Hot Chocolate Bombs

By
Clarice Lam
Clarice lam
Clarice Lam
Clarice is a pastry chef with over a decade of writing and creating recipes. Having lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, and NYC in the United States; Canada, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Mexico, South Africa, France, Spain, and the UK, Clarice has had a lifetime of studying cuisines from around the globe.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/29/22
Tested by
Jacqueline Tris
Jacqueline Tris
Tested by Jacqueline Tris
Jacqueline is a freelance recipe tester and developer, with a love of content creation and fun recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Hot Chocolate Bombs in a cup and on a marble surface

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Chill: 15 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 chocolate bombs
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
284 Calories
4g Fat
58g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 284
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 290mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 45g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 77mg 6%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 426mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Hot chocolate bombs hit the internet in the winter of 2020 as the latest trend for this warm and cozy beverage. Each bomb is formed by sticking two half spheres of chocolate together filled with hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, sprinkles, and more. They bring instant entertainment and spectacle to sipping your favorite winter drink. Even more, they make for great party favors or gifts. All it takes is less than 4 ingredients to join in on this viral trend and become a home chocolatier.

There are many different molds you can use for this recipe, but we recommend the 2-inch silicon mold. This size will fit in a standard mug nicely and make unmolding easier. Typically, the bombs use dark chocolate filled with hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows, but feel free to get creative and customize them to your own personal tastes. Read through to our tips and variations near the bottom for even more ideas.

"These hot chocolate bombs have been all over social media, and honestly it’s because they’re so fun to make! They’re really easy to customize with your favorite flavors. I personally like adding peppermint dark hot chocolate mix for a minty surprise. These can easily be decorated depending on the season or event as well." - Jacqueline Tris

Hot chocolate bombs/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups finely chopped semisweet chocolate

  • 3/4 cup store bought or homemade hot cocoa mix

  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

  • Sprinkles or candies, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Hot Chocolate Bombs ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Fill a medium pot with 2 to 3 inches of water and heat to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to the lowest setting.

    Water in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place about 2/3 of the semisweet chocolate in a large heatproof bowl, then place the bowl over the pot to create a double boiler. (The bowl should be large enough to sit on the rim of the pot and not touch the water. The idea is for the steam to gently melt the chocolate).

    Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe container on medium power in short bursts.

    Once the chocolate starts to melt, stir, occasionally, with a heatproof spatula until the chocolate is about 90% melted.

    Chocolate melting in a double boiler with a spatula, on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Remove the bowl from the heat, then add the remaining chocolate, a little at a time, allowing it to completely melt before adding more. Stir continuously until everything is melted and smooth. The chocolate should not be hot to the touch.

    Melted chocolate in a white bowl, with a spatula

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Place 2 silicon molds on a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper on a work surface. Working with one mold at a time, fill each of the 6 cavities about halfway with the melted chocolate.

    Melted chocolate poured into molds on top of a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Pick the mold up using both hands and gently swirl the chocolate around until it spreads to the top of each cavity.

    Chocolate swirled in the molds on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Tilt the mold back over the bowl of melted chocolate to shake out any excess. Then flip it upside down onto the wire rack over parchment paper. Repeat with the second mold. Set aside any of the extra melted chocolate in the bowl.

    Chocolate in molds, facing down on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Flip the first mold back to right side up and use an offset spatula or bench scraper to scrape any excess chocolate off the top of the molds. Repeat with the second mold. Place both molds in the fridge to set for at least 15 minutes.

    Cooled chocolate in molds on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Remove the molds from the fridge, then carefully unmold 6 half spheres, laying them dome-side up on a sheet of parchment paper.

    Chocolate rounds on a counter, next to a chocolate mold

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  10. Heat a large skillet over medium until it just gets hot, but not scalding. Turn the heat off. Working one dome at a time, briefly touch 6 of the domes seam-side down in the warm skillet until the chocolate melts slightly around the rim. Place seam-side up on the parchment paper.

    Chocolate edges melted on a hot pan, and chocolate rounds on parchment paper

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  11. Fill each of the 6 seam-side up domes with about 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix, 5 or 6 mini marshmallows, sprinkles, and candies, if using.

    Cocoa mix and marshmallows inside chocolate rounds and in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  12. Repeat steps 9 and 10 with the remaining 6 chocolate domes. While the seam is still melted, place each on top of a cocoa-filled half sphere and press to cement the bomb shut.

    Hot Chocolate Bombs sealed with a second piece of chocolate on top

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  13. Reheat the bowl of leftover chocolate over the double boiler or in the microwave, until just fluid. Using a spoon, drizzle some of the chocolate back and forth over the bombs to decorate. Garnish with sprinkles or crushed candies, if desired. Let the hot chocolate bombs sit at room temperature until completely set.

    Hot Chocolate Bombs garnished with chocolate and sprinkles on top

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  14. To serve, bring your favorite milk to a boil. Place a bomb in a mug, then pour the hot milk over top. Let sit briefly to melt, then swirl with a spoon to combine.

    Hot Chocolate Bomb in a cup, with milk poured over it

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Tips

  • As chocolate is the star ingredient here, make sure to use the highest quality. This means 65% or more cocoa in the bars you use.
  • If you are finding it hard to coat the molds, you can use a pastry brush to paint the chocolate on. We suggest apply one layer, letting the chocolate set, then applying a second coat of chocolate to create structure.
  • Heat your chocolate slowly as this prevents it from breaking. We like to use the double boiler method to help control this process, but you can use the microwave to melt the chocolate. Do this by microwaving for 30 seconds, stirring, then for 15-second increments from there.

Recipe Variations

There are endless combinations to create the perfect hot chocolate bomb for you and your loved ones. Here are some of our favorites items to add along with the hot cocoa mix:

  • Salted Caramel: caramel chips + sea salt
  • Peppermint: chopped peppermint patties or crushed peppermint candies + white chocolate chips
  • Peanut Butter: peanut butter chips or chopped Reese's
  • Cookies n' Cream: crushed Oreos
  • S'mores: crushed graham crackers
  • Mocha: instant coffee + chocolate covered espresso beans

Storage

For the best flavor, use your hot chocolate bombs within the first 2 weeks. Depending on what ingredients are placed inside your chocolate bombs, they can be kept in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 months.

Do I need to temper the chocolate?

The short answer is no, but tempering provides a shiny finish and strong structure for your bombs. Although, we do not measure the temperature in this recipe, we do lean into the seeding method, making it a quick and easy process. This is when you melt most of the chocolate initially, then gradually add in the remaining chocolate, stabilizing the mixture by stirring in each addition before adding the next.

Recipe Tags: