Hot cocoa bombs have been blowing up the internet since their TikTok debut more than a year ago. Watching a cascade of warm milk melt a decadent bonbon into a chocolate and marshmallow explosion is a quick trip to the delight and wonder of childhood. Liven up the winter mugs of your friends and family with homemade hot cocoa bombs that will make their taste buds go “Boom!”
For a step-by step tutorial, we visited the at-home chocolate factory of local candy expert Carrie Hempel of Carrie’s Chocolates. Carrie has been creating charming chocolates since she was a child, as an apprentice to her mother, and now hosts booths at craft shows and accepts orders from locals. Follow your nose to her home-based candy kitchen where you’ll find her surrounded by bags and boxes of homemade confections in dark, milk and white chocolate. Carrie boasts a wall of candy molds for every occasion you can imagine, from weddings and theme parties to each holiday on the calendar. She added hot cocoa bombs to her extensive menu last winter.
Follow Carrie’s steps to make your own hot cocoa bombs and fill the stockings and mugs of your loved ones this holiday season. Heat the milk, cozy up together and enjoy the show—and the delicious hot cocoa!
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STEP ONE—Prepare
Gather the ingredients and supplies: chocolate wafers, hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, bowls, spoons, sphere-shaped chocolate molds, electric hot plate (or a dinner plate to heat) and cupcake liners.
STEP TWO—Melt + Mold
Melt the chocolate in 30-second increments in a microwave, stirring each round. Evenly coat the molds with melted chocolate. Flash-freeze for five minutes. Repeat until the walls of the chocolate cups are the desired thickness. Peel the cups from the molds and set aside.
STEP THREE—Fill + Seal
Warm a hot plate or heat a plate in a microwave for one minute. Press two cups to the warm plate and spin twice to lightly melt the edges. Quickly scoop one tablespoon of hot cocoa mix into one cup and marshmallows into the other. Press the melted edges together, hold it in place and smooth the seam until it seals.
STEP FOUR—Decorate + Dive In
Set each chocolate ball in a decorative cupcake liner. Garnish with chocolate drizzle, marshmallows, sprinkles or candy bits.
Ready to stir it up? Place a bomb in the bottom of a mug. Pour 12 ounces of hot milk over it until it melts and explodes. Stir and sip!