This is seriously the best hot chocolate bombs recipe you can make! These bombs offer a fun and entertaining way to make hot chocolate. As the bomb dissolves in hot milk, it releases cocoa, marshmallows and sugar, creating a delicious and cozy drink.
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What's to love about this recipe
Hot chocolate bombs make it easy to prepare a delicious cup of hot chocolate. Simply drop the bomb into a mug, add hot milk, wait a few minutes, stir and watch it transform into a flavorful and creamy beverage.
Gifts
Hot chocolate bombs make for creative gifts suitable for so many occasions. I enjoy gifting these around the holidays when a warm and cozy drink is most inviting. Add the bombs to a festive gift basket or wrap individually and add a fun tag with instructions.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients for the hot chocolate bombs recipe:
- Dry milk: use instant nonfat dry milk (I find this in my grocer's baking aisle)
- Powdered sugar: also referred to as confectioners' sugar
- Cocoa powder: use a Dutch processed cocoa powder
- Mini-marshmallows (optional)
- Candy melts: I prefer the Ghirardelli brand but most other brands will work fine
- Milk: heat milk until steaming and pour over the hot chocolate bombs
- Decorating items: consider sprinkles, various colored candy melts, colorful candies, etc...
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how your bombs turn out. I recommend the following:
- Flexible molds: A flexible silicone sphere mold works best for removing the bombs after the candy melts set. I recommend using a mold with a cavity diameter of approximately 2 ½"
- Pastry brush: A silicone pastry brush works best.
- Sheet pan or cake pan: Used to lightly melt the sphere edges prior to assembling the hot chocolate bombs.
Instructions
Mix together the dry milk, powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Sift through a sieve to remove any lumps. Set bowl aside.
Place 1" of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Set bowl of candy melts over the simmering, not boiling, water. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the water. Stir candy melts every few minutes until melted. Remove from heat.
Using a silicone pastry brush, paint the candy melts into the silicone sphere mold. This is a thin coat - a second coat will be added after the first coat sets. Place molds in refrigerator for 10 minutes or until candy melts are set.
Paint a second coat of candy melts in the sphere mold. Make sure to cover any thin spots. Place molds back in refrigerator for another 10 minutes. Remove the spheres from the mold by pushing up gently from the bottom. Use gloves to prevent fingerprint smudges.
Lightly heat the bottom of a cake or sheet pan by placing on a stovetop burner or using a kitchen torch. Place a sphere, round side up, on the warm surface until it just begins to melt.
Place spheres on a platter and fill with 2 tablespoons cocoa mix and 10 - 12 mini marshmallows.
Set another sphere on the warm pan until it just begins to melt. Immediately place this sphere on the filled sphere. The melted edges should line up and create a bond between the two spheres. Repeat for remaining spheres. Decorate as desired.
Place hot chocolate bomb in a mug.
Heat milk until steaming and slowly pour over the bomb. Wait a few minutes then stir until melted. Note: check the temperature of the drink to ensure it isn't overly hot. This is especially important when serving to children.
Decorating
Have some fun decorating your hot chocolate bombs! Use your imagination as the design possibilities are endless. For my decorations I used the following:
- Reindeer:
- Pipe two antlers with chocolate candy melts, let dry, adhere the antlers to the bomb with a dab of chocolate.
- Pipe two eyes with white candy melts and paint a dot with black food coloring.
- Add a red M&M for the nose.
- Christmas tree:
- Drizzle with green candy melts and add Christmas colored sprinkles.
Variations
Almost anything you like paired with chocolate will go well with this drink. Consider the following ideas:
- Peppermint - crush up a few candy canes and add ¼ teaspoon to each bomb.
- Spicy - add ⅛ teaspoon of chili powder to each bomb.
- Spiked - add a shot of alcohol to your hot chocolate mug after the chocolate is melted. Consider any of the following: Bailey's Irish Cream, dark rum, chocolate liquor (such as Godiva), bourbon, etc...
Storage
The hot chocolate bombs are fine stored at room temperature. If your home is warm (above 72° F) place the bombs in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Top tip
Check the temperature of the drink after pouring the milk into the mug over the hot chocolate bomb. You don't want to serve to children if it is too hot - let the drink cool for several minutes if needed.
FAQ
Yes. Follow the heating instructions on your bag of candy melts. Be sure to gently heat the candy melts and stir well between each heating. The melts have a tendency to scorch and you won't have a smooth, shiny finish on your hot chocolate bombs.
More chocolate-lovers' desserts
Love chocolate and want some more dessert ideas? Try these:
📋 Recipe
Hot Chocolate Bombs
Equipment
- 2 Sphere Silicone Molds 6 cavities each mold with a diameter 2.6"
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup instant nonfat dry milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup Dutch processed cocoa
- 1 ½ cup mini-marshmallows (optional)
- 10 ounce bag candy melts color of your choice
- 6 cups Milk, steaming hot note: one cup needed for each bomb
Instructions
Hot cocoa filling
- Mix together the dry milk, powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Sift through a sieve to remove any lumps. Set bowl aside.
Bomb shells
- Pour candy melts into a heat-proof bowl.
- Place 1" of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Set bowl of candy melts over the simmering water. Note: bottom of the bowl should not be touching the water and the water should not be boiling.
- Stir candy melts every few minutes until melted. Remove from heat.
- Using a silicone pastry brush, paint the candy melts into the silicone sphere mold. This is a thin coat - a second coat will be added after the first coat sets.
- Place molds in refrigerator for 10 minutes or until candy melts are set.
- Paint a second coat of candy melts in the sphere mold. Make sure to cover any thin spots. Place molds back in refrigerator for another 10 minutes.
- Gently remove the spheres from the mold by pushing up gently from the bottom. Use gloves to prevent fingerprint smudges.
- Lightly heat the bottom of a cake or sheet pan by placing on a stove burner or using a kitchen torch. Place one of the spheres, round side up, on the warm surface until it just begins to melt.
- Place this sphere on a cookie sheet and fill with 2 tablespoons cocoa mix and 10 - 12 mini marshmallows.
- Place another sphere on the warm pan until it just begins to melt. Immediately place this sphere on the filled sphere. These melted edges should line up and create a bond between the two spheres. Repeat for remaining spheres.
- Decorate as desired.
- Place bomb(s) in a mug, heat milk until steaming and slowly pour over the bomb. Wait a few minutes then stir until melted. Note: check the temperature of the drink before serving to children to ensure it isn't overly hot.
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Anjali says
I made these for our kids over Christmas break and they were a huge hit! They loved watching the bombs dissolve as the milk was poured over them. And the hot chocolate it created was super tasty too!