Recipe: Halloween Popcorn Mummy Hands

Who remembers eating a handful (pun intended) of popcorn out of a plastic glove, spookily detached from its ostensible mummy body, and racing to get to the bottom where the treat — a single candy corn in the tip of the finger — awaited?

Raises hand!

This funny little Halloween treat is one that feels particular nostalgic for children who grew up in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but it actually goes all the way back to the eighteen-eighties, when popcorn and plastic gloves were considered novel.

Starting in the ’60s, microwave popcorn manufacturers included cellophane bags with their popcorn that could be used to serve the popcorn and were sometimes used as loot bags for trick-or-treaters.

We’re putting a little modern twist on these, calling for cheesy puffed corn, not only because it’s easier and safer for the littlest kids, but it also lasts a little longer than fresh-popped popcorn in the gloves. But we kept the candy corn nails — the essential finishing touch for this classic treat.

The hardest part of this recipe is tracking down the gloves. Most grocery stores have moved from selling these clear plastic gloves to latex instead, so hit up your local hardware store, restaurant supplier, or Amazon for these food-safe, unpowdered plastic gloves.

We really love cheddar puffed corn like Pirates Booty for filling these for younger kids (popcorn isn’t recommended for children under 5) but any white, puffy snack will work to fill the gloves.

Halloween is the best holiday to play with your food! We’re counting down the 10 most iconic Halloween treats of the last 50 years, showing you the easiest ways to make them at home for maximum spooky fun.