Have you taken part in the hot cocoa bomb trend yet? After buying some from the grocery store and more from a local baker I knew I was intrigued enough that I needed to make some myself. I was really nervous that I was biting off more than I could chew–especially with the heart-shaped molds I just had to have. In the end they turned out pretty cute and pretty tasty. I mean, I won’t be selling them anytime soon but my family sure loved them! Keep reading for my recipe for Mexican hot chocolate cocoa bombs and all the tips you need if you want to make your own.
what are hot cocoa bombs?
Hot cocoa bombs started getting popular in the fall of 2020. Was it because of extreme quarantine boredom and kitchen experimentation? Was it always destined to be the next big food trend no matter what? Who knows? All I know is that these little chocolate spheres somehow make a cup of hot cocoa that much more delicious and magical. Just place one in your favorite mug and top with some steaming milk and you’ll feel pretty bougie as you enjoy brunch or a Saturday night in with your family.
are they worth the hype?
I definitely don’t want to discourage you from attempting to make your own hot cocoa bombs because they’re really fun! But, I now understand why they can be so expensive. They’re not hard, per se, but they are time consuming. And there’s definitely some trial and error with the first few that you make. I am not an experienced baker by any means and I still think mine came out pretty good! Plus, they’re a fun treat that my kiddos love. Once you have your molds you can make enough for your whole family for the price of what one would cost from your local maker.
Mexican hot chocolate cocoa bombs
I’m a big fan of Mexican hot chocolate so I knew I had to make some Mexican hot chocolate cocoa bombs. These semi-sweet chocolate shells contain some sweet and spicy Mexican hot chocolate drink powder, some cinnamon baking chips (so good!), and a few mini marshmallows. Because you can’t have hot chocolate without marshmallows, right?
tips for making hot cocoa bombs:
- I’ve read several blog posts that say you should only use bar chocolate or a higher cacao count. However, I’ve used milk chocolate and I’ve used chocolate chips and had success! You do need to use a quality chocolate though–look for something with cocoa butter listed as an ingredient. And save the chocolate bark for other projects, in my opinion it doesn’t taste as good as the real thing!
- Make sure to temper your chocolate. Tempering means that your chocolate will have smooth and glossy finish while still hardening properly and melting back down like it’s supposed to. This is best done by low and slow heat. More instructions are in the recipe card below but instructions can typically be found on your package of chocolate.
- Purchase flexible silicone molds. You don’t need to do anything to prep them and your chocolate bombs will pop right out once they’re fully hardened. Plus clean up is a breeze! I linked the ones I bought in the Amazon widget above.
- You can melt your two halves of the bomb together by two methods. Either heat up the rim of one half and quickly attach to the half you have filled. Or you can take more melted chocolate in a piping bag and line the rim of one half, then attach both together. Use your finger to smooth the seam together.
Check out my friends who also are sharing some drool-worthy hot cocoa bomb recipes today!
Andes Mint Chocolate Hot Cocoa Bombs from Sunshine and Munchkins
White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Bombs from Aileen Cooks
These cocoa bombs are made with semi-sweet chocolate on the outside and Mexican hot chocolate mix on the inside!
- 10 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips Use a good quality chocolate with cocoa butter listed as an ingredient.
- 8 tbsp Mexican hot chocolate mix
- 48 mini marshmallows Approxiamtely, this gives you 6 per hot cocoa bomb.
- 8 tsp Cinnamon baking chips Plus extra for drizzling (optional)
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips For drizzling (optional)
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Clean and dry your chocolate molds. Wipe with a paper towel to help ensure your bombs comes out streak-free.
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Melt you chocolate in the microwave by instructions on the package. Low and slow is the best way to temper your chocolate in the microwave. Heat at approximately 30 second intervals at 50% power, stirring well between each time.
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Spoon chocolate into mold and cover the surface. Take your time to make sure that the chocolate goes all the way to the top of the mold and you don't have any bare spots. One bag of chocolate chips should make approximately 16-18 halves, or 8-9 completed bombs depending on the size of your molds.
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Allow to harden completely before popping out of the molds.
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Fill one half of your bombs with 1 tbsp of Mexican hot chocolate, 1 tsp of cinnamon baking chips, and mini marshmallows.
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Heat a pan on the stove on low heat. Take the other half of your molds (the ones that are empty) and very briefly press the open side to the hot pan to melt the rim of the chocolate. Quickly join to your half that has the fillings in it.
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**Alternatively, you can melt more chocolate and pipe it along the rim of one piece and press it to the other piece. This also works well if your chocolate didn't make it all the way up your mold and you have to fill gaps.
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Once your hot cocoa bomb is completely hard decorate with more melted chocolate, cinnamon baking chips, and sprinkles if desired.
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Once you are ready to use your hot cocoa bomb place in a mug and top with 1 – 1½ cups of steaming milk. Enjoy!
Fun things to add to your hot cocoa bombs:
- mini marshmallows
- flavored marshmallows
- flavored baking chips
- crushed peppermint candies
- fun sprinkles on the outside or jimmies on the inside
- dehydrated berries
- crushed up candy bars
Have you tried hot cocoa bombs yet? What flavor hot cocoa bomb would you want to make?
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