How to Make Hot Chocolate Cocoa Bombs

Hot Chocolate Bombs are the IN thing this holiday season! If you have a tween or teen on TikTok, you’ve probably had them begging to buy some of these fun hot cocoa creations after seeing them go viral (or TikTok hot, as the kids call it). Hot Chocolate Bombs are selling out everywhere and that’s why I’m so excited to be partnering with our sponsors, Dairy Farmers of America and Kemps, to bring you a tutorial on how to make your own!

Now more than ever, I’m feeling the need to support local companies – from the gifts I give to the food I put on my table. This is why I’m so happy to be working with one of the dairy farmers who supply farm-fresh milk to Kemps, the same brand you can find on our shelves here in Milwaukee, to create this fun and trendy holiday treat.

Before I jump into the directions on how to make these Hot Chocolate Bombs, let’s talk a little about the role dairy plays in our holiday celebrations. Milks, creams and eggnogs are such a main part of so many of my family’s holiday traditions. I wait all year for the Kemps eggnog to come out so I can use it in my coffee. This year I discovered the Kemps Cinnamon Eggnog and I am IN LOVE!! Kemps is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dairy Farmers of America. 100% of their profits go to dairy farmers and their families.

The Kemps products you find at your neighborhood grocery store come from family farms and purchasing those items can help support local farms. Many of these farms have been there for generations!

Through this campaign, I’ve gotten to know the story of Wegner Farm, one of these family-owned farms. It was founded as Wegnerlann Dairy twenty-seven years ago and has grown over the years. Located in Ettrick, Wisconsin, the farm is now home to 500 Holstein cows.

The Wegner Family shared that they love chocolate treats, and hot chocolate is a favorite after the family goes sledding, so it seems fitting that this Hot Chocolate Bomb is the recipe I am sharing today. Maybe the Kemps milk I’m using even came from their farm!!

Ingredients and Tools Needed to Make Hot Chocolate Cocoa Bombs

To make these deliciously melting hot chocolate treats, you will need to gather a few things:

• Silicone sphere molds – these are usually readily available at your local craft store. However, with the surge in popularity of crafting and the interest in making Hot Chocolate Bombs, they have become harder to find. You can order the ones I used online.

• Your favorite chocolate – you can use melts, chocolate chips or even chocolate bars. 

• A way to melt the chocolate – traditionally, most people melt their chocolate in a double boiler (a pan over another pan of water). You can absolutely melt your chocolate in the microwave, but it may take a bit of practice to get it “just right” without cooking it. Since I melt chocolate quite a bit for recipes, I use my candy melts pot because it is pretty much fool-proof.

• Hot cocoa mix – you’ll want to add a little of your favorite hot cocoa mix to the center of the chocolate bombs.

• Your favorite add-ins – mini marshmallows, peppermint pieces, instant coffee (for a mocha flavor), etc. You can add whatever you want, as long as it fits inside the chocolate spheres!

How to Make Hot Chocolate Cocoa Bombs

Gather all of the things you need from the list above. Place your chocolate in whatever pan you will be using to melt it and start the melting process. While this can be frustrating for the impatient cook, make sure you don’t rush the process by using heat that is too high. Rushing will result in burned or overcooked chocolate and make a huge mess.

Once the chocolate is melted, use a spoon to coat the inside of the spheres on your silicone mold. You do not want to FILL the silicone mold, just coat the inside of the mold.

When all of the half-spheres of the mold are filled, place the mold in the fridge for 25 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove the half-sphere from the mold by carefully peeling the silicone mold away from the chocolate. Refrain from holding the chocolate sphere or the mold for too long as the warmth of your hand will start melting it again.

Once all of the half-spheres have been removed, heat a skillet on the stove until warmed and then remove from heat.

Fill one half of the sphere with a scoop of hot cocoa mix and the other add-ins of your choice.

Hold an empty chocolate sphere onto the warmed skillet until the edges just begin to melt. Press the two halves together gently until they stick. Wipe away any excess chocolate from the edges.

Decorate as desired. You can drizzle melted chocolate over the bombs, add sprinkles or edible dusting powder.

 

 Store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to pour the hot milk over them and enjoy.

How to Use the Hot Chocolate Bombs

Heat milk until it is steaming hot (but do not burn or scald).

Place the Hot Chocolate Cocoa Bomb into a mug.

Pour the milk over the Bomb and watch the fun!!

Stir well before drinking.

Additional Information:

What kind of chocolate is best to use?

You’ll want to use the best quality chocolate for the best flavor. Most of the chocolate flavor is coming from the melted chocolate you use to create the spheres, so the better quality chocolate you use, the better it will taste. Our favorite to use is a high-quality chocolate chips brand.

Can I use water instead of milk?

You can use any hot liquid you would like. However, we’ve found that the flavor is best when using milk.

What different variations of Hot Chocolate Bombs can I make?

The traditional hot chocolate bomb is made with a milk chocolate shell and is filled with marshmallows. (Some people refer to these as Chocolate Marshmallow Bombs.) But you can be as creative and adventurous as you’d like! 

Here are some ideas – 

1. Fill with hot cocoa mix and instant coffee for a mocha bomb
2. Fill with cocoa mix and crushed candy canes for a peppermint hot chocolate
3. Fill with cocoa mix and a small peanut butter cup for a PB hot chocolate
4. Fill with cocoa mix and butterscotch chips for a blondie hot chocolate
5. Of course, mini marshmallows go perfectly with any of the above recipes!

 

 

Have fun and stop back and let us know about any amazing combinations you come up with!!