What are hot chocolate bombs? These simple chocolate spheres hold a payload of explosive chocolate goodness that unleashes when you place one in the bottom of your favorite mug (like this one!) before pouring steaming milk over the top. The bomb melts, the goodness mixes with the milk, and you have a cure for the winter blues. Not to mention they are all the latest rage right now.
Wondering how to make hot chocolate bombs? It’s easy, with our 7-step process. Fill them with cocoa mix, marshmallows, and anything else you want to add—and watch out!
Supplies Needed for DIY Hot Chocolate Bombs
You can buy pre-made hot cocoa bombs here, or you can make your own. You do need a few things before you can start to make your own. The first is a double boiler like this. This tool is essential for melting your chocolate and getting everything the right temperature. You can use a glass bowl set over a saucepan with boiling water, but the double boiler is definitely easier.
To make this hot chocolate bombs recipe, you need the following ingredients.
- Good quality chocolate chips or chocolate bar
- A hot chocolate mix or cocoa mix of your choice
- Marshmallows of your choice
- Sprinkles for decorations
You’ll also need some other supplies and equipment.
- Food thermometer for monitoring the temperature of the chocolate
- Silicone molds like this one for making the shapes. While most hot chocolate molds have spherical shapes, you’re free to use any shape you wish. Depending on the occasion, you can make pumpkin shapes for Halloween, Christmas tree shapes for Christmas hot cocoa bombs, or any other shape you can get your hands on.
- Paintbrush for coating the melted chocolate inside the silicone molds
- Piping bag for sealing the chocolate spheres together
- Food scale for measuring chocolate chips
- Parchment paper (optional)
Homemade Hot Chocolate Bomb Recipe
There are a lot of hot chocolate bomb recipes out there. This one is tried and proven to be almost foolproof. Not to mention delicious! Follow these seven steps for the best homemade hot chocolate bombs ever.
1. Melt the Chocolate
Slice a chocolate bar into pieces, or use chocolate chips. Begin by putting plenty of water in the bottom of your double boiler. When the water is boiling, add the chocolate chips or pieces of chocolate bar to the top and begin the melting process. The slower you melt, the shinier the chocolate. Stir every 5 seconds for uniform melting of the chocolate pieces. Upon reaching the melting point of 88°F, stop and allow cooling.
It’s not a bad idea to temper the chocolate at this point. If you’re too impatient for tempering, you can use candy melt chocolate as a shortcut.
2. Coat the Chocolate Mold
When the chocolate is melted and smooth, use a spoon to portion it out into the chocolate mold. Then, using the same small spoon to make sure that the chocolate coats the entire mold cup. Alternatively, you can use a brush and brush the chocolate into the mold until it’s coated. You want to have a decent 1/4″ thick coating of chocolate in the mold.
To get your chocolate bomb mold coated extra well, you can place the mold in the freezer and allow 2–3 minutes for the chocolate to set. Then, coat it some more!
3. Harden the Chocolate
Place the chocolate-coated molds into the fridge or freezer for at least 20 minutes so that the chocolate is able to really harden and become less fragile. When the chocolate is hardened, remove from the freezer.
4. Remove the Chocolate Spheres From the Molds
Save half of your chocolate molds for Step 6.
For the other 50%, remove the spheres from each chocolate mold.
Stretch the edges of each silicon mold cup so that the chocolate pulls away from the silicone. Then turn the mold over onto a baking sheet or parchment paper and gently push on the top of the dome so that the chocolate half-spheres release from the mold. Next, put the half-spheres back into the mold so you can fill them. This will make it a lot easier when it’s time to take them out of the chocolate bomb mold for good.
5. Fill the Molds
For the 50% of chocolate spheres (half-spheres, technically) that you removed from the mold (and then gently replaced), you will now add fillings. Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot chocolate powder or hot cocoa powder in each chocolate sphere, followed by other fillings of your choice. You should be able to fit in about 5-6 mini marshmallows and some additional ingredients.
Consider any of the following (or dream up additional options) for topping up your hot chocolate bomb mold: crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, peppermint patties, powdered coffee, or anything else that might give an interesting flavor twist.
6. Assemble the Two Halves to Make Chocolate Spheres
Carefully remove the remaining 50% of chocolate shells / half-spheres from the molds.
Pipe some melted chocolate around the edge of the filled half-sphere, where the empty half-sphere will join, using your piping bag. Gently press the empty half-sphere onto the full one to create a complete chocolate sphere.
Pop the assembled chocolate spheres back in the freezer to set.
7. Decorate the Hot Cocoa Bombs
Decorating allows you to add a personal touch to each chocolate bomb! Melt the chocolate melts according to the package directions, then pull the bombs out of the freezer, pop them out of the molds (they should come out easily), and use the melted chocolate as a base to add sprinkles, glitter, or any other decorative touch you like!
You can use the melted chocolate or opt for decorative balls and colorful sprinkles. Use gloves when decorating the chocolate bombs to prevent fingerprints. Wipe away excess chocolate or sprinkles, and pop in the freezer a final time to allow the decorative layer to set.
Recipe Variations for Hot Chocolate Bombs
Below is a brief look into popular homemade hot cocoa bombs variations and how to make them.
Hot Chocolate Bombs with Marshmallows
Cocoa mix and marshmallow filling make these cocoa bombs a regular winner. Mix the melted chocolate with marshmallows of your choosing. Dehydrated mini marshmallows are preferred because they don’t shrink like other foods we dehydrate.
Hot chocolates with marshmallows are fun to try, especially in the cold weather. Their taste suits a cold-weather beverage and will make you feel better and warmer. Feel free to try dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even pure chocolate for this recipe. Chop the chocolate in equal sizes to allow even melting. When dropped in hot milk, the marshmallows will combine with the chocolate to bring the sweet frothiness.
Hot Chocolate Bombs with Peppermint
Hot chocolate bombs peppermint is a fun way to ditch the normal beverages in favor of a blended and non-alcoholic beverage for a festive season. The chocolate bombs are stuffed with cocoa mix and crushed peppermint canes for a tasty feeling. Just add them into milk and watch as they dissolve to ooze the sweet and decadent taste of mint and hot cocoa.
This chocolate bomb variation is made by adding crushed peppermints or to the melted chocolate. You can also combine the peppermint with a few marshmallows to give your hot chocolate bomb a cocktail of flavors. Peppermint hot cocoa bombs make a great Christmas gift!
For the crushed mint, you can use a candy cane, breath mint, or other peppermint candy.
Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa Bombs
Salted caramel hot chocolate bombs are soft and moist, and the caramel makes them perfectly mushy. They are uber-tasty and you can use them as a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and weddings!
Salted caramel bombs stand out because they are easy and fun to make. Adding the salted caramel sauce is probably the hardest part of this recipe. To make these, just add salted caramel into the chocolate mold during Step 5.
Strawberry Chocolate Bomb Delight
Strawberry bombs are a fun variation, especially for kids. They love to watch the strawberry bombs explode in a cup of hot milk.
Strawberry cocoa bombs work best with freeze-dried strawberries. To make strawberry cocoa bombs, just add freeze-dried strawberries to the chocolate mold during Step 5.
Pumpkin Spice Bombs
Pumpkin spice bombs are a perfect treat for the fall holidays. Just add pumpkin spice when filling the chocolate mold and you’ve got an autumnal delight.
Peanut Butter Bombs
Peanut butter hot chocolate bombs are made from semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter flavor as part of the filling. They are a perfect gift if you’re a peanut butter lover and want to mix it with the original chocolate taste in your hot cup of milk.
To create these delicious bombs, add peanut butter to the filling. Or, sprinkle peanut glaze over the hot chocolate bombs to create a tasteful garnish and the classic peanut butter flavor.
Hot Chocolate Bombs for Different Occasions
The most exciting thing about hot cocoa bombs is that they fit every occasion. As long as you’re planning on having fun, you have numerous hot chocolate bomb recipes to try. The recipes are fun to experiment with, and nothing compares to the feeling of indulgence they afford you. Let’s check them out.
Hot Chocolate Bomb Valentine’s Day
Valentine is the ultimate time of the year where you have to show love and care to your loved ones. Nothing will make this moment more special than sharing a well-prepared hot chocolate bomb.
You can opt for candy-coated hot chocolate bombs with theme-colored chocolate and fillings. Spice the recipe even more by adding cappuccino mix for a tasty twist. Considering they are for a special occasion, use different shaped molds to make them unique.
Hot Chocolate Bomb Halloween
Hot chocolate bombs make a perfect Halloween treat, because they are fun and customizable. Design and decorate them to look like spooky pumpkins, ghosts, or other creepies, for a fun and festive treat.
Use bittersweet chocolate to achieve a killer flavor with your Halloween bombs. Shake it up with something spooky like candy corn or green sprinkles. These two ingredients will greet you with a Halloween surprise when you dip the chocolate bombs into a cup of hot milk. You can make Halloween bombs ahead of time and serve them later while cold.
Hot Chocolate Bomb New Year’s
Hot cocoa bombs are perfect for ushering in a new year. For a delicious treat, consider making brightly colored bombs. These are easy to mold and fun to enjoy with the kids at home.
Hot Chocolate Bomb Thanksgiving
Hot chocolate bombs can make Thanksgiving more memorable. To make the perfect thanksgiving hot cocoa bombs, you need a turkey candy mold. Paint the melted chocolate in the turkey candy mold and allow them time to freeze. This will give them a perfect turkey shape fit for the Thanksgiving theme. We recommend adding pumpkin spice to the fillings.
Hot Chocolate Bomb Christmas
For Christmas, hot chocolate bombs are super fun to make and try at home. You can get incredibly creative by recreating fun Christmas themes such as Christmas trees’ twinkling lights.
Other Special Occasions
Other dates you might want to use hot chocolate bombs for: birthdays, anniversaries, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day (red, white, and blue sprinkles!), or any other special occasion of your choice.
Storing Hot Chocolate Bombs
Use cupcake liners to keep the hot chocolate bombs for gifting and storing. The liners make the chocolate balls look cute while keeping the perfectly tempered chocolate safe from damage.
Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate Bombs
Whether you want a perfect treat for a fun holiday with your kids or are looking to make a simple DIY gift for your friends, you won’t go wrong with hot cocoa bombs. They’re yummy, easily customizable, and perfect for any occasion.
Hot Chocolate Bombs FAQs
How long will the hot chocolate bombs last?
Any hot chocolate bomb with a hot cocoa mix can stay fresh for as long as eight weeks, depending on where you keep them. Ideally, storing them under room temperature will help them stay fresh. However, hot chocolate bombs with chocolate ganache may not survive beyond two weeks.
Do you need to keep hot chocolate bombs refrigerated?
A hot chocolate bomb is room-stable and should not need refrigeration.
What is the right way to use hot chocolate bombs?
There’s no definite way to enjoy a hot cocoa bomb. You can either place a hot chocolate bomb at the bottom of the mug and pour steaming hot milk over it or drop them directly into hot milk. The most important thing is for a hot chocolate bomb to melt and release the chocolate taste.
How much sugar do you need in your milk if you’re using a hot chocolate bomb?
A hot chocolate bomb has approximately 100 calories and 9 grams of sugar per serving. If you want to maintain a low sugar diet, you won’t need more sugar in your milk.
Can I use other kinds of chocolate for delicious hot chocolate bombs?
You’re free to use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate to make your hot chocolate bombs. However, note that different chocolates reach a tempered state at different temperatures. So, pay attention to these temperatures for better results. If you choose to use candy melts, you don’t need to worry about specific temperatures.
Hot Chocolate Bombs
Ingredients
- 1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 can hot cocoa powder in chosen flavor
- 1 c. toppings caramel bits, toffee bits, marshmallows, etc.
- 1 bag chocolate melts for decorating
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate. Slice a chocolate bar into pieces, or use chocolate chips. Begin by putting plenty of water in the bottom of your double boiler. When the water is boiling, add the chocolate chips or pieces of chocolate bar to the top and begin the melting process. The slower you melt, the shinier the chocolate. Stir every 5 seconds for uniform melting of the chocolate pieces. Upon reaching the melting point of 88°F, stop and allow cooling. It's not a bad idea to temper the chocolate at this point. If you're too impatient for tempering, you can use candy melt chocolate as a shortcut.
- Coat the chocolate. When the chocolate is melted and smooth, use a spoon to portion it out into the chocolate mold. Then, using the same small spoon to make sure that the chocolate coats the entire mold cup. Alternatively, you can use a brush and brush the chocolate into the mold until it's coated. You want to have a decent 1/4" thick coating of chocolate in the mold. To get your chocolate bomb mold coated extra well, you can place the mold in the freezer and allow 2–3 minutes for the chocolate to set. Then, coat it some more!
- Remove the chocolate spheres from the molds. Save half of your chocolate molds for Step 6. For the other 50%, remove the spheres from each chocolate mold. Stretch the edges of each silicon mold cup so that the chocolate pulls away from the silicone. Then turn the mold over onto a baking sheet or parchment paper and gently push on the top of the dome so that the chocolate half-spheres release from the mold. Next, put the half-spheres back into the mold so you can fill them. This will make it a lot easier when it's time to take them out of the chocolate bomb mold for good.
- Fill the molds. For the 50% of chocolate spheres (half-spheres, technically) that you removed from the mold (and then gently replaced), you will now add fillings. Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot chocolate powder or hot cocoa powder in each chocolate sphere, followed by other fillings of your choice. You should be able to fit in about 5-6 mini marshmallows and some additional ingredients. Consider any of the following (or dream up additional options) for topping up your hot chocolate bomb mold: crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, peppermint patties, powdered coffee, or anything else that might give an interesting flavor twist.
- Assemble the two halves to make chocolate spheres. Carefully remove the remaining 50% of chocolate shells / half-spheres from the molds. Pipe some melted chocolate around the edge of the filled half-sphere, where the empty half-sphere will join, using your piping bag. Gently press the empty half-sphere onto the full one to create a complete chocolate sphere. Pop the assembled chocolate spheres back in the freezer to set.
- Decorate the hot cocoa bombs. Decorating allows you to add a personal touch to each chocolate bomb! Melt the chocolate melts according to the package directions, then pull the bombs out of the freezer, pop them out of the molds (they should come out easily), and use the melted chocolate as a base to add sprinkles, glitter, or any other decorative touch you like! You can use the melted chocolate or opt for decorative balls and colorful sprinkles. Use gloves when decorating the chocolate bombs to prevent fingerprints. Wipe away excess chocolate or sprinkles, and pop in the freezer a final time to allow the decorative layer to set.
I’m going to be making these tomorrow while staring at the falling snow. Which combination have you tried? Let me know in the comments below!
This article was originally published on September 26, 2020 but has been updated.
The link for the mold, it’s not a ball as I imagined from the photo. It’s more oblong and flat on the bottom.. described as a brownie/cakepop mold. Is that the one that you used?
I like the domed ones because it makes it easier to seal up the bottom once the fillings have set. If you’re looking for a round one this mold is a good option as well
Jillian, would you mind posting a link to the type of mold that you use? Thank you so much!
Thanks so much!!!
How do you deal the bottom on the dome molds? I get the spheres but not the domes.
Once you’ve filled the filling and it’s set, you’ll spread a layer of chocolate across the top of the mold (which ends up being the bottoms) and let it set before removing them. So you’ll end up with a gumdrop shaped bomb with chocolate all around.
So you fill the bottom and then put chocolate on the rim and top it with another half?
Yes
How long are these typically good for? These would be great for Christmas, but how early could I make them?
My question too.
I try to make my bombs and give as gifts within a few days of making them. However, I have known people to freeze them for a few weeks and they said there was not any change to the flavor.
How do you store these? Like if you were to give as a gift, do they need to stay in the freezer?
I have always kept mine in the freezer and when given for gifts they are made within a day or so of giving them. By the way, they were a hit as gifts. I put them in a clear plastic box wrapped with festive ribbon.
It’s a very interesting recipe. Can’t wait to try it. Wondering why you use Birnn truffles for your graphics?
Ok grammar police! It didn’t even bother me, you must be anal retentive. I got what she was talking about and because of that successfully made chocolate bombs.
Thanks, Matty. I am glad you didn’t let the error confuse you. I do appreciate being notified if there is an error so I was good with the heads up. Hope your bombs were a hit.
So these are the size of a cakepop? I thought bigger for some reason
I like the cakepop size because you can’t go wrong no matter what mug size is used.
Do these need to be stored in the fridge until ready to use or can they be stored on the counter?
I’ve always stored mine in a freezer-safe container. 🙂
I think I’m going to try a silicone cup cake pan. I haven’t decided if I’m going to add a top or another shell from the mold. What do you think?
I think it could work. Let me know how it goes for you!
I would add chocolate to the top because it may be too big otherwise
I want to try these what size mold do I need to buy
Hi Donna 🙂 Look for one about the size of a cake pop. Just small enough it can fit into your cup.
I had some shipped but worry they were not refrigerated for days. Would they be safe?
You would have to contact the company you bought them from. Good luck! 🙂
Everything in a chocolate bomb is shelf stable… I don’t see why it would need to be refrigerated
It appears I’m a bit late to the game and molds are hard to find. Would my egg bite silicone instant pot molds work? I would assume it would work the same
Hi Tracy 🙂 I would assume those would work just fine. Just as long as they fit in your cup 🙂
Do you think a square would work? That’s all my hobby lobby had in stock. Like a brownie size.
Would the square fit in your cup? If so, I think you should be okay 🙂
I love this. Do you have a video at all on making them?
Would Ghiradelli dark chocolate melting wafers work in place of chocolate chips?
I don’t see why not!
Help! I made them and mine did pop open like most videos show. It just kinda melted. Do you have any tips?
That’s supposed to say didn’t pop open, sorry.
It could be the chocolate is too thick to “pop” but honestly, I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong answer. Just comes down to preference
I’d like to make these but add Kahlua. Would I just add that to the melted chocolate?? TIA! Can’t wait to make for Xmas!
What’s your thought in shipping them? I wanted to make for the grands but they are stationed two states away.
Look on pinterest for boozy hot cocoa bombs. They mix the alcohol with the cocoa in a bowl first before putting inside the mold.
Can you tell me how you got the beautiful red, pink and gold one the outside of your Cocoa Bombs? They are gorgeous!!
Thoughts on shipping these? I want to make for the grands, but they’re two states away.
I would like to make a boozy hot choc bomb for adults. Do you think the center could hold a liquid? I.e. kahlua or Baileys? Any suggestions appreciated! Thank you
can I use metal cake ball molds?
Following
My chocolate bomb doesn’t explode / pop when I poured hot milk. What am I doing wrong?
I find that the chocolate chips melt very easy while I am handling them. Any tips so this doesnt happen?
Use latex gloves and keep putting the balls back into the fridge if they start to get melts as you decorate them.
When giving them as a gift, how do you keep them from melting at room temperature? My are getting soft and falling apart. Thank you
I find that the hot chocolate bombs are way too sweet when made into the hot chocolate drink. Is there a way to get around that?