How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs

Hot chocolate bombs (also known as hot cocoa bombs) are my new obsession this season and in this post I’m going to show you exactly how to make them. Surprisingly, they’re actually fairly easy to make – you just need a little time and a silicone mold, which you can get online for around $10.

In case you have no clue what I am talking about, here’s the 4-1-1 on hot chocolate bombs:

Hot chocolate bombs are hollow chocolate spheres filled with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows and when you add hot milk to your mug, they “explode.” They originally gained a lot of traction on TikTok, probably because there’s just something downright fun about watching a melting ball of chocolate reveal surprises like mini marshmallows, peanut butter chips, and fancy sprinkles.

I made these with my mom, and everyone enjoyed watching their bombs melt into their mugs; even my dad had fun!

This is a great activity for a snowy or rainy day. Make these on your own, with your kids, or invite your girl friends over for a night in with festive movies. Naturally, hot chocolate bombs are great to make during the holiday season (I’m thinking of making this a new Christmas Eve tradition), but you can really make these whenever it’s cold and you want something warm.

These also make great gifts for friends and loved ones. Create a “cozy night in” gift basket with a couple hot chocolate bombs, a cute mug, some cookies, a puzzle, and fuzzy socks or a throw blanket. Even though you might be able to buy hot chocolate bombs from a store, there’s really something special, personal, and better-tasting, when these are made at home. 

How to Make Hot Chocolate Bombs

Ingredients

• Hot chocolate mix (you can also make your own – it’s SO easy! See below.)
• Semi sweet-chocolate chips
• Mini marshmallows
• Silicone hot chocolate bomb mold (This is the exact mold I have; I used the biggest size in the set.)

Instructions

Step 1: Melt the Chocolate

I prefer to use the double boiler method instead of nuking your chocolate in the microwave. This is also called tempering your chocolate. Melting your chocolate this way it makes it easier to keep your chocolate fluid while you fill your silicone molds. With a microwave, your chocolate will melt but harden up once it loses heat. Tempering your chocolate also makes it nice and smooth.

I know this method can seem intimidating, but I promise it’s not.

To temper the chocolate, grab a medium sauce pot and fill it halfway with water. Grab a heat-safe bowl (I use glass Pyrex bowls) and place it over your pot. The key here is to make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl; there should be a gap between the water line and the bowl base.

Pour in your chocolate chips and turn your heat to low. Stir the chips continuously until everything is melted. To prevent the chocolate from hardening while you fill the molds, keep your stove on the lowest heat setting.

Step 2: Make the Chocolate Shell Molds

Once you’ve melted the chocolate, you’re ready to make your hot chocolate bomb shells!

Add a spoonful of melted chocolate into the first half-sphere of your silicone mold. Use the spoon or a pastry brush to make sure the entire mold is covered with chocolate. Don’t worry if the inside of the mold isn’t super smooth and perfect – the key here is to make sure that you have covered every part of the mold with the melted chocolate. Be sure you are also going up to the very edge of the silicone mold.

Repeat this process for each individual chocolate mold. Freeze the filled hot chocolate bomb molds for about 15 minutes so the chocolate can set. 

PRO TIP: I like to freeze my mold for a couple of minutes, then I’ll take it out and raise the mold to the light to see if there are any thin spots that need extra chocolate coverage. Return to freezer to finish setting.

Then, remove the molds from the freezer and remove the chocolate from the molds. To do this, gently press the silicone mold. As you slowly do this, the silicone mold will begin to turn inside out and will release the chocolate shell.

Place your hot chocolate bomb shells on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and turn three off the shells face up to fill.

Step 3: Fill Your Hot Chocolate Bombs

I filled my hot chocolate bombs with cocoa mix and marshmallows. Add about 2 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix to your three molds. Add anything else you want inside of the hot chocolate bombs:

• Festive sprinkles
• Peanut butter, white, or dark chocolate chips
• Crushed candy canes
• Freeze-dried mini marshmallows

Store-bought cocoa mix is totally A-okay, but you wouldn’t believe how crazy easy it is to make your own!

Here’s how to make your own hot chocolate mix:

Add 1 part cocoa powder to 2 parts sugar. Finish with a pinch of sea salt and mix well. You can use an electric hand mixer or a food processor to toss quickly and completely.

Step 4: Assemble the Hot Chocolate Bombs

You should still have your burner with the tempered chocolate on super low heat, but if you don’t turn it back on.

Grab the three shells on the cookie sheet and place the tray over the warmed double boiler set up for about 10-15 seconds. You want the seams of each chocolate shell to be slightly soft but be careful not to over-melt them.

Cover each cocoa-filled chocolate half with an empty half to seal it. Voila! You now have hot chocolate bombs.

Step 5: Decorate

Once your hot chocolate bombs are assembled, finish them with some festive decorations. For my hot chocolate bombs, I melted some white chocolate and used a piping bag to create the squiggles, then topped each with a handful of festive sprinkles. If you want a two-tone hot chocolate bomb, use a piping bag with dark chocolate, too. 

If the seams where the two chocolate mold halves meet aren’t perfect, don’t worry! You can always decorate over that part to cover them. Using a piping bag to pipe out melted chocolate around the circumference of your hot chocolate bomb, then roll it in some sprinkles.

How to Store Hot Chocolate Bombs

Hot chocolate bombs will taste their freshest and best within 24 hours of making them. However, if you’re not going to make hot chocolate right away, you can store them at room temperature for a week or so. Be sure they’re in an airtight container, away from sunny countertops to avoid any melting.

Gifting Ideas

If you’re gifting hot chocolate bombs, they look nicest when wrapped individually. Use a cupcake liner to hold your hot chocolate bomb, then place it in a small cellophane gift bag. Tie with a ribbon or bow for the finishing touch.

These gift bags look so cute, and really up the ante from “I made this in my kitchen” to a thoughtful gift that looks something you could find at a store.

To maintain freshness, keep the hot chocolate bombs in their airtight container until you’re ready to gift them. 

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When you’re ready to make your hot chocolate, simply place the hot chocolate bomb into your favorite mug, add hot milk, and enjoy!

If you decide to try and make these hot chocolate bombs on your own, be sure to let me know in the comments!