Category: Hot Cocoa Bombs

These are the BASICS for making hot cocoa bombs. Add to cart (or pluck out of your own cabinet), and you can start making basic hot cocoa bombs right away.

Hot Cocoa Bombs Molds

When it comes to molds, silicone molds are my pic for beginners. You can read more about why in this blog post on choosing molds for hot cocoa bombs. I also love 3-part molds for beginners, but they take up a lot more room to store and make fewer bombs. You can buy 3-part molds on my website or on Amazon, too!

Tools

I highly recommend grabbing these OXO silicone melting cups. You’ll really want to use only plastic or silicone for melting your chocolate and candy melts in the microwave (my preferred method), since glass and ceramic can burn or seize your chocolate. These are flexible but sturdy, and we all love OXO. You’ll find a million uses for these in your kitchen, too. The spatulas are handy for every aspect of making hot cocoa bombs, so make sure you have several! I love that this set has large and small spatulas.

Chocolate for Hot Cocoa Bombs

The Wilton candy melts are a great choice for beginners since they are easily available (even at Walmart!) and will be nice and thick, holding up to the edges of the molds for a nice thick edge when sealing your hot cocoa bombs. I especially love that they offer the “bright white” which is whiter than most whites and perfect for coloring or using as a truly white color for things like mummies, soccer balls, etc.

As you get more sophisticated in your technique, you might want to switch to Ghirardelli candy melts (check the baking aisle of your grocery store). Also, Mercken’s candy melts are great (you’l likely have to order these online). You can read more in this blog post on my favorite chocolate for hot cocoa bombs. There is much more detailed information on all types of chocolate and candy melts in my book, Hot Cocoa Bombs!

Fillings

I recommend getting a large canister of hot cocoa mix. You can also use the recipes in my book Hot Cocoa Bombs to create a large batch of hot cocoa mix. Land O Lakes and Ghirardelli are favorites of mine that are readily available.

Regular mini marshmallows work perfectly well for hot cocoa bombs. Especially if you’re making basic ones filled with lots of marshmallows for a fun surprise. However, if you give these cocoa bombs as gifts, or hope to make them last longer, I recommend using the dehydrated mini marshmallows. These also allow you more room in each bomb for sprinkles and extras!

Decorations

Disposable piping bags are perfect for drizzling extra melted candy melts on top. If you’re in a pinch, feel free to use a standard storage bag in your drawers already. But a sturdy piping bag will give you nice straight lines! Then use any all sprinkles your imagination (and the depths of your baking cabinet) offer up! These “Ugly Sweater” sprinkles from a favorite brand of mine, Fancy Sprinkles. They are perfect for the winter season!

Of course there’s a WHOLE SECTION on this in the book Hot Cocoa Bombs, but I know you’re dying to know NOW: Which chocolate should I use to make my hot cocoa bombs? The answer is two-fold.

REAL chocolate OR MELTING WAFERS.

Real chocolate, the bar kind, usually used for baking or straight eating, requires tempering to hold the shape of a cocoa bomb. This is a semi-complicated process that takes time to master. It makes a shiny, stunning cocoa bomb, but it does take patience (and a thermometer!).

Melting wafers, melting chocolate, coating chocolate (or any variation on that name) is absolutely perfect for beginners because it is designed to melt quickly and smoothly and to retain it’s hardness and shine after cooling. Read: IT DOES NOT NEED TEMPERING! However, this is due to some fancy engineering and some added ingredients, so taste can suffer.

I absolutely recommend starting with my favorite high-quality, delicious-tasting melting wafers from Ghirardelli. They’re available HERE in my shop if you’re placing an order. You can also buy them on Amazon, at Target, Walmart, or sometimes your regular grocery store. They come in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. You can even purchase a variety pack of milk, dark AND white, to have one of each on hand for any cocoa bomb creation!

For colored chocolate, or bright white, Wilton makes great melting chocolate too, called Candy Melts. It’s a bit more waxy/oily, but it’s easily available in a multitude of colors at Walmart and Michaels. The bright white candy melts are my favorite for coloring with oil-based food coloring.

Learn more, including how to temper chocolate for hot cocoa bombs, in my new book Hot Cocoa Bombs, out now!

The new book is finally here! Today, October 5, is launch day, which means this beautiful hardcover book full of 75 incredible recipes for hot cocoa bombs is available to buy on my website, Amazon, everywhere books are sold AND WALMART! Though honestly I think it will be a bit before most bookstores and Walmart actually HAVE the book 🙂

I’ve also put together a collection of the basic things you’ll need to make hot cocoa bombs, plus a few extra special things, on my shop. THERE IS MORE TO COME, TOO, so keep an eye out!

Love and hot cocoa bombs,

Natalie