Hot Chocolate Bombs (a Tutorial!)
By popular demand! I have received so many requests for these hot cocoa bombs recently, and for good reason. They’re adorable, fun, delicious, and absolutely blowing up the internet right now. I’m squeezing this one in just before the holidays so you can still make them and give them as a last minute gift. While hot chocolate bombs are overall quite simple to make, there are a few important things you need to know so that your chocolate comes out flawlessly. I have lots of tips, tricks, and step-by-step photos below (plus a video in the recipe card), so this post is a long one and jam-packed with information. If you’ve never tempered chocolate before or have ever struggled with streaky chocolate, I strongly recommend that you read through the entire post before you begin. This is a long one, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to find all of your answers in the post 😉
What You Need to Make Hot Cocoa Bombs
Quality chocolate. I recommend a premium quality bar with a high percentage of cocoa (between 55% and 85% is my preference). Cocoa butter should be listed as one of the ingredients. Chocolate chips are not ideal for this recipe. I’ve been using Lindt 70% cocoa bars. Couverture chocolate would also be a good choice.Hot cocoa mix. Use your favorite variety. You will only be able to fit about 2 teaspoons of mix in each cocoa bomb, two packets of mix is usually sufficient for me to fill all of mine. Note: I’m working on a homemade cocoa mix for these, hope to have it ready soon!Additional fillings. I like to add mini marshmallows or dehydrated marshmallows, but you can get creative. There are some fun filling options near the bottom of the post.
Then there’s the equipment. I recommend:
Silicone molds. I use half spheres that are 2″ in diameter. This recipe makes 6 hot chocolate bombs of this size, so I have two molds so I can make them all at once. You can really use any shape mold you would like. Find the link to the ones that I used in the “Equipment” section of the recipe.A thermometer. You don’t need a candy thermometer for this recipe, and in fact I just use a meat thermometer.I also recommend a medium-sized microwave safe bowl and a rubber spatula. While the chocolate for the molds can be painted on using just a regular small spoon, some people like to use a food-safe paintbrush for applying the chocolate.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients and materials. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Let’s Talk About Tempering Chocolate
First of all: Do not panic! If you’re itching to hit that “back” button on your browser after realizing you need to temper chocolate I get it. I used to be there, avoiding glossy chocolate perfection just because I was scared of using my thermometer. Tempering chocolate is NOT something reserved for practiced, professional chocolatiers. You can do it at home and while there is some precision required, it’s actually not that hard. The method that I’m sharing is an easy one (we’re using the microwave!). I don’t think you’ll have any problems (just beautiful, flawless hot chocolate bombs) so long as you follow my steps. But why do I need to temper my chocolate? I hear you, so let me show you why. In the photo below, the chocolate sphere on the left has been properly tempered. It’s smooth, glossy, and shiny. On the right, we have a half-sphere made with untempered chocolate. It has a streaky, chalky appearance with messy white flecks and swirls. It will melt quickly in your hand (faster than the chocolate on the left) and it’s just not desirable. If you love the science behind this sort of thing like I do, here’s an interesting and extremely informative post that I found on the science behind why this happens. Please note that Alton Brown uses a different technique than I do to temper. Either will work but I personally prefer mine (obviously, or I wouldn’t have shared it!). Now let’s get to the technique:
How to Temper Chocolate for Hot Chocolate Bombs
Tip: Want to make sure you tempered your chocolate properly before filling all of your molds? Smear a small amount on a piece of wax paper and pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. If it’s shiny/glossy when you take it out (and not chalky or streaky), you’re golden!
Using Different Types of Chocolate
These temperatures above are specific for dark/semisweet chocolate. If you are using milk chocolate: Your sweet spot is a temperature between 86F and 88F (30-31C). If you are using white chocolate: Your sweet spot is a temperature between 82F and 84F (27-29C). If you are using chocolate melts: You don’t need to worry about temperature, just follow the instructions on the package. While these wafers do have a place in my kitchen (I often use them with my buckeyes), I don’t prefer them here because they have added ingredients that take away from the taste and mouthfeel of real, quality chocolate. Tip: If you do not have a microwave, you can temper chocolate in a double boiler instead. Be sure to not get any of the water in the chocolate, though, or it will seize and become unusable!
How to Make Hot Cocoa Bombs
Once you’ve tempered your chocolate, it’s smooth sailing. See the images and steps below for a step-by-step visual for making hot chocolate bombs.
Preparing the Chocolate Spheres
Tip: Keep an eye on your chocolate temperature while you are working with it! If it gets too cool, you can reheat it in the microwave, but do so in brief intervals and be sure to keep it in that temperature sweet spot!
Filling & Assembling Hot Chocolate Bombs
I tested a lot of different ways to fuse the two halves together, from piping chocolate on the center to using a culinary torch and I feel that this method with the saucepan was the easiest, most practical, most efficient, and yielded the most seamless results.
Different Flavors for Hot Cocoa Bombs
Consider adding some of these fun fillings to your cocoa mix:
Peppermint Mocha: Add sprinkle of instant coffee with crushed candy canes.Dark chocolate & sea salt: Add a sprinkle of sea salt with the cocoa mix.Peppermint bark: Add finely crushed candy canes to the inside with a white chocolate drizzle (and maybe some more crushed candy canes on top!).Butterscotch: Crushed butterfingers candy.Sea salt Toffee: A few crushed toffee bits (I would crush them even though they’re already small to ensure they melt completely) and a sprinkle of sea salt. This is great with a dark chocolate shell.Funfetti: Add some colorful sprinkles and colorful marshmallows inside and on top.Mexican Hot Chocolate: A sprinkle of cinnamon and a teeny tiny pinch (like just a few grains) of cayenne.
More Recipes You Might Like
Meringue CookiesChocolate TrufflesGiftable Cookies in a JarPeppermint Bark Fudge
Whew! OK, that was a lot but I wanted to be thorough. I think I’ve covered everything you need to know about making perfect hot chocolate bombs. I cannot WAIT to see how yours turn out, so make sure to tag me on Instagram! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
