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These easy hot chocolate bombs are the perfect winter treat. Cocoa powder, sugar, and mini marshmallows are encased in a chocolate shell that melts as you pour over hot milk. Once stirred, it turns into the most delicious hot chocolate. I love making these as a gift, but also as a fun tea time treat that’s a little different.
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While a classic French hot chocolate is perfect, if you want to make hot chocolate right there and then, these hot chocolate bombs are great to make ahead, either to have ready when you fancy a hot chocolate or as a gift. The hollow chocolate shells are far easier than you think to make at home, and a nice activity to do with little ones.
Why you will love this recipe
- Hot chocolate bombs make a perfect gift for friends and family.
- Easy swaps mean you can make them plant-based or dairy-free if you like.
- You can serve this as an easy dessert to friends or as a luxurious mid-afternoon drink.
Ingredients
- Milk – I like to use whole milk, but use what you like. You can also use a plant-based milk.
- Chocolate – I like dark chocolate here. You could use milk chocolate here, but it will be very sweet! I would advise chopping up a bar of chocolate, not using chocolate chips.
- Cocoa powder – unsweetened Dutch-processed or natural cocoa powder, not hot chocolate powder.
Substitutions and variations
Marshmallows: My easy homemade marshmallows would be great as an extra once the hot chocolate bombs are melted!
Make it plant-based/dairy-free: Swap the milk for your favorite plant-based milk and cream. Then make sure to use a vegan chocolate. Most dark chocolates are vegan/dairy free.
How to make hot chocolate bombs
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Start by melting the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave until smooth. Once melted, pour some melted chocolate into 8 divots of the semi-sphere silicone mold.
TWO: Use a spoon to smooth the chocolate around the edge of the molds. Once each one is smooth, tip the mold upside down over the bowl in which you melted the chocolate to remove excess.
THREE: Once hardened, gently peel off the silicone mold and pop the semi-spheres of chocolate out.
FOUR: Lay out 4 of the semi-spheres. To each one, add 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar (depending on personal tastes), and a sprinkle of mini marshmallows.
FIVE: Heat a small, clean pan on high heat. Take one of the empty semi-spheres, briefly press it into the hot pan to melt the edge, then place it on top of a filled semi-sphere. Press the edges of the spheres together to seal them.
SIX: When ready to serve, gently heat the milk in a pan until just before simmering. Add a hot chocolate bomb to a mug and pour over the hot milk. The hot chocolate bomb will melt and open. Then use a spoon to stir well. Add more mini marshmallows and enjoy.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
Why did my hot chocolate shells crack? It’s likely that the hot chocolate shells were too thin. Make sure you push the chocolate around the edge of the mold enough and don’t tip out too much excess chocolate. You want them thin enough to be hollow but not so thin it crumbles.
What happens if I get a crack in my hot chocolate bomb shell?
- Use more melted chocolate to patch up any gaps, then let them set again in the fridge.
- If they fall apart, just re-melt the edge of the chocolate bomb and patch it together.
- If too much chocolate is melting away with the above technique, you can instead use more melted chocolate to create a band around the edge of the hot chocolate bombs to press them together.
Frequently asked questions
The most likely cause of a hot chocolate bomb not exploding is that your milk was not hot enough. Make sure it’s just before simmering in a pan. Otherwise, you may have made the chocolate shell too thick. If this happens, you could add a splash of boiling water to the mug to encourage the shell to melt.
At room temperature in an airtight container, hot chocolate bombs will last 3-4 weeks. Any longer and you risk it tasting a little stale. You can also store them in the fridge if you live in a hot climate and the chocolate risks melting.
Yes, you can make hot chocolate bombs without tempering chocolate. Of course, tempering chocolate will give it the shiny exterior, but I don’t find this necessary, and I rarely have the time or energy to go through the extra fuss.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you like these hot chocolate bombs, you may want to try making Chocolate Marshmallows to go alongside. For dunking, try my Shortbread Christmas Cookies or Tiramisu Cookies.
Easy Baking Recipes
Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Brownies
Easy Baking Recipes
Melt In The Middle Chocolate Pudding
Easy Baking Recipes
Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Easy Baking Recipes
Chocolate Chunk Muffins
If you tried this Hot Chocolate Bomb recipe or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Homemade Hot Chocolate Bombs
Equipment
- 1 Semi-sphere silicone mold
Ingredients
- 4.25 oz dark chocolate
- 4 tsp cocoa powder
- 2-4 tsp granulated sugar
- 3.5 oz mini marshmallows
- 27 fl oz 2%/reduced-fat milk (semi-skimmed milk), about 3 1/3 cups
Instructions
- Start by melting the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave until smooth. Or you can melt it over a double boiler if you prefer.
- Once melted, pour some melted chocolate into 8 divots of the semi-sphere silicone mold. Use a spoon to smooth the chocolate around the edge of the molds. Once each one is smooth, tip the mold upside down over the bowl in which you melted the chocolate to remove excess.
- Transfer to the fridge to harden for at least 15 minutes.
- Once hardened, gently peel off the silicone mold and pop the semi-spheres of chocolate out.
- Lay out 4 of the semi-spheres. To each one, add 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar (depending on personal taste), and a sprinkle of mini marshmallows.
- Heat a small, clean pan on high heat. Take one of the empty semi-spheres, briefly press it into the hot pan to melt the edge, and then place it on top of a filled semi-sphere. Press the edges of the semi-spheres together to seal them.
- To decorate, drizzle any remaining chocolate over the hot chocolate bombs (you may need to remelt the chocolate), and then place a few marshmallows on top.
- At this point, you can store the hot chocolate bombs in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, heat the milk in a pan until just before simmering. Add a hot chocolate bomb to a mug and pour over the hot milk. The hot chocolate bomb will melt and open. Then use a spoon to stir well. Add more mini marshmallows and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To store: At room temperature in an airtight container, hot chocolate bombs will last 3-4 weeks. Any longer, you risk it tasting a little stale. You can also store them in the fridge if you live in a hot climate and the chocolate risks melting.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
