Making Hot Cocoa Bombs Isn't As Hard As You Think

There are all kinds of holiday trends each year, whether it’s a certain decor style, fashion movement, or an extra special dessert item. This year, the post-dinner drink of choice is all about hot chocolate bombs. How do you make hot cocoa bombs, you ask? If you want to DIY these little desserts to enjoy with the family or give as gifts, you definitely can. They’re not as difficult to put together as they seem.

Hot cocoa bombs are basically sweet spheres of joy. More specifically, they have hard, chocolate shells with marshmallows, crushed peppermint candies, or other items inside. When you drop a hot cocoa bomb into steamed milk, it slowly melts to create a delicious hot chocolate. Just stir and enjoy.

Also, where the heck did hot cocoa bombs come from? Everyone has been enjoying their Swiss Miss with zero complaints, but this year, it seems like cocoa bombs are everywhere. The Washington Post and Eater both noted that TikTok made hot cocoa bombs all the rage, with one user seeming to be the person who invented them. Like all things viral, hot cocoa bombs just took off from there, and they've literally been flying off the shelves.

So, if you’re looking to create your own exploding confections at home, you’ll need a few specific supplies. To shape the bombs, you need a silicone half-sphere mold. I Am A Food Blog’s hot cocoa bomb recipe says if you don’t have one, you can plastic wrap some eggs and dip them into the chocolate, then pop off the chocolate shells once they harden. (Genius.)

Other than that, you’ll just need some melting chocolate, hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and any other toppings or flavored items you want inside your bombs. Crushed Oreos or graham crackers make a yummy addition. And don’t forget any crushed candies, sprinkles, or edible glitter you want to add to the outside of your bombs to make them look festive.

Blogs I Am A Food Blog and Princess Pinky Girl have awesome, in-depth recipes on their sites, complete with troubleshooting help in case your chocolate just isn’t melting quite right. Basically, making your bombs comes down to a few steps:

1. Melt chopped up chocolate.
2. Spread thin layers of melted chocolate into the molds and allow them to harden in the refrigerator.
3. Pop all your chocolate shells out of the mold. Fill up half the shells with your hot chocolate mix and toppings.
4. Heat an empty plate in the microwave until warm to the touch. Hold the empty sphere halves on the plate to melt the edges slightly.
5. Press the melted half-sphere’s edges onto another sphere half with fillings inside, and allow them to harden together.
6. Decorate and add toppings to the outside of your hot cocoa bombs and allow to dry fully.

If you (or someone you’re clinking mugs with this season) can’t have lactose, you can substitute in dairy-free dark chocolate and oat or almond milk. There are also plenty of vegan versions online because, as always, Etsy comes through. Dietary concerns aside, if all this DIY-ing is not your thing, you can always buy hot cocoa bombs ready to be plopped into a mug once they're back in stock. Check out these prepackaged delights online or at your local stores.