How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs

This post is all about how to make hot chocolate bombs, which are, in all honesty, the cutest and coolest treats you can give somebody at any time of year. (Or just enjoy yourself!) With our very simple instructions, you can create a spherical chocolate bomb that melts inside a cup of hot milk to reveal sprinkles, hot cocoa mix, and more.

We’re always in awe at those who make bath bombs. Our crafter friends tell us they’re simple, but we just don’t believe it. Somehow, it always seems like mad science…
Thankfully, we can say that our hot chocolate bombs are definitely simple, even for beginners in the kitchen. Melt some candy, get your hot cocoa mix out, use our super easy hot chocolate bomb mold, and you’re good to go.

Here’s how to do it…

Hot Cocoa Bombs: Ingredients & Supplies

Some of your ingredients will vary based on whether or not you want a themed hot chocolate bomb, but all in all you’ll use the same general ingredients and supplies.

silicone sphere molds for hot chocolate bombs, chocolate and sprinkles

Ingredients:

Almond Bark or Candy melts: To create the outside “shell” of the bomb. You can use any flavor or color you’d like, and in any color, but we definitely recommend almond bark or melts as…well, they melt the easiest!
Hot cocoa mix: Without hot chocolate mix, you’ll just have a sad puddle of chocolate in your drink. Tasty, maybe, but not quite what we’re going for.
Any sprinkles, marshmallows, etc you’ll need for that extra flair (see Variations, below)

Supplies:

Our Chocolate Mold Cocoa Bomb: Creating the spherical shape for the bomb has never been easier than with our mold!
Paintbrush or spoon: Optional, but makes it simpler to get the chocolate into your bomb mold.
Microwave safe bowl for melting the chocolate
Microwave safe plate that you will use to assemble the bombs
Any supplies you’ll need for extra embellishment, like a squeeze bottle or decorator bag (see Variations, below)
And of course, sprinkles.

Hot Cocoa Bombs: Variations

Let’s talk a little about the great ways you can customize these hot chocolate bombs for any occasion!

Ideas for the inside of the bombs:

Marshmallows – mini marshmallows work best, you can also use Mallow Bits (tiny marshmallows)
Chocolate chips (mint, dark, white, etc)
Sprinkles
Caramel bits
Candy

For the outside of the bombs, you can cover them in even more sprinkles, and/or use a piping bag/squeeze bottle to drizzle on more melted chocolate. This is a great way to get a color theme going or to add different flavors to your bombs.

Making Hot Chocolate Bombs is simple to do, let’s break it down.

spread melted chocolate into mold to make hot cocoa bomb

How to Make Hot Chocolate Bombs

Add almond bark, broken into squares or 1/2 bag of candy melts to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, stir and continue heating for 20-30 seconds at a time until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted. Add about 1 tablespoon melted chocolate to mold.
Using the back of a spoon and working quickly
Cover the inside of the mold completely, making sure to get all the way up to the edges.
Place mold in refrigerator for 5-10 minutes until chocolate is hard.
Repeat layers of chocolate until the mold is completely covered. 2-3 layers should be enough, you may need 4 if the chocolate is very thin. Return to refrigerator for 5-10 minutes until the chocolate is completely hard.
Carefully remove the chocolate shell from the mold. And fill with hot chocolate mix, marshmallows and sprinkles.
Heat a microwave safe plate in microwave about 2-3 minutes or until it’s very hot. Remove from microwave using a hot pad. Place one half of the shell, open side down, onto the plate to melt the edge slightly
Quickly place the two open ends together and smooth out any extra chocolate around the seam. Set aside and allow to dry 5-10 minutes.
Now it’s time to prepare any decorations you are using. Melt a small amount of chocolate candy melts in a microwave safe bowl, then transfer to a decorator bag or plastic squeeze bottle.
Drizzle hot chocolate bomb with melted chocolate and immediately add sprinkles.

hot chocolate bombs with yellow and pink melted chocolate and sprinkles

Now it’s time to heat up the milk, add the bombs to a mug and enjoy!

glass mugs on white platter filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows and sprinkles

Add extra marshmallows and sprinkles for even more fun!

For Christmas cocoa bombs:

External: Use white chocolate or red/green candy melts. We used white chocolate with crushed peppermint mixed in for these Christmas Hot Chocolate Bombs. You could even make snowmen like we did here.
Internal: Marshmallows and candy cane bits
Any of our Christmas-themed sprinkles would look lovely inside and out

For Valentine’s Day cocoa bombs:

External: Use white chocolate, dark chocolate, and/or pink or red candy melts. This heart shaped mold work great for a fun Valentine’s Day Hot Cocoa Bomb.
Internal: Dark chocolate chips and our Call Me, End Game, or Love Boat sprinkles mixes

For birthday cocoa bombs:

External: White chocolate with Birthday Cake sprinkles
Internal: More Birthday Cake sprinkles and all the marshmallows you can find!
For a girl’s birthday, you could also use Circus Cookie or Fairy Garden sprinkles, or Cookie Jar/Goodnight Moon for a boy’s birthday

For Halloween cocoa bombs:

We have a great post here all about making Halloween Hot Chocolate Bombs.

Hot Cocoa Bombs: FAQs

Now we’ll answer a few common questions about making hot chocolate bombs…

Do I have to use candy melts for the outside of the bomb?

Any kind of chopped-up chocolate will do, but may slightly alter the flavor of the bomb, as well as its melting point and texture. We found candy melts to be the easiest to handle.

What’s the best way to heat the chocolate?

Honestly, just in the microwave! Doesn’t have to get fancier than that. No need for a melting pot, etc.

Can you use a differently-shaped mold (a heart mold, a square mold, etc)?

Yes! Feel free to experiment with other cute bomb shapes. We cover lots of different shapes from our shop here.

Ready to make this hot chocolate bomb recipe?

Because we sure are! Hot chocolate bombs are great as gifts and goody bag treats for all ages at every time of the year. They’re adorable, fun, and—best of all!—versatile. If you love these hot cocoa bombs, let us know in the comments down below. And if you had any trouble with the recipe, we’d still love to hear from you…maybe we can help!

Other chocolate goodies here on Sweets and Treats…

Whether it’s a holiday or just a pleasant day in general, any moment is a good moment for chocolate. We know this well at Sweets and Treats, so we’ve written about a whole slew of chocolate recipes in the past. Here’s a few: