Marshmallow Popcorn Bars

This post is sponsored by M&MS, but as always, all opinions and text are my own.Before we get to the main event, I have to tell you something I just discovered: M&M’S Crispy are back!! I’m not one to obsess over certain types of candy, but M&M’S Crispy are somethin’ special. They were discontinued in 2005 and just returned last month. If you’ve never had them, go treat yoself to a bag – they have the traditional M&M’S chocolate and candy coating, but the filing is crispy, crunchy rice instead of chocolate or nuts. I’m semi-obsessed.

Annnyway, with the Oscars coming up this weekend, I wanted to come up with a fun treat to share at a party for the biggest award show celebration of the year. When I think about movie food, two things immediately come to mind: popcorn and candy. It’s a tradition for a reason, right? Salty popcorn + sweet candy make a fantastic combo.

I’ve made flavored popcorn before, but that didn’t seem festive enough (or easy enough for guests to enjoy at a party), so I started brainstorming other ideas. I’d never really thought of using popcorn in a dessert before, but once I found this idea for marshmallow popcorn bars, I was hooked. Popcorn and marshmallow together? Sounds good to me!

I couldn’t just stop there though. I topped the bars with dark chocolate, M&M’S Crispy, and rainbow sprinkles. Then I used some red and white striped straws as sticks to make the bars even easier for party guests to enjoy – no sticky hands here! All of these colorful elements together make the bars look like a party in a pan.

One of the best parts about these marshmallow popcorn party bars, besides eating them of course, is that they couldn’t be easier to make. It can get a little messy and sticky, but there’s only four major steps in the recipe and no baking required. The popcorn can get a little stale after a couple days, so I recommend making these the day you’re going to serve them.

Add some of your favorite people, a fake red carpet, and you’ve got the perfect Oscars viewing party. I rounded up some more party recipes using M&M’s from some of my favorite food bloggers to bring you some more ideas for your movie and Oscar watching spreads below. Tell me in the comments – what are your favorite awards show tips, traditions, and snacks using M&M’S?