I love an easy 4 ingredient dessert! These easy popcorn bars are made with popcorn, olive oil or butter, marshmallows and a creamy icing topping! I love making them for a holiday with festive colored sprinkles on top, or with added flavorings like cinnamon or strawberries!
If you like rice crispy treats, you’ll LOVE these popcorn bars. No need to worry about if the rice crispies are gluten free because popcorn is always gluten free! Rice crispy treats used to be the go to gluten free dessert marshmallow bars were made with, but recently, rice crispies were changed from being gluten free to now NOT being gluten free. So if you were hooked on those bars like I was and need a gluten free alternative, or just love popcorn better, these 15-minute popcorn bars are about to blow your socks off!
If you love this easy Popcorn Bar recipe, you’ll love my easy gluten free oatmeal bars and my peanut butter pumpkin bars! They are easy gluten free dessert recipes made with minimal ingredients.
why you'll love this allergy friendly Popcorn Bars recipe
- Popcorn Bars make the fun, crispy, crunchy and colorful! They make a perfect school snack, after school treat, movie night snacks or crowd pleasing dessert at a summer BBQ! These popcorn bars are all of my favorite childhood foods are combined into one sticky, gooey, handheld treat!
- They are allergy friendly! These popcorn bars are naturally gluten free, nut free and dairy free! They are perfect to send to school or a birthday party!
- They are kid approved to eat. Kid friendly to make! There are only 4 ingredients and are really easy to have kids mix together!
- This is an easy no-bake recipe! All you need to do is melt the marshmallows and that can be done in a pot on the stove OR simply in your microwave.
ingredients & substitutions
Popcorn: Naturally gluten free! You can pop your own or buy a bag of popcorn from the grocery store! You can use any other cereal in place. Make sure if you are gluten free like me that you select a gluten free cereal.
Marshmallows: I use the mini marshmallows. Mini marshmallows melt faster! Any marshmallows will work here!
Vegan butter or olive oil: This is to make sure the marshmallows don’t stick to the pot! I have also used coconut oil for a tropical flavor or avocado oil.
Vanilla icing: Any icing works! If you are dairy free make sure to use a dairy free icing. I like to use red icing for valentines day, or green icing for christmas. I also substituted icing with melted chocolate or peanut butter for a different flavor popcorn bar.
directions
Step 1
Add butter or olive oil and marshmallows to a pot on medium low heat.
Step 2
Cook for 5 minutes until the marshmallows are melted.
Step 3
Add in the popcorn and mix together.
Step 4
Immediately transfer to a lined 8×8 or 9×9 pan and firmly press to create a single layer of popcorn bars. Let cool in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before icing.
Step 5
Top the popcorn bars with icing and sprinkles. Cut and serve!
expert tips & tricks
- I love to use sprinkles on top or a sprinkle of cinnamon or brown sugar! You can use festive sprinkles for holidays, birthday parties, weddings, baby showers or even bridal showers!
- I always make sure to use fresh popcorn. Stale popcorn can result in a stale popcorn texture which isn’t very crunchy. Make sure to use popcorn that has just been opened. Do not use popcorn that been sitting around for a day or two.
- Melt the marshmallows and butter or oil together. The marshmallows will stick to the pot if you skip the butter or oil.
- I always use parchment paper to make the clean up easier. This helps to get the popcorn bars out of the pan easier! No sticking!
serving and storing the Popcorn Bars.
To ensure the popcorn bars stay fresh and delicious, I always store them in an airtight container. I store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 4 days.
I would not reccomend freezing them.
Looking for more allergy friendly easy recipe?
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15-Minute Popcorn Bars (Gluten free)
Ingredients
- 10 cups popcorn
- 10 oz marshmallows
- 1 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 cup vanilla icing
Instructions
- Add butter or olive oil and marshmallows to a pot on medium low heat.
- Let cook for 3-5 minutes until the marshmallows are melted.
- Add in the popcorn and mix together.
- Immediately transfer to a lined 8×8 or 9×9 pan and firmly press to create a single layer of popcorn bars.
- Let cool in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before icing.
- Top with icing and sprinkles. Cut and serve!
Notes
- I love to use sprinkles on top or a sprinkle of cinnamon or brown sugar! You can use festive sprinkles for holidays, birthday parties, weddings, baby showers or even bridal showers!
- I always make sure to use fresh popcorn. Stale popcorn can result in a stale popcorn texture which isn’t very crunchy. Make sure to use popcorn that has just been opened and not popcorn that been sitting around for a day or two.
- Melt the marshmallows and butter or oil together. The marshmallows will stick to the pot if you skip the butter or oil.
- I always use parchment paper to make the clean up easier. It also helps to get the popcorn bars out of the pan easier! No sticking!
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