking. Press the mixture into the bundt pan.
  • Let cool for about 5 minutes, then turn out into a wire rack to finish cooling.
  • If you'd like a white chocolate drizzle, melt white chocolate chips or melting wafers in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, drizzle on top of the cake.
  • Store in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest for at least 4 hours up to overnight before cutting into pieces.
  • Store at room temperature.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 439IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 676
Keyword july 4, no bake cake, summer

About Julie Clark

We are Julie, Maddie, and Kinslee – a mother and daughter team sharing with you the best cakes to satisfy any need or sweet craving that you may have. Welcome to our family’s kitchen!

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4.50 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)
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