Hot chocolate bombs are chocolate spheres filled with hot chocolate mix and lots of marshmallows! Pour steaming hot milk over the top and watch the chocolate melt away and release those marshmallows into your milk. So much fun and makes a great gift! Read on to find out how to make hot chocolate bombs with silicone or acrylic molds and the difference between semi-sweet, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
*This blog post contains affiliate links to tools that I use. If you click on them I might get a few cents from the sale but it does not cost anything extra for you.
Table of contents
- Ingredients and tools needed to make hot chocolate bombs
- How to make hot chocolate bombs
- What chocolate is best for making hot chocolate bombs?
- Do I have to temper my chocolate?
- What mold is best for making hot chocolate bombs?
- How to make hot chocolate bombs step-by-step
- Molding the chocolate spheres with a silicone mold
- Molding the chocolate spheres with an acrylic mold
- Assembling the chocolate bombs
- How to use hot chocolate bombs
- Milk Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
- White Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
- How To Color Chocolate
- More Chocolate Recipes
Ingredients and tools needed to make hot chocolate bombs
- Good quality chocolate in bar form. Lindt semi-sweet chocolate or Callebaut are great options. I'm using Callebaut because they sell it in the bulk foods section of my WINCO.
- Food thermometer to keep track of the temp of your chocolate. Absolutely a must. Don't even attempt this without one. You can buy food thermometers at the grocery store in the kitchen supplies aisle. I'm using an infrared thermometer because it's a little bit easier to keep clean.
- Silicone sphere mold to make your bombs. This is the easiest mold to use if you're not familiar with tempering chocolate. I will also show you how to use acrylic sphere molds for you over-achievers out there.
- Bench scraper if you are using an acrylic mold. You don't need one for silicone molds.
- ¼" paintbrush for applying chocolate to silicone molds. If you're using an acrylic mold you won't need one.
- Piping bag for sealing together the spheres.
- Parchment paper if you're using an acrylic mold.
- Hot chocolate mix of your choice.
- Mini marshmallows of your choice. I'm using rainbow marshmallows from Target.
- Sprinkles to decorate the outside if you want.
- Hot Chocolate Bomb Labels
How to make hot chocolate bombs
Here's a rundown on how to make hot chocolate bombs!
- Chop chocolate (high-quality bar chocolate is best)
- Temper your chocolate (don't worry, we're doing this the easy way in the microwave and it only takes 5 minutes)
- Paint the chocolate into your silicone molds (two coats) or pour it into your acrylic mold.
- Remove the chocolate spheres from the mold.
- Fill the molds with hot chocolate and marshmallows
- Seal the two pieces of chocolate together with more melted chocolate
- Decorate the seam with sprinkles!
What chocolate is best for making hot chocolate bombs?
You want to make sure you're using good quality chocolate that has cocoa butter in it and not too many other ingredients or the chocolate isn't going to melt right. You can use candy-melts but the taste is going to be more like wax and not melt very well in your hot chocolate. Chocolate chips are also not going to work very well.
If you are going to use candy melts or another candy coating then you'll definitely want to use the silicone mold and not the acrylic mold.
If you're really serious about making cocoa bombs to sell, you'll want to get some couverture chocolate which is made to melt really smoothly and use in chocolate molds.
If you don't have time to order some good couverture chocolate then look for some chocolate bars at your grocery store that is 65% cocoa or more. Check the ingredients to make sure it contains cocoa butter.
Do I have to temper my chocolate?
If you've never heard of tempering your chocolate or feel intimidated, don't worry. Tempering just means that you are controlling the heat of your chocolate while melting it to make sure it's as strong as possible. Heating and cooling to exact temperatures which we will track with our thermometer.
Tempering your chocolate is really important. Un-tempered chocolate is soft, doesn't have a shine, and has a problem holding its shape. It will melt at room temperature and just overall be a huge headache to work with. Candy melts were invented to avoid tempering but the taste really suffers. Don't worry, I'm going to show you how to temper your chocolate in the microwave the easy way and it only takes 5 minutes!
What mold is best for making hot chocolate bombs?
I'm going to show you how to use two molds, a silicone mold, and an acrylic mold. I thought that I had to use an acrylic mold to get that ultimate shine but to be honest, after decorating I'm not sure I could even tell the difference between the two.
So I would say if you had to choose, the silicone mold is better because it's basically foolproof. The silicone mold is also cheaper. The downside is that it takes a bit more time to hand paint each mold so if you're making a lot, you might want to go with the acrylic mold.
I've seen some people use some really big molds and I understand why people like to use them because you can fit more things in them. But keep in mind that you want the amount of chocolate, hot cocoa, and marshmallow to be proportionate to how much milk you have in your mug so that the taste is not affected.
My molds are 2 ½" in diameter and fit about 1 Tablespoon of the hot cocoa mix inside which is plenty when combined with the extra marshmallows and chocolate.
How to make hot chocolate bombs step-by-step
Step 1 - Chop 24 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate as finely as you can with a knife. This is kind of tedious but I promise it's worth it! You don't want ANY big chunks.
Step 2 - Place the chocolate in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds. NO MORE. Then stir with a spatula, moving the chocolate from the outside edges, to the center to evenly heat it.
Step 3 - Place the chocolate back into the microwave and heat for 15 seconds and stir like we did in the first step. Take the temp of your chocolate to make sure it's not above 90ºF.
Step 4 - Repeat this process 2-5 more times until the chocolate is almost melted. Never heat more than 15 seconds and do not let your chocolate get above 90ºF. Once almost melted, just continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted from the residual heat from the bowl.
Step 5 - Pour some chocolate onto some parchment paper and pop it into the fridge for 5 minutes. Take it out and observe it. Does it look shiny? Does it snap in half loudly when you break it? Then it's tempered and ready to go in your molds.
If your chocolate is dull, has white residue on top or just bends when you try to break it, it's not tempered and you may have heated it too far. Don't worry, you can seed it with more chopped chocolate. Just add in 6 ounces of finely chopped chocolate and stir until melted. You may need to heat for 5-10 seconds to get it fully melted. Test again before using.
Pro-tip - No microwave? You can temper your chocolate the old-fashioned way. I go over it in my chocolate tempering tutorial.
Molding the chocolate spheres with a silicone mold
Step 1 - Clean your mold. Use some paper towel to thoroughly polish the insides of your molds so that they are nice and shiny. Any amount of residue will cause a blemish on your chocolate. This is true for silicone molds and acrylic molds.
Step 2 - Paint a thin layer of chocolate using a paintbrush on the inside of the mold. Place into the fridge for 5 minutes to set.
Step 3 - Apply a second coat of chocolate, paying special attention to the edges to build them up a bit so the molds have a strong edge. Place the chocolate mold into the fridge to set up for five minutes.
After 5 minutes your chocolate will easily release from the mold and are ready to be assembled!
Molding the chocolate spheres with an acrylic mold
Using an acrylic mold has a few more steps but the shine is incredible and is much faster than using a silicone mold.
Step 1 - Use some paper towel to thoroughly polish the insides of your molds so that they are nice and shiny. This also prevents chocolate from sticking.
Step 2 - Warm your mold slightly with a heat gun or hair dyer to just take the chill off the acrylic. It shouldn't be hot at all. Warming the mold prevents the chocolate from getting hard too quickly.
Step 3 - Make sure your chocolate is at 90ºF and pour it into the mold. Tap the mold against the table a couple times to release any bubbles.
Step 4 - Pour the excess chocolate out of the mold back into the bowl or onto the table to be scraped up later. I use the edges of my bench scraper to tap the side so that the chocolate all comes out.
Step 5 - Scrape the excess chocolate off the top of the mold.
Step 6 - Place the mold face down onto some parchment paper until it's almost set but still soft. About 5 minutes. This allows the excess chocolate to pool onto the parchment paper to build up the rim of the chocolate.
Step 7 - Scrape the top of the mold again to make the chocolate spheres have a very clean edge.
Step 8 - Place the chocolate mold into the freezer for 5 minutes (don't forget about them!)
Step 9 - If the chocolate was tempered properly, you will see that the chocolate has pulled away from the mold and is not sticking. You might have one or two spots that are sticking but if they are small, it will be ok.
Step 10 - In one swift move, turn the mold upside down onto the table with a bit of force to get the chocolates to all come out.
Assembling the chocolate bombs
Step 1 - Set your first half into a small bowl or use the back of your silicone mold to hold it. Fill the chocolate about ¾ of the way with your favorite hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
Step 2 - Pipe some melted chocolate onto the top of the sphere.
Step 3 - Place the second half of the chocolate sphere on top and press gently together to seal.
Pro-tip - Use gloves to avoid getting too many fingerprints on your hot chocolate bombs.
Step 4 - Use a gloved finger to clean off the excess chocolate to make a seamless look or simply roll the bomb in spriles to finish the look.
How to use hot chocolate bombs
I tested these hot chocolate bombs out in various amounts of milk and found that 14 ounces was about perfect. I heat my milk until it's steaming (not boiling). Place the hot chocolate bomb in the bottom of the mug and pour the hot milk on top. The hot cream opens up the bomb and all the marshmallows escape! So fun!
Use a spoon to stir so that the cocao and chocolate melt into the hot milk.
Hot chocolate bombs make a great gift! Wrap them in a plastic bag with a fun tie and some instructions for use. Put it in a mug and give them as gifts for the Holidays! Nothing says I love you like hot chocolate!
Milk Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
Milk chocolate has more sugar and dairy in it than semi-sweet chocolate so it will melt at a lower temperature. Follow the same process for melting and tempering but I melt in 15-second increments, stirring in between. Never let the milk chocolate go above 86ºF or it will fall out of temper.
If your milk chocolate does go above 86ºF then you can temper it using the traditional seeding method.
White Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
Making white chocolate cocoa bombs are a little bit trickier because white chocolate melts at a much lower temperature than semi-sweet chocolate. Don't let your white chocolate go above 84ºF.
I have good luck with LINDT white chocolate bars or you can invest in some white couverture chocolate online. You can use almond bark or other types of melting chocolate but they are not good for using an acrylic mold, silicone molds only.
The process is the same as listed above for making white chocolate bombs EXCEPT I heat for a much smaller amount of time because the white chocolate melts very very quickly and is easy to over-heat.
- Finely chop your chocolate
- Melt in the microwave for 15 seconds, then 5-second increments. Stir in between. Do not go above 84ºF. If you do go above, refer to my tutorial on how to temper chocolate using the seeding method (scroll down).
- Now your chocolate is ready to be poured into acrylic molds or silicone molds.
- If your chocolate starts to get firm, melt for 5 seconds. Do not be tempted to heat it for longer.
How To Color Chocolate
If you want to color your white chocolate, it's really easy. You just need to add a little melted colored cocoa butter. I like to use cocoa butter colors from chef rubber. About 1 teaspoon for 2 Tablespoons of melted white chocolate and mix.
Make sure your cocoa butter is also at the proper temperature before using it (88ºF).
More Chocolate Recipes
How to temper chocolate three ways
6 Tempered chocolate techniques
Recipe
Equipment
- Thermometer
- 2 ½" Sphere Mold (silicone or acrylic)
Ingredients
- 24 ounces semi-sweet couverture chocolate I prefer Callebaut, you can also use any high quality bar chocolate. You can use candy melts, if you're using a silicone mold but they don't taste as good.
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 6 Tablespoons hot chocolate mix
Instructions
For Silicone Molds
- Finely chop your chocolate using a sharp chefs knife
- Place the chocolate into a bowl and heat for 30 seconds (my microwave is 1000 watts)
- Stir the chocolate, moving the chocolate that is on the outside, towards the center.
- Heat again for 15 seconds and stir again.
- Repeat this process until the chocolate is ALMOST melted but not fully melted. Never heating for longer than 15 seconds and never going above 90F. If you go above 90º you will have to temper your chocolate by seeding (see my blog post for more info)
- Make sure your molds are clean by polishing them with a paper towel
- Paint a thin layer of chocolate into the molds and refrigerate for 5 minutes
- Paint a second coat of chocolate over the first, paying special attention to building up the rim of the sphere. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Take your chocolate out of the molds and fill with 1 tablespoon of hot cocoa mix and marshmallows
- Pipe some melted chocolate around the rim and attach the second sphere on top. Pressing gently to seal.
- Use a gloved hand to wipe away the excess chocolate or simply roll the chocolate sphere in some sprinkles to finish the look.
For Acrylic Molds
- Chop your chocolate finely with a sharp chefs knife
- Add your chocolate to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds (my microwave is 1000 watts)
- Stir the chocolate, moving the chocolate that is on the outside, towards the center.
- Heat again for 15 seconds and stir again.
- Repeat this process until the chocolate is ALMOST melted but not fully melted. Never heating for longer than 15 seconds and never going above 90F. If you go above 90º you will have to temper your chocolate by seeding (see my blog post for more info)
- Polish your mold with a paper towel to remove and residue from the inside to prevent the chocolate from sticking.
- Warm the acrylic mold slightly with a hair dryer or heat gun so it doesnt feel cold but not hot either.
- Pour the chocolate (at 90ºF) into the molds and tap on the table a few times to remove bubbles.
- Dump the chocolate back into the bowl, use the edge of your bench scraper to tap out as much of the chocolate as possible. You don't want the chocolates to be too thick.
- Scrape off the excess chocolate from the top of the mold back into the bowl.
- Turn the mold upside down onto some parchment paper to let the chocolate drain further and almost completely set. About 5 minutes. The chocolate should lift away from the parchment paper easily but still be soft.
- Scrape off the excess chocolate again and then place the mold into the freezer for 5 minutes.
- The freezer will cause the chocolate to contract and pull away from the mold. If it's not tempered, it will not contract and there will be no way to get the chocolate out. You can tell if your chocolate is tempered because if you look under the mold, it wont be stuck to the molds anymore. If you have a couple spots where it still is, it will be ok and still release with no problem.
- Quickly turn your mold over onto the table to release the chocolate from the mold. Now they are ready to assemble.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of hot chocolate mix to half the sphere and some marshmallows.
- Pipe some melted chocolate onto the top of the sphere at attach the top piece of the sphere. Pressing gently but firmly.
- Use a gloved hand to wipe away the excess chocolate for a clean look or roll in some sprinkles to finish decorating them!
Marissa says
This is such a great recipe!! Thank you so much for the clear instructions, I had no problem making them and I've never worked with chocolate before.
Zoe says
I knew you would come to the rescue! Can’t wait to try this recipe - giving 5* in anticipation!
Elp says
I am so happy you made these thank you!!!
Anyone have any packaging suggestions?
Sugar Geek Show says
I'm going to have a cookie boxing tutorial come out soon!
Donna Olson says
I'm going to put crushed peppermint in with mine too. Can't wait til my grandkids use these!
Kriz says
Cant wait to try this!!! Question - when u temper and check .. would the chocolate in the bowl get cooler? Do i need to reheat it to maintain a certain temperature?
Also if i making it in batches , then can the tempered choc stay out until mold sets for the second round?
P.s: tempered chocolate has been my downfall hence these questions 🙂
Sugar Geek Show says
Hi! Yes, you'll have to continue to measure the temperature of the chocolate as you go. It's ideal to pour the chocolate when it's between 88 and 90 degrees, so if it gets below that while you're waiting for other molds to set you'll want to microwave for 5-10 seconds until it reaches the temp you want. Hope this helps, you got this!
Jennifer J says
I'm excited to make these for the holidays. I'm a little confused about the kind of chocolate to use for this recipe. I found both Callebaut chocolate and Lindt Chocolate. The Callebaut says it is 54.5% cacao and the Lindt is 70% cocoa and contains cocoa butter. Which one would be best?
Elizabeth Marek says
Either one would work. I would do a small test to see which one is more fluid at 90ºF if you are using the acrylic molds but if you're using the silicone molds it doesn't matter since you are painting the chocolate on
Mandy says
Another great recipe! I was able to temper my chocolate on the first try - first time tempering too!!
They came out of the molds beautifully shiny. I handled them as little as possible AND wore gloves, but they somehow still got fingerprints all over and lost their shine. Do you have any additional tips for mitigating the fingerprint issue?
Sugar Geek Show says
yay great job tempering! Fingerprints are tough, sometimes if your hands are too warm they can impact the chocolate. Try to hold them as little as you can, and run your hands under cold water or keep a bowl of ice water nearby.
Donna says
Do you have an opinion of using ghiradelli melting wafers? I used for cake pops and liked. I am nervous about the tempering,
You did an awesome job explaining! Going to order my supplies!
Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Check to see if they have cocoa butter in them and if the chocolate is fluid enough at 90ºF. If yes then you should be ok.
Michelle says
My boys love hot chocolate. This will be fun to try and make. I did want to ask for the source of those fabulous copper mug holders (and cup?)
Sugar Geek Show says
I got them on clearance at williams sonoma 🙂
Tina says
Do you have any tips on how to get it out of an acrylic mold without cracking? I’m using an ornament mold and when I use force. It cracks 🙄. Thanks and terrific tutorial!
Elizabeth Marek says
If the chocolate is tempered correctly they should slide right now. You can also make them slightly thicker so that they are more sturdy
Tracy says
Hey Liz!
I don’t know if my last message went through, but I’m having some difficulties making these (not your recipe). I keep getting fingerprints all over the bombs and it’s so unappealing—and this is with gloves on. My hands are hot but I don’t know how I could get around that. I also use chocolate chips and I don’t know if higher quality ones won’t take on my prints as much? And I’ve made a few of these bombs and every time I pour hot liquids over them, it’s a slow and boring “bomb explosion”😭
Elizabeth Marek says
You may not be tempering your chocolate properly and try not to hold the bombs. Put them in a cupcake wrapper or on the back of the silicone so you are touching them as little as possible
Melissa N. says
I cannot wait to try this! But question: I dont see anything on here about storing and shelf life? So how would you recommend storing them and where if you have to wait a bit before giving them away? And how long does it last? (Assuming they're not all eaten first!)
Elizabeth Marek says
Store them like you would store chocolate. Room temp, either in a covered container or ziplock bag. The bombs will last as long as the expiration date of the chocolate they are made from.
Alysha says
Amazing! I was looking to do these for the first time and wanted to do it with white chocolate couverture .. would the temperature need to be the same as the dark?
Elizabeth Marek says
For white chocolate don't go over 84ºF
Loni says
What do you think about using callets (chips) instead of bars? When I looked on Amazon there are a lot of callets options in the callebaute couverture chocolate selections. Shouldn’t this cut down on some of the labor of cutting the bars? Thank you for you post, can’t wait to make these for Christmas!!!!!
Elizabeth Marek says
I talk about this in the blog post and the video but the problem is that you can't melt them down without going over 90ºF. We finely chop the chocolate so that it melts with very little heat.
Leslie says
Only problem I had....and it was a big one...when I used my chocolate to seal the bombs, my bombs started melting! Could it be the “bombs” weren’t thick enough?
Elizabeth Marek says
Could be! Try making them a bit thicker
Debra says
Where do you buy the clear plastic molds?
Elizabeth Marek says
I got them on Amazon
Kiele Ragone says
Hey where did you get your acrylic molds?
Elizabeth Marek says
I have a link in the blog post
DelDeana K Waymire says
After making them how long can you store them for like in the fridge or the freezer? If we're going to make a bunch at one time.
Elizabeth Marek says
They will last as long as the expiration date on your chocolate wrapper. No need to freeze them, this might cause them to crack.
Dawn says
I cant wait to give this a try! thank you for all the details in your post and quick answers to everyone's questions that was very helpful also.
Sarah Vang says
How many bombs does ur recipe make?
Sugar Geek Show says
6 spheres 🙂
Kathie says
Just watched your video and you are so geeky, cute, and fun! Love your personality. I wanted to learn how to make these hot cocoa bombs but the silicone molds take too long for delivery on Amazon (about a month!) Any suggestions on where I should look for molds in store or online? They could just be in high demand and hard to find too. Lastly, where did you get that adorable baby Yoda??? We are Mandalorian family and want one like that for our kitchen now. 🙂
Elizabeth Marek says
Check your local craft stores for silicon sphere molds. I made the baby yoda cake 🙂
Charlene says
Okay I tried this! It was fun! You are right chocolate gets everywhere! I have never tempered chocolate before so I used the silicone molds and I’m glad I did. My first three where nice and shiny! The second three where dull but still came out of the mold. So I’m wondering it I lost the temper by heating to much in between batches? I have a thermometer and thought I was spot on. Any thoughts Liz? Thank you so much for this tutorial! I love your little conversation with “the child”. So cute!
Sugar Geek Show says
Hi! Great job tempering the first 3, it can definitely be tricky! Even after a few minutes, the chocolate can lose a lot of heat so I always heat mine up a little at a time to keep it at the correct temperature. That's probably what happened, or for the second three there could have been some dust or something on the mold. Hope this helps!
Anne says
Hi, thank you for sharing this wonderful tutorial and recipe!
Could you please share where you bought those teeny-tiny, colorful marshmallows?
I've never seen any like that.
Thank you so much, I look forward to more great ideas from you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Look for dehydrated marshmallows on Amazon 🙂
K says
Think I can use my round silicone ice mold for these?
Sugar Geek Show says
for sure!
Michele says
Can’t wait to make these with my older kiddos. Can you share where you purchased your gloves for handling the chocolate? Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
They are called nitrile gloves, I got mine on amazon