PB Popcorn Eggs

In the kitchen with my oldest this week for Wands Go Wild Wednesday and we are whipping up some a fun little treat, PB Popcorn Eggs for Easter! Yep with all the sweets going down we decided to make a salty sweet treat with one of our favorite snack foods, popcorn, and yes peanut butter! They are like a cross between a popcorn ball and a Rice Krispie bar. Popcorn has fiber and is more filling than cereal and has less sugar, but no these aren’t low in sugar when we add in the marshmallows. Again it is all about balance. Apparently when one thinks of eggs they often think of maple syrup and so after testing some nut butters she settled on Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple! The combo goes great together and my husband even enjoyed them and loved that they weren’t overly peanut buttery, he isn’t as big of a nut butter fan as the girls and me (yeah I don’t get it either but hey leaves more for us!). You can use any nut butter you want. If you want the maple flavor we found two ways to make these. The first we made with Skinny Pop Popcorn (you can use any plain or lightly salted popcorn) and Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter. If you can’t find the peanut butter you an use Quinn Vermont Maple & Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn (they sell it at Target and many other retailers) and use just the popcorn and mix just one of the seasoning packets with the peanut butter and marshmallows. Perfect for an Easter Egg Hunt or just a treat or snack these eggs can be dressed up or down. They are tasty plain, you can add sprinkles for color, or dip them or paint them with chocolate. You can shape into egg or balls with your hands or you can use big plastic Easter eggs as molds as we did.

PB Popcorn Eggs
Makes 9 eggs, big plastic Easter egg size
10oz mini marshmallows
2 TBSP coconut oil
1/2c peanut butter (used Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple and Smooth Operator)*
12c popped popcorn (used Skinny Pop & Quinn Vermont Maple Sea Salt)*
sprinkles, optional
1-2c chocolate chips, optional

*First batch we used Skinny Pop Popcorn (you can use any plain or lightly salted popcorn) and Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter. If you can’t find the peanut butter you an use Quinn Vermont Maple & Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn (they sell it at Target and many other retailers) and use just the popcorn and mix just one (use 2 if you want a stronger flavor we liked it with 1) of the seasoning packets (you will need to pop both bags of popcorn) with the peanut butter and marshmallows. You will not use the oil packet that comes with the popcorn.

Pop popcorn if it needs to be popped. If using plastic Easter eggs as molds wash and dry them first and spray with coconut oil or non stick spray and set aside. In a large microwave safe bowl heat marshmallows for 1 minute. Stir and add coconut oil, and cook for an additional minute watching as it can puff over if your bowl is not big enough. Remove from the microwave and stir, if the marshmallows aren’t melted cook for an additional 30 seconds until melted. Carefully remove from the microwave and stir in peanut butter (as well seasoning flavor packet if using) until combine. Quickly, as the marshmallow mixture will start to get harder to stir as it cools, stir in popcorn until all the popcorn is coated and everything has come together. If you want you can also stir in sprinkles at this time. We just rolled ours into sprinkles. When the mixture is just cool enough to handle spray or rub hands with a little coconut oil. If using the eggs pack the mixture into each half of the egg and then snap together and remove. The eggs slide right out and you can smooth the seam if needed. If forming free hand grab handfuls of the mixture, packing it together and form into a ball or egg shape. Place finished eggs on a piece of parchment paper. Roll in sprinkles right away if you want sprinkled eggs and have not stirred them into the mix already. Let balls cool and harden for about 15-20 minutes. If you want to dip or paint your eggs with chocolate melt chocolate and dip or paint eggs with chocolate as desired and set aside or in the refrigerator until chocolate has hardened. Store eggs in an air tight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. Enjoy!