Hot Chocolate Bombs Made Easy

We never know what kind of weather we will have here in North Carolina. One day, it will be 30 degrees, windy, and cloudy and the very next day, it will be 70 degrees and sunny. I often think of our weather as a teenager in the middle of puberty. You never know what will happen from one day to the next. It seems so temperamental. For this reason, prepping for a snow day can be exciting yet disappointing. For that reason, I like having hot chocolate bombs already made and stored in a sealed container. Hot chocolate bombs are GREAT for snow days but, honestly, excellent for any cold day.

Wilton was so kind to send me a special Valentine Treat Box. My daughter and I had some great bonding time while making these delicious Wilton Hot Chocolate Bombs. I am not sure if she had more fun making them or more enjoyment getting to taste test the end result.

Wilton’s molds make creating hot chocolate bombs super easy. Even a child can make them all by themselves! Here is how we made our hot chocolate bombs and some tips and tricks I learned along the way.

Wash and Dry Molds

Anytime before beginning the process of making the hot chocolate bombs, you want to wash your hot chocolate bomb plastic molds with warm, soapy water. Dust and germs can get in the plastic mold if it has been sitting on a grocery shelf or even in your own kitchen cabinet for a while. So, start by washing and then drying your mold.

Melt Wilton Candy Melts

Wilton has a variety of colored candy melts to choose from for you to make the hot chocolate bomb just the way you want! There are two easy ways to melt the Wilton Candy Melts. One is a little more kid-friendly.

The first is the best way but not as kid-friendly. Fill a pan with water just below the top of the pan and place it on the stove. Bring it to a boil then remove the pan from heat. Place your Wilton Candy Melts in the top pan and then place that pan inside the pan with the boiling water. Stir the candy melts constantly until they are completely melted and smooth. If the candy hardens before you finish, simply repeat the same steps. Do NOT add any liquid to the chocolate. If the chocolate needs to be thinned, add a little bit of Crisco Shortening to it.

The second way to melt the chocolate is not necessarily the way Wilton recommends but, when it comes to kids in the kitchen, depending on their age, using a stove top is not always safe. Place candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Place the bowl with the candy melts in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and stir well. Place back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Take them out and stir again. You may need to do this three times to fully melt the candy. Again, you can add a little bit of Crisco Shortening to the bowl if you need the consistency a little thinner. The downside to using a microwave instead of a stove top is that it will harden quicker than if it was sitting in a pan of hot water while you work.

Next, Pour Chocolate in the Molds

Pour or spoon the melted chocolate into the molds, filling each mold about a third of the way full. Have a candy or basting brush on hand to immediately brush that chocolate around the entire inside of the mold. Be sure to cover the entire inside of the mold as evenly as possible. It does not have to be super thick since you will be covering it a second time after the next step.

Place the Wilton Mold in the Freezer

After the chocolate is evenly covering the inside of the molds, you can place the molds in the freezer. You will want to wait about 10 minutes before removing the mold from the freezer. The chocolate will be hard and the tray will look a little frosty when it is ready to be taken out.

Second Layer of Chocolate

Repeat the steps of pouring chocolate inside the mold again and brushing a second layer of chocolate in the plastic mold. I would recommend after you bring the chocolate molds out of the freezer, waiting until the chocolate becomes close to room temperature before adding the second layer. If you add the second layer immediately, the chocolate will harden before you can even brush it, causing it to look chunky and uneven.

Place it back in the freezer once you have brushed the second even layer inside the plastic mold. If you are making the smaller hot chocolate bombs, you may consider filling the entire mold just below the outside shell during the second filling. Do not fill it completely during the first freeze. You will want to have the outer shell higher than the inside. Otherwise, it may be difficult to get a completely flat top that lines up perfectly with the other half of the hot chocolate bomb.

After Refreezing Second Layer, Pop Each Mold Out

Press gently all the way around the outside of the mold. You will see air getting between the chocolate and the plastic mold. Once you see a little bit of air, you can usually take your thumbs and press firmly on each side of the individual mold to pop it out. The bomb shells do not break very easily if you have put two good layers of chocolate in the mold. So, don’t stress over getting them to pop out. If for some reason they do break, no worries, just keep the chocolate and add it back into the leftover melted chocolate to start the process over. No need to throw it away just because it breaks.

Fill Inside of Molds with Marshmallows

If you would like surprise marshmallows to be released as your hot chocolate bomb melts, place a few inside of your bomb before putting the molds together. Do not overfill it or the molds will not stay together easy.

Seal Molds Into a Hot Chocolate Bomb

Take a small frying pan and place on low heat. You will want to have your chocolate pieces all ready to go, next to the stove. Place one side of the bomb on the frying pain for a brief second, just long enough to melt a thin layer of the bomb’s outside shell where it will connect to the other half. Quickly take it off the pan and instantly stick the two halves together. Hold together until the chocolate has hardened. This usually only takes 30 seconds or so. If you want to make it even quicker, hold it inside the freezer for a couple of seconds.

After Hot Chocolate Bomb is Complete, Decorate!

Obviously, you do not HAVE to decorate the bomb for it to be delicious but this is the part my daughter loved doing most. If you have small children that you do not feel would be able to complete the above steps, you can prepare up to this point and have them jump in for the decorating piece. At this point, you may need to remelt the chocolate. Take either a fork or use a piping bag to add decorative chocolate to the outside of the hot chocolate bomb. You can melt the candy melts inside the piping bag if you go the route of using a piping bag. Once you add the decorative melted chocolate, have the sprinkles ready to go. Before the chocolate hardens again (which happens fairly quick), sprinkle the sprinkles over the bomb allowing them to stick to the melted chocolate.

Enjoy!

I used my Capresso Frother to warm up my milk to a perfect frothed consistency. My daughter LOVED getting to drop the hot chocolate bomb into her milk all by herself. It will disappear for a few minutes then it rises to the top. I would suggest waiting a few minutes until the bomb has melted quite a bit, stir then enjoy! If you are looking for a fun Valentine cup that can be used year-round, check out Pirani Insulated Cups.