A fun DIY gift or a way to take your favorite cold-weather drink up a notch. These original hot chocolate bombs are filled with marshmallows inside and easy to customize for any occasion. Made with only 4 ingredients they're the perfect treat.
Hot chocolate bombs are essentially a ball of chocolate with mini marshmallows inside. Pour hot milk on top and watch them open up to make a delicious cup of hot cocoa.
You can make them as simple as possible or drizzle them with more chocolate a decorate them with sprinkles, mini candy, or anything else you can come up with!
Though there are only four ingredients, when I started making them it was a hilarious disaster. So, really read through the expert tips so that you don't make the same mistakes.
Ingredients
Chocolate melts: this can be done with dark chocolate or milk chocolate though I've found milk chocolate a bit easier to work with. The dark chocolate is harder to heat and doesn't pour as smoothly.
White chocolate: this can be white chocolate chips or wafers. It's used for the drizzle so you'll want it to be thinned.
Mini marshmallows: this is what makes classic hot cocoa bombs but in reality, you can pop anything you want into the middle (see more below!).
Coconut oil: Used to thin the white chocolate chips so that you can drizzle the top of the hot cocoa bombs.
This is a classic hot chocolate bomb recipe which means they're only filled with marshmallows and the chocolate comes from the ball itself. Know that you can fill the inside with a paleo hot chocolate mix in addition to the marshmallows for more flavor.
Tools You Need
To do them correctly, and especially if you’re giving them as gifts you do need some equipment:
- Silicone circular molds (I also use the middle ones in this pack to make mini chocolate bombs for kids!)
- Latex gloves
- Double boiler or specific pot/bowl for the chocolate
- Slightly rounded silicone spatula
- Candy thermometer
The reason you want latex gloves is that the chocolate is very delicate. Meaning, when you remove it from the freezer while holding it to seal you will leave fingerprints or break it.
The gloves make the difference between the hot chocolate bomb working and looking decent or not.
As for the spatula, you can use what works. I know some people use a mini paintbrush but I’ve found the best luck with a small, slightly curved silicone spatula.
How To Make Them
The below is a summary of the steps but a very short summary. Know that you do need to temper the chocolate sauce more.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and temper it.
- Swirl it into the ball molds and freeze them.
- Carefully pop the chocolate balls out of the mold and fill each with marshmallows (and more cocoa mix if you're using it).
- Heat a pan and press one half of the chocolate ball onto it, melting the chocolate slightly.
- Press it onto the other half of the ball to seal them together.
- Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil and drizzle it over the balls before returning them to the freezer to set.
How To Heat The Chocolate
For best results, you need to temper your chocolate. Tempering chocolate is the art of heating the chocolate to a specific point and then cooling it. This creates a shiny texture and makes it so the chocolate “snaps” when you bite into it.
For darker chocolate, you want to heat it up in the double boiler to around 100, let it cool, and then reheat to roughly 88 degrees. Learn more about how exactly to temper chocolate here.
You can also temper the chocolate in different ways. This YouTube video shows you how to do it in the microwave, stovetop, etc.
Tempered chocolate will create a better end result than just melting the chocolate.
Topping The Original Hot Chocolate Bombs
Part of the fun of learning how to make hot chocolate bombs is that you can decorate them! Now, given I am not a chocolatier, nor am I overly coordinated in the kitchen with stuff like this, I keep it simple.
Personally, I just decorate mine with white chocolate melted and drizzled down. However, you can use:
- A combo of white and dark chocolate melted
- Sprinkles
- Anything crunchy (crushed candy canes, crumbles wafers, etc)
The choice is yours. Get creative! And if you need inspiration, peek these amazing hot chocolate bomb recipes.
Gifting Them
If you’re looking to give these as a gift there are two main ways:
- Place them in a muffin cup and wrap them in cellophane
- Line a mini box with parchment paper and place the ball into the box
I opt to use the boxes when I give them as gifts because they are delicate. This way I know they have some protection and won’t smear on the sides of the cellophane wrap.
From there, I add a little sticker with the ingredients, tie it up with some twine and you’re good to go!
Another great idea, especially if you want to ramp it up a bit is to pair the hot chocolate bomb with a mug and a mini whisk. It’s a very thoughtful gift and definitely the full experience.
Expert Tips
After having made over one hundred of these bombs I’ll be the first to say that they are finicky. Below are a few things I’ve learned along the way to hopefully make the process easier for you!
Don't overlook tempering the chocolate and not just melting it. Without tempering, the hot chocolate bombs are too delicate.
Move fast when you're pouring the chocolate into the molds. As the chocolate moves down in the mold it can leave thin sports which are more prone to breaking. Inspect them quickly before you pop them in the freezer.
The chocolate shrinks once frozen so be gentle popping them out. Pull the sides and then press from the bottom.
Avoid holding the balls as much as possible as they melt to your touch easily.
Be fast when sealing the halves together. The longer the heat in the pan touches them the harder it is not to cave the sides when sealing.
Learning how to make hot chocolate bombs can be a lot of fun and a whole new experience for nights cozied up with the kids. But you do need a bit of trial and error with them. So, don’t get frustrated the first time if you struggle.
Frequently Asked Questions About Original Hot Cocoa Bombs
I store my bombs in the freezer because I only keep them for a short time. You can store them in the fridge temporarily but make sure it’s in an airtight container as moisture can get in.
If the bombs are tempered, they can store at room temperature for about two weeks. But again, make sure they’re in an airtight container.
To enjoy the hot chocolate bombs, simply heat your milk of choice over medium to high heat to a rolling boil. Make sure you don’t overheat the milk as it will burn.
Place the hot chocolate bomb into a large mug. Very slowly pour the hot milk over the hot chocolate bomb and watch it break open and the marshmallows rise to the top! Then, use a mini whisk to stir up the hot chocolate and enjoy.
If the chocolate is tempered properly it shouldn't melt when stored at room temperature. This means that hot chocolate bombs will last 30-45 days or until the chocolate becomes stale.
Chocolate melts work best for hot chocolate bombs. The chocolate chips tend to be a little too fine and end up cracking more when you’re getting them out of the molds.
You can technically make the chocolate balls with vegan or dairy-free chocolate chunks. However, they are more prone to breaking. You'll also need to drizzle the exterior with straight dairy-free chocolate as dairy-free white chocolate chips do not melt well at all.
Other Awesome Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- Candy cane fudge
- Dairy-free cream cheese frosting
- Almond flour sugar cookies
- Peanut butter and jam cookies
- Triple berry crumble
- Caramel corn popcorn
- The BEST dairy-free brownies
- White chocolate fudge
- Vanilla Protein Ice Cream
- Peppermint patty bars
- Chocolate frosted cashew cookies
- Sugar-free pudding
- Dairy-free s'mores cups
- High protein snack ideas
- Healthy dessert recipes
Original Hot Chocolate Bombs With Marshmallows
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate melts dark chocolate
- 2 tbs white chocolate chips
- 50 mini marshmallows
- 1.5 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Heat the water in the double boiler over medium heat. Add in the cup of chocolate. Stirring frequently, heat the chocolate to roughly 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it hits temperature, remove from the heat and let cool. Stir around to cool faster.
- Reheat the chocolate to 88 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off but keep warm.
- Use a silicone spatula to portion a dollop of chocolate into one of the molds and swirl until the mold is covered.
- Try not to go over the sides of the mold too much or the chocolate is more likely to break when popping it out.
- Freeze the chocolate for 45 minutes. In the meantime, prep your marshmallows and pan.
- Portion out the marshmallows you’ll need (I use 10-12 marshmallows per bomb) so that they’re ready to go.
- Remove the bombs from the freezer and (with gloves!), very carefully pop the chocolate out of the mold. Place the halves on a plate.
- Heat a nonstick pan to very, very low. Gently press one half of the chocolate into the pan so that the rim becomes heated. Fill the half with marshmallows and press the other half into the pan. Press the two halves together lining them up properly to seal.
- Place back into the silicone mold. Repeat with the remaining hot chocolate bombs and pop back into the freezer.
- Now, make your topping. Heat the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler until melted and slightly runny. Use a piping bag or a filler, scoop the chocolate out into it. Let it cool slightly, otherwise, you may melt the chocolate bombs when it’s drizzled on top.
- Remove the hot chocolate bombs from the freezer and quickly drizzle the topping over the bomb. Add any crunch on top that you want too.
- Place back in the freezer for ten minutes to set. Portion into however you wish to store the bombs!
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
These chocolate bombs are a fun way to spice up your hot cocoa and can be customized for any season. Adults and kids alike think they’re neat and you can’t deny that they make great stocking stuffers.
Learn how to make hot chocolate bombs and give the gift of yumminess to your friends!
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