Hot Chocolate Bombs (Easy How-To Recipe)

Hollow spheres of decadent chocolate are filled with powdered cocoa mix and mini marshmallows. Place one in a large mug and add hot milk to watch it burst open and spill its chocolatey goodness. These hot chocolate bombs are easier to make than you think and are so much fun. They will become your favourite way to indulge in this cold-weather beverage over the fall and winter seasons.

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Nothing is better than a delicious cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day.

While packaged mixes of hot chocolate powder make a decent cup, a mug of hot cocoa made with a homemade chocolate bomb is even better.

They are so much fun to make and easy enough that the whole family can be involved. We will show you how to make them using the techniques, tips, and tricks we’ve found to yield the best results.

What are Hot Chocolate Bombs?

Hot chocolate bombs are decadent, hollow spheres of chocolate filled with cocoa mix and marshmallows.

To turn them into hot chocolate, place them in a mug, add some hot milk, and watch them melt, releasing all the good cocoa fixings inside.

The basic hot chocolate bomb is made with just three ingredients: chocolate, cocoa mix, and marshmallow, but you can turn these into gourmet hot cocoa by adding a bit of instant coffee, crushed candy canes, caramels, or anything else you can think of.

You can keep them simple, using store-bought ingredients only. Or you can get more creative and make them even more special by using homemade hot cocoa mix.

They are easier to make than they look, and the kids will love decorating them before they drench them in milk and watch them burst open.

They also make lovely gifts.

How do Hot Chocolate Bombs Work?

It’s pretty simple. Just place them in a mug and pour hot milk over them.

They will split open, releasing the cocoa mix and marshmallows while the chocolate shell will melt, resulting in the most decadent, delicious cup of hot cocoa you could dream of.

For these bombs, I’ve found that 8 to 10 ounces of milk is perfect (about 1 Cup), but of course, that will depend on how strong you like your hot chocolate.

Ingredients

There are only three must-have, simple ingredients to make these hot chocolate bombs.

• Chocolate – You can use milk, semi-sweet or dark; it’s up to you. Chocolate chips work fine; choose a higher-quality brand. You can also use good-quality chocolate bars or baking chocolate. We suggest avoiding the cheaper candy melts, as some are only chocolate-flavoured and contain no chocolate. If you want to use candy melts or chocolate wafers, you will want to ensure they are made with real chocolate. Make sure cocoa butter is listed as one of the ingredients.
• Hot Cocoa Powder – Use your favourite here. The better quality brand you choose, the tastier your hot chocolate will be. For even better flavour, and to make them even more special, you can use homemade.
• Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows will work best. If you like the coloured marshmallows, you can use those or stick with the traditional ones. You can even find extra tiny dehydrated marshmallows, which work well and allow you to fill the chocolate bombs really full.

You will probably want to decorate your cocoa bombs, too. I like to use a variety of fun candy sprinkles, but you can use crushed mints, shaved chocolate, or a simple drizzle of white chocolate. Get creative and have fun! There is absolutely no wrong way to decorate your chocolate bombs.

Step by Step Instructions

One – The first step is melting the chocolate that will form the hollow chocolate spheres.

I prefer doing this in a glass heat-safe bowl over a simmering pot of water; this is the double boiler method. I have better control of the melting than when using a microwave, and I can keep the bowl over the hot water as I work, which keeps the perfect consistency. If you have an actual double boiler, you can use that instead.

However, when using this method, you must be careful not to let water enter the chocolate bowl. Water will cause the chocolate to seize and solidify, making it impossible to spread.

Fill the pot enough so the bottom of the bowl barely touches the water. Heat over medium-low heat (I use setting four on my stove top) until melted and smooth. Ensure you gently stir the chocolate as it heats to help disperse the heat and prevent it from getting too hot.

Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the bowl in place.

Two – Spoon about two teaspoons of chocolate into each mold.

Expert Tip – If you use the microwave to heat your chocolate, do so slowly. Use 15-second intervals and stir between each interval. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, you should be able to stir it well enough to melt the rest. If it still needs a bit longer, reduce it to 5-second intervals to avoid burning the chocolate.

Three – Using a pastry brush, brush the chocolate over the inside of the mold as evenly as you can, making sure to spread it right to the top. You can also use the back of a spoon.

Four – Once all the molds are filled, pop the tray in the freezer for 5-10 minutes so the chocolate can firm up. Then, repeat the filling, brushing, and freezing one more time.

On the second coat of chocolate, fill and brush one mold at a time; otherwise, the cold chocolate will set the melted chocolate before you can spread it.

Five – Remove the molds from the freezer. Loosen the chocolate by gently stretching the edges of the molds.

Fill six halves with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. I have found one tablespoon of mix, and 5-6 marshmallows are perfect.

Six – Place a clean plate over the hot pot of water. The steam will warm the plate.

Remove the empty halves from the mold and, working one at a time, press the edge of the chocolate shell to the warm plate.

Seven – When the edge starts to melt, remove it from the plate and press it to a filled half. Hold it for 2-3 seconds to seal. Then, repeat with the remaining shells.

Once all the bombs are sealed, pop them in the freezer for a couple of minutes so the edges will set.

I tried many ways to seal the halves together and found this was the easiest and most successful way. You could also place some melted chocolate in a small pastry bag with a fine tip, pipe it around the edge of the empty half, and then press it to the filled half.

Remove from the freezer, and carefully pop the hot chocolate bombs out of the molds.

Decorate with a drizzle of melted chocolate and sprinkles or any way you like.

If you want to make these extra special, try making your marshmallows! It isn’t as complicated as you’d think.

Variations

You can use endless variations and combinations of flavours to create your hot chocolate bombs.

Chocolate – Milk chocolate is my favourite when making hot chocolate. And a good quality milk chocolate chip will work just fine. But there are many other choices, depending on your flavour preference. You can use the following:

• White chocolate – White chocolate is mild and creamy. You will want to select high-quality white chocolate and be sure that cocoa butter is listed as the main ingredient. White chocolate is a bit more temperamental to work with; you will want to melt it slowly over low heat.
• Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate will produce a stronger, slightly more bitter hot chocolate. You can use good-quality dark chocolate chips or melting wafers.
• Mix of chocolate – Don’t think you have to stick to just one chocolate. You can make the top and bottom from different chocolate or swirl a few together for a marble effect.

Filling – There is no end to the fun things you can add to your hot chocolate bombs. You will want to choose your favourite hot chocolate mix, but aside from that, you can get creative with other additions. Here are a few things to try:

• Marshmallows – Marshmallows are always a fun addition to hot chocolate. Mini marshmallows work great in hot chocolate bombs, but you can also buy tiny dehydrated marshmallows, which allow you to fill them fuller.
• Crushed peppermint candy – Crushed peppermint candy or candy canes are a fun addition and will give you a delicious chocolate peppermint hot cocoa. The crushed peppermint candy will melt when the hot milk is added, allowing you to stir it into the hot chocolate.
• Coffee powder – To make a quick instant mocha, add your favourite instant coffee powder.
• Shaved chocolate – If you want to make your hot chocolate extra decadent, add some shaved chocolate to your hot chocolate bomb!
• Peanut butter powder – If you love the idea of a peanut butter cup hot chocolate, a scoop of peanut butter powder is a great addition.

Serving Suggestions

Serving hot chocolate bombs is as easy as dropping one in a mug, adding hot milk, allowing the sphere of chocolate to melt, and then stirring it. However, you can do a few things to ensure the experience is fun and delicious for everyone.

To make your cocoa beverage, add one or two chocolate bombs to a mug and add as much hot milk as desired.

You will want to select a large mug wide enough to accommodate the hot cocoa bombs and enough space to add warm milk and stir without sloshing over the sides. Transparent glass mugs make for a pretty presentation, especially if you dip the rim in chocolate and sprinkles and add a whipped cream swirl.

Milk – You can use any milk you like when making hot chocolate. I often use 2% milk, as we often have it in the refrigerator. Using whole milk will result in a thicker, creamier hot chocolate, and using 1% or fat-free milk will result in a thinner, less rich drink.

If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, you can use any dairy-free milk you like. Oat milk tends to work the best as it is slightly thicker and has a more neutral flavour, but you can use almond milk. If you are vegan or need to avoid dairy, you must also ensure you use vegan chocolate and hot chocolate mix when making cocoa bombs.

To melt the chocolate smoothly, you need to ensure the milk is hot. How hot will depend a bit on the quality of chocolate you use; chocolate with a lot of cocoa butter will take less heat, while lower quality chocolate with more fillers will require hotter liquid to melt it smoothly.

If you are making these for little ones who don’t like their drink super hot, start with enough hot milk to melt the chocolate, then add a splash or two of cold milk to bring it to the preferred temperature.

Garnish – This is where you can get creative. Dip the mug’s rim in melted chocolate, then add crushed candy cane or sprinkles. A handful of marshmallows are always great with hot cocoa. You can also sprinkle with cocoa powder, add shaved chocolate, candy sprinkles, or drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce. The options are endless.

For some extra fun, serve your hot chocolate with chocolate-covered marshmallows or marshmallow pops.

Equipment Needed

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The two main pieces of equipment you will need to make hot chocolate bombs are hot chocolate bomb molds, silicone molds are my favourite and the easiest to work with, and a small pastry brush to brush the chocolate into the molds. If you don’t have a brush, you can use the back of a spoon.

There are many sizes and shapes of silicone mold to choose from.

• 2.1-inch silicone molds – This is the size I choose for making my hot chocolate bombs and will give you an excellent 10 or 12-ounce hot chocolate.
• 2.5-inch silicone molds – This mold will make a bigger chocolate bomb, meaning you can fill it with more goodies and make a larger cup of hot chocolate. You will also require a wider mug for it to fit.
• Shaped silicone molds – If you want to get more creative, many fun-shaped molds are on the market, allowing you to personalize your chocolate bombs for any occasion. Heart silicone molds are fun for Valentine’s day or pumpkin shaped molds for Halloween.
• Mugs – To serve your hot chocolate, you will need a mug. You need to choose a mug that is wide enough to hold the chocolate sphere and large enough to add the milk and stir without sloshing. Any large cup will do, but transparent glass mugs give a lovely presentation.

You will also need a double boiler or a microwave and microwave-safe bowl.

How to Store Hot Chocolate Bombs

It is relatively easy to store hot chocolate bombs. Once they have had time to set, you can move them to an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Separating them with wax or parchment paper is a good idea to prevent the chocolate spheres from sticking to others in the container. Or you can place them in paper muffin liners. This also helps keep them from rolling around in the container, damaging the shell and pretty decorations.

You can store them in the refrigerator, but they will be fine at room temperature in most climates. The outer shell may become a bit foggy if exposed to changes in temperature and moisture, such as moving them in and out of the refrigerator, but they are still perfectly fine to consume and won’t affect the taste.

If giving these as a gift, you can wrap them in cellophane bags and tie them with a pretty ribbon. Or place them in decorative muffin liners in small boxes or containers. If you are giving more than one as a gift, a cake or cookie box with a transparent lid makes for a gorgeous package that looks like it came from a professional chocolate shop.

For a lovely host or Secret Santa gift for adults, a basket containing a couple of hot chocolate bombs, a small bottle of Bailey’s or Kahlua, and a nice mug is always a hit.

Top Tips & FAQS

• It is essential that not even a drop of water enters the chocolate as you are melting it or it will seize, making it impossible to spread.
• Choose a good quality chocolate for best results. Make sure cocoa butter is one of the top ingredients.
• When making your cup of hot chocolate, make sure the milk is hot, but not quite boiling. This will help ensure the chocolate bomb melts properly to give you a smooth cup of cocoa.

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