TikTok Hot Chocolate Bombs

2021 update: If you’re looking for the cocoa cup version of hot chocolate bombs (pictured above), instructions are at the end of this post.  

What is a hot chocolate bomb?

Hot chocolate bombs or hot cocoa bombs are cute lil balls of chocolate that you put into a mug. When you pour hot milk into the mug, the chocolate melts and magically releases the marshmallows and cocoa hiding inside.

It’s super cute and fun and you can make SO many flavor variations! They sell hot chocolate bombs/hot chocolate balls at the store, but around here I haven’t seen any so I decided to make my own. You can too!

What you need to make homemade hot chocolate bombs

How to make homemade hot chocolate bombs

1. Melt your chocolate. Use the microwave to melt the chocolate melts or chocolate stirring in between until everything is smooth and pourable.

   

2. Fill the molds. Scoop some chocolate into the mold and use the back of a spoon or pastry brush to push the melted chocolate around the molds, making it thick enough along the sides and edges. Pop the molds into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to set.

   

3. Remove the chocolate from the molds. Gently push the half spheres out of the silicone mold.

   

4. Melt the edges. Microwave a microwave safe plate for a minute, you want the plate to be just hot enough to melt the chocolate. Pick up the empty half of the chocolate bomb and place it on the warm plate for a couple of seconds, just until it melts.
5. Fill. Add 1 tablespoon hot cocoa powder and mini marshmallows (and any other add-ins you want) to half of the spheres. Pick up another half and melt the edge on the warm plate then push the two sides together to seal.

   

6. Decorate. Drizzle on some extra chocolate, decorate with crushed cookies, candy, or sprinkles!

   

If you don’t have a mold, wrap two eggs in saran wrap and dip them in the melted chocolate. Place on a plate and let set. Dip them again (so the shell is slightly thick), then melt the edges, add the insides, and seal.

What if I don’t have a silicone mold?

Don’t worry, you can still make chocolate bombs without a mold! You can wrap eggs in plastic wrap dip them and let them set. They don’t end up completely round, but it still works.

Which mold should I get for hot chocolate bombs?

The best mold for is a half sphere silicone mold. You can easily push the mold to pop the chocolate out. Silicone molds are cheap (compared to professional acrylic molds) and easy to use. The molds I use are 2 inches, but you can use up to 2.5 inches.

What chocolate can I use for hot chocolate bombs?

I went the easy route and melted down chocolate chips, but you can also use candy melts which are easy to work with but don’t taste as good. There is also chocolate called couverture chocolate which is formulated to be easy to melt and set.

How can I tell if my chocolate is high quality?

Take a look at the ingredients. You’ll want a chocolate with 65% or more cocoa. The cocoa percentage that you see on chocolate packaging tells you how much of the chocolate is made from actual cocoa beans. Your chocolate should also have cocoa butter in it, which creates the melting quality of chocolate. Couverture chocolate (as I mentioned above) has a high percentage of cocoa butter, which is why it melts smoothly making it an excellent chocolate for making hot chocolate bombs.

Help! My hot chocolate spheres keep breaking!

If your spheres keep breaking, you want to double check three things:

• How you melted your chocolate/chocolate tempering.
• The edges.
• How long you let it set.

How to temper chocolate

Tempering chocolate is a fancy way of saying melting chocolate, but it’s a bit more than just melting, it’s making sure that it doesn’t get too hot. If you don’t temper chocolate properly, it will melt at room temperature, it doesn’t really hold it’s shape, and it’s as shiny. Here’s how to temper chocolate.

1. Chop your chocolate. Chopping up your chocolate with a knife makes sure all the pieces are small – smaller pieces means it melts more evenly. If you get couverture chocolate, it will come in wafers, you don’t need to chop this.
2. Put the chocolate in a heat safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. It won’t look melted but don’t put it in for any longer! Use a rubber spatula to move the pieces of chocolate around. Some of the chocolate will be more melty and you’re going to use that heat to help melt the rest of the chocolate. Once you’ve stirred, it’s time to put it back in the microwave.
3. Microwave the bowl again for 15 seconds, then remove and stir from the outside in. The outside pieces of chocolate will be more melted than the inside. Use the heat from the outside chocolate to help melt the pieces in the middle. If you have an instant read thermometer, check to see if your chocolate is between 88-90°F. That is the ideal range for tempering chocolate.
4. If your chocolate isn’t smooth yet, microwave it again for 15 seconds and stir. Keep stirring until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. It’s best to underheat the chocolate because the residual heat from the bowl and the rest of the chocolate will help you will the melting.
5. Spoon a bit of your smooth tempered chocolate onto a piece of parchment and put it in the fridge for 5 minutes. If it looks shiny and snaps when you break it in half, your chocolate has been tempered properly!

What if I heated up my chocolate too much?

If your chocolate is bendy and doesn’t snap when you do the test in the fridge, it’s okay! Just add some more chopped chocolate to the bowl with your melted chocolate and stir it until it melts. Aim for 90°F and then do the fridge and snap test again.

How to temper chocolate on the stove/How to temper chocolate without a microwave

To temper chocolate on the stove:

1. Chop your chocolate into small pieces
2. Make a double boiler by placing a heat proof bowl on top of a small pot. Fill the pot with just an inch or two of water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Turn the heat on to low.
3. Add 2/3 of chopped chocolate to the bowl and stir, while the steam from the simmering water melts the chocolate.
4. When the chocolate is smooth and melted, carefully remove it from the double boiler and stir in the remaining chocolate. This will help the melted chocolate cool down to the right temperature, 88-90°F.

How to fill the molds for hot chocolate bombs

If you’re having problems with your spheres breaking or not releasing, I have tips!

• Clean your mold. Use a lint free-paper towel and make sure the inside of your silicone mold is nice and shiny. If there’s lint it in it or any residue it will come out on your chocolate.
• Use a (clean) paint brush. I used the back of a spoon to push the chocolate around but if you use a paint brush you’ll have a lot more control. Paint the inside of the mold generously, let set for 5 minutes in the fridge, then apply a second coat being sure to paint extra along the edges so they edges are reinforced.
• Make sure you let the chocolate set enough in the fridge. When the chocolate is set, it will be shiny and snappy and release easily from the molds.

Can I make hot chocolate bombs in advance?

Yes, you can absolutely make hot chocolate bombs in advance. If you temper the chocolate properly (read the chocolate tempering tricks), you can make hot chocolate bombs well in advance.

How long do hot chocolate bombs last for?

All the ingredients in hot chocolate bombs are shelf stable and they will keep, if tempered properly, on the countertop almost indefinitely, if they last that long. Think of them like a chocolate bar – chocolate bars last a really long time!

How to store hot chocolate bombs

The best way to store hot chocolate bombs, after they have been made is at room temp in an air tight container.

Hot chocolate bomb flavors

I love hot chocolate bombs because you can go wild with the flavors. Try these ones!

• Oreo – place some crushed up oreos inside and on the outside for decoration.
• S’mores – crush some graham crackers for inside the bomb and on top for decoration.
• Peppermint – crush up some peppermint candies for inside the bomb and on top for decoration.
• Pumpkin – put a teaspoon of pumpkin spice in with the hot chocolate mix and sprinkle some on top.
• Coffee – add a teaspoon of instant coffee to the inside of the bomb.
• Dark chocolate sea salt – sprinkle on some flaky sea salt.

Tips

• Don’t overheat the chocolate! Take your time and microwave in 15 second intervals.
• Make sure you have enough chocolate on the edges of your mold so the molds don’t break when you take them out.
• If you need to, add more chocolate to the edges then let set again.
• Use food safe gloves while you’re assembling so you don’t accidentally melt the outsides or leave fingerprints on your hot chocolate bombs.
• Keep your place cold or run your hands under cold water for a while, the heat of your hands will make the chocolate melt.
• Be gentle when sealing the bombs together, don’t push too hard.
• Use your (gloved) finger to gently rub along the seam where the two halves come together to smooth it out.
• To store the hot chocolate bombs, keep them in an air tight container in a cool spot in your kitchen or in the fridge

Even more tips!

If you’re having problems with your spheres breaking or not releasing, I have even more tips!

• Clean your mold. Use a paper towel and make sure the inside of your silicone mold is nice and shiny. If there’s lint it in it or any residue it will come out on your chocolate.
• Use a (clean) paint brush. I used the back of a spoon to push the chocolate around but if you use a paint brush you’ll have a lot more control. Paint the inside of the mold generously, let set for 5 minutes in the fridge, then apply a second coat being sure to paint extra along the edges so they edges are reinforced.
• Make sure you let the chocolate set long enough in the fridge. When the chocolate is set, it will be shiny and snappy and release easily from the molds.

Will it be chocolate-y enough?

Some of you are worried that there won’t be enough hot chocolate mix inside the the hot chooclate bomb. The outside of the bomb melts down and adds a HUGE chocolate hit. You can also add hot chocolate instead of milk to melt your hot chocolate bomb if you want a double hot chocolate!

For snowman hot chocolate bombs:

1. Melt some white chocolate.
2. Make the spheres as outlined above.
3. Fill with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
4. Seal the hot chocolate bombs.
5. Pipe on eyes and a mouth with melted chocolate.
6. Pipe on an orange nose with orange candy melts and enjoy!

For peppermint hot chocolate bombs:

1. Melt some white chocolate
2. Make the spheres as outlined above.
3. Fill with peppermint hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
4. Seal the hot chocolate bombs.
5. Drizzle with extra white chocolate.
6. Sprinkle on crushed candy canes and enjoy!

Cocoa cups (2021 update)

Tiktok is back at it again with the hot chocolate bombs, this time updated for 2021 with a cute lil cocoa cup shape, instead of the classic round bomb. I like this idea even more because you don’t need to buy a silicone round mold, you just need miniature plastic shot glasses. I first saw these guys via @ruewenah and they are super cute and functional because they have a candy cane stir stick. The video has over 10 million views, so check it out when you can. It was such a pleasure making these, so much easier, sturdier, and cuter than the round bombs!

How to make cocoa cups

1. Cut a slit down the side of a disposable plastic shot glass.
2. Tape the cup closed.
3. Temper the chocolate (use a mix of white and dark chocolate) pour into the cup, swirl it around, then pour out the excess.
4. Let the chocolate set in the freezer, upside down for 5 minutes.
5. Add a second layer of chocolate and let set in the freezer, upside down, for another 5 minutes.
6. Peel off the tape and un-mold the plastic cup.
7. Fill with hot chocolate mix.
8. Pop in a candy cane in for a stir stick.
9. Pipe chocolate on top to seal everything together.
10. Top with marshmallows.
11. Drizzle on white and dark chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
12. Stir into hot milk (or hot chocolate for a double hot chocolate) and enjoy!

How to temper chocolate

Quick and easy tempered chocolate via the seeding method

Tempered chocolate is what you want for hot chocolate bombs – it’s what will make them shelf stable with a shiny finish and a consistent snap. I’ve mentioned several other ways to temper chocolate in this post, but if you’re still having trouble, this is a foolproof way called “seeding” that doesn’t need a thermometer.

First, melt two thirds of your chocolate, either in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, or in the microwave for 30 seconds. Melt the chocolate completely but don’t burn it – the chocolate shouldn’t be hot on your fingertip. Stir the melted chocolate and add the remaining chocolate into the warm chocolate in three batches, stirring completely after each addition. Continue stirring until the chocolate is smooth and shiny. Test by swooshing a bit of chocolate on a piece of parchment paper – it should start to set immediately. If it doesn’t, add a bit more solid chocolate to your melted chocolate bowl until it sets when you test it.

My recommended chocolate for hot chocolate bombs

I like using Ghirardelli melting chocolate wafers. I find that they temper easily and set really well.