One of our favorite things to do this time of year is make a cup of hot cocoa and curl up together on the couch with a good movie. Whether we’re watching Elf for the millionth time or discovering a new family favorite, it’s just not the holidays without hot cocoa and a movie!
Last year, we discovered a totally new way to enjoy our hot cocoa- hot cocoa bombs! If you haven’t seen hot cocoa bombs before, they’re cute little chocolate balls that you drop into a hot cup of milk- or pour hot milk over- and then they dissolve and release lots of little marshmallows and the chocolate turns your milk into cocoa!
Don’t miss the Grinch inspired Hot Cocoa Bombs here!
They were SO much fun to use- in fact, they might have been a little too fun. The kids wanted to use them for our hot cocoa every time, but those little chocolate bombs are pretty expensive at the store! It’s worth buying them once, but using them every time would get crazy expensive.
With winter at our doorstep and the kids already asking for cocoa movie nights, I knew I had to find a more affordable way to make our cocoa nights magical every time- and DIY Hot Cocoa Bombs were the answer!
Is it hard to make your own Hot Chocolate Bombs?
No! There are a few steps involved but don’t let that intimidate you- it’s mostly just a whole lot of waiting for the chocolate to melt and then to harden.
But your patience will be rewarded, and you can make a whole BUNCH of these at once so you won’t have to make them every time you want to enjoy them! Depending on how often you indulge in hot cocoa, one batch might last your family all winter {or not- I’m not judging}!
This recipe makes 6 hot chocolate bombs, but can be easily doubled or tripled depending on the size of your silicone mold {this one can make 7 at once but you can make them in batches or buy a few extra molds!}
Can you make these Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate?
Totally! All chocolate chips will work the same, just make sure to keep an eye on them and microwave in small increments, stirring each time. You can totally customize these for your personal sweet tooth- my husband prefers Dark Chocolate but I’m a milk chocolate kinda gal.
A word of caution though: I don’t suggest using almond bark with this recipe instead of chocolate chips- it just doesn’t have the right consistency and may have trouble melting in the cocoa. I also don’t really recommend using Candy Melts for this {although I love them for other recipes!}.
Can the Kids Help?
Kids can ALWAYS help in the kitchen! For this recipe, depending on their age they might be able to help with microwaving and stirring the chocolate, filling the molds, and adding cocoa mix and marshmallows for the filling.
If you have younger kids, you might just want to have them help with the filling. The melted chocolate can be pretty warm, and is DEFINITELY messy!
Of course, if you’d rather tackle these on your own these would make a fun surprise for the kids!
What Supplies Do You Need to Make Hot Cocoa Bombs?
To make Hot Cocoa Bombs, you’ll need:
{These links are affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!}
- Round Silicone Mold
- Microwave Safe Bowl
- Spoon or spatula to stir {Silicone spatulas work best}
- Mini Marshmallows {these dehydrated ones are perfect or you can use regular ones like I did}
- Piping bags {optional; for drizzling chocolate on top}
- Holiday sprinkles {optional; can be added to mix or decorated}
- Holiday mug {optional but encouraged!}
Step By Step Photos
This recipe is different from any I’ve shared before- and likely different from any you’ve made before- so to help guide you, below are some step by step photos for making the hot cocoa bombs! The full directions are in the recipe card down below!
Hungry for More?
Want more delicious hot cocoa recipes? Try these:
- Hot Cocoa Pancakes
- Hot Cocoa Bar
- Red Velvet Hot Cocoa
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Rich Hot Cocoa
- DIY Gift Idea: Peppermint Hot Cocoa in a Jar
Hot Cocoa Bombs
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
These easy homemade hot cocoa bombs will make winter nights even more special! These little bits of chocolate will melt in your milk to turn it into hot cocoa, complete with marshmallows!
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 packet instant cocoa mix
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips
- 6 cups hot milk to make the bombs
Instructions
Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate chips are fully melted.
Put a spoonful of melted chocolate inside one cup on the silicone mold and use the back of the spoon to spread the chocolate up the sides of the mold. Continue this process until all the molds are coated.
Set the remaining chocolate aside for sealing and decorating the bombs.
Allow the chocolate to set completely, around 2 to 3 hours. You can speed up the process by placing the chocolate in the refrigerator.
When the chocolate is set, remove each of the chocolate pieces from the mold. Add a small amount of instant hot cocoa mix to half the pieces and top the hot cocoa mix with marshmallows.
Reheat the chocolate in 15 second intervals until melted. Pick up an empty chocolate piece and dip the edges into the melted chocolate. Carefully place it on top of a filled piece and lightly press it into place. Use your finger to smooth melted chocolate around the seam. Continue until all the chocolate bombs are sealed.
Melt the white chocolate chips in 15 second intervals until melted, then place the remaining semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in piping bags. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the bombs to
decorate.
Allow the chocolate decorations to set before using, around 1 hour.
To make the hot chocolate bombs, place the bomb in the bottom of a mug. Pour one cup of hot milk over the top of the bomb to melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely melted, stir to combine.
