Turn milk chocolate hot cocoa bombs into these darling Reindeer Hot Chocolate Bombs simply by adding a red nose, candy eyes, and candy antlers. It's that easy to make these sweet Christmas treats!
Christmas is the perfect time to make hot chocolate bombs and these reindeer will make great gifts or stocking stuffers.
They'd also be a wonderful addition to any Christmas dinner table. Place them in the bottom of a coffee mug and set them at each place setting. Your holiday dinner guests will swoon when they see these adorable little faces looking up at them!
After dinner, pass around a kettle of hot milk, so everyone can melt their hot chocolate bombs and enjoy some decadent hot cocoa with dessert.
I know it might be hard to see Rudolph melting in a mug of hot milk, but the creamy hot beverage that these chocolate bombs create is so good that it will be worth it!
To make Reindeer Hot Chocolate Bombs
you'll need:
hot chocolate bomb molds - You have three choices when it comes to molds to make your hot cocoa bombs.
- polycarbonate half-sphere molds - These molds are made of durable FDA approved plastic and have a beautiful smooth finish and a flat surface. The 6-cavity mold that I used creates chocolate bombs that are 2 ¼ inches in diameter. They are the perfect size to fit into a traditional coffee mug. The polycarbonate molds are available in many different sizes though. You can find 2.5-inch molds or smaller 2-inch molds.
- silicone half-sphere molds - Silicone molds produce beautifully shiny hot chocolate bombs, but they require a bit more work. They come in many different sizes including 2.8-inch Freshware silicone half-sphere molds or 2.04-inch silicone molds.
- plastic ornament balls - You can also use FDA food approved plastic ornament balls as molds to create your chocolate hot cocoa bombs.
milk chocolate - You can use melted and tempered pure milk chocolate (made with cocoa butter) or melted compound milk chocolate (made with palm kernel oil or other vegetable oil and also known as Candy Melts, melting wafers, confectionery coating, or almond bark).
- See my Chocolate Making Tips page for more details about choosing and melting/tempering chocolate.
- I use Peter's Ultra Milk Chocolate or Callebaut Milk Chocolate Callets.
hot cocoa mix - You can use a store-bought hot cocoa mix or you can make homemade. I recommend making homemade!
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Make homemade hot chocolate mix by sifting together:
- 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
- 2 ½ cups dry milk powder
- 1 cup finely grated dark chocolate (you don't need to sift this, just mix it in using a whisk)
marshmallows - I suggest you fill your hot cocoa bombs with tiny dehydrated marshmallows. You could also fill them with homemade marshmallows cut into tiny squares (see my recipe for homemade marshmallows, here).
red candy noses - I used cinnamon RedHots (small round cinnamon candies) but M&M's would work well too.
½" candy eyes - Most candy eyes you find at craft stores are about ¼-inch in diameter or are jumbo-sized and are almost 1-inch diameter. If you want your reindeer to look super cute, you'll need to order ½-inch candy eyes.
candy antlers - Wilton came out with more realistic-looking candy antlers this Christmas. They are the perfect size to use to decorate these Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Hot Chocolate Bombs. I found them Walmart and Meijer, but I'm sure they are also available at craft and cake decorating stores.
Optional, Chocolate Antlers - If you can't find candy antlers, you can make them out of chocolate. See my Honey Maid Chocolate Reindeer Pops Post for instructions to make chocolate antlers.
step 1 - melt (and temper your chocolate)
- Be sure to read my Chocolate Making Tips page or my How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs post for details about melting pure chocolate versus compound chocolate (candy melts, almond bark, melting wafers) before you being. If you are using chocolate that contains cocoa butter it MUST be tempered (melted and cooled to exact temperatures) in order for the chocolate to harden properly and come out of the molds.
step 2 - create chocolate half-sphere shells using a polycarbonate mold
- Fill the half-sphere cavities in a polycarbonate mold completely with chocolate.
- Turn the mold upside down over your bowl of chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip out.
- If the bowl is large enough you can completely invert the mold over top. If not, then move it over a piece of parchment paper.
- Tap the side of the mold a few times to encourage all of the excess chocolate to drip out of the mold.
- Use an offset spatula to scrape off the excess chocolate.
- Set the mold upright and use a metal bench scraper or putty knife to scrape over the mold to ensure all of the excess chocolate has been removed.
- Turn the mold upside down onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Chill pure chocolate in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes until hardened OR chill compound chocolate (candy melts, melting wafers, or almond bark) in the freezer for about 10 minutes until hardened.
- To check to see if your chocolate has hardened and has retracted from the mold, look on the underside of the mold to see if the chocolate looks all one color. If you see dark spots, the chocolate is not ready. Chill it for a few more minutes, then check it again.
- To remove the chocolate from the molds you can simply slide them out of the cavities or you can place a cutting board or cookie sheet on top of the mold, flip it over, and allow the chocolates to fall out.
- If the chocolates won’t come out of the mold, place the mold back in the refrigerator or freezer for a few more minutes and try again.
- If you used pure chocolate and you just can't get the chocolate out of the molds, sadly it means your chocolate was not in temper. You can try freezing the mold for 5 minutes then trying again, but if all that fails, you will have to wash the chocolate out of your molds.
Can I make these hot chocolate bombs using a silicone mold?
- Yes, you can! Hop on over to my How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs post for a detailed step-by-step tutorial on making the chocolate shells for your bombs using a silicone mold or a plastic ornament mold.
Tips for ensuring shiny chocolates.
- Make sure your molds are clean and dry before using them.
- I recommend brushing the inside with a soft cotton ball. This will ensure they are completely clean and it will make your chocolates really shiny.
step 3 - add the hot cocoa and marshmallows
- Spoon about a tablespoon of hot cocoa mix into your chocolate spheres. See the hot cocoa mix recipe below.
- Then, top with tiny dehydrated marshmallows.
step 4 - seal your hot chocolate bomb halves together
- Heat a skillet on low heat for 20 to 30 seconds (just long enough to warm up the pan.)
- Pick up one of the empty chocolates and hold it with the open side down.
- Set it in the warm pan, and allow it to melt slightly.
- Lift the chocolate sphere out of the pan then set it over one of the filled chocolates, pressing the two halves together gently to seal them together.
- Repeat.
- Once the pan cools too much to melt the edges of your chocolates then clean the pan and reheat it. Do not heat the pan filled with any chocolate as it will burn.
PRO TIP: If you are having trouble with your hot chocolate bombs coming apart, you can attach them together using chocolate. Just don't add too much or you'll have a thick seam around your hot chocolate bombs.
step 5 - decorate your reindeer
- Set your chocolate bombs in little cups so they don't roll around (or use a mini muffin pan to hold them in place).
- Use melted chocolate to attach a red cinnamon candy nose to the middle of a milk chocolate bomb.
- Then, attach two ½-inch candy eyes above the nose.
- Dip the end of two antlers into milk chocolate, then press the antlers down onto the chocolate.
- Hold the antlers in place until the chocolate begins to harden.
- Then, let go and be sure the antlers stay in place.
- If you are using compound chocolate (candy melts, melting wafers, almond bark), you may want to allow the chocolate to cool until it begins to thicken slightly before trying to attach the antlers. Thicker chocolate will make this job easier!
Package the reindeer in cupcake liners then package in cupcake boxes. I gave some of these Rudolph bombs to friends and packaged 6 of them in clamshell cupcake boxes. They worked great!
You can find supplies to make these cute Hot Chocolate Bomb Reindeer from Amazon. I earn a small commission when you use the affiliate links in this post at NO extra cost to you.
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Adorably cute Christmas hot chocolate bombs decorated to look like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with a red candy nose, candy eyes, and candy antlers.
- 16-24 ounces melted and tempered pure milk chocolate or melted compound chocolate (candy melts, almond bark, melting wafers) (you'll need the larger amount if you use the fill and dump method of making the chocolate shells)
- 12 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
- 6 tablespoons tiny dehydrated marshmallows
- 12 cinnamon RedHot candies or M&M's
- 24 ½-inch candy eyes
- 24 candy antlers
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If using a polycarbonate half-sphere mold, a single cavity silicone mold, or a plastic ornament mold, fill the mold with chocolate.
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Tap the mold a few times to allow air bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
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Invert the mold over a bowl of chocolate and tap the side of the mold allowing the excess chocolate to drain out of the cavities.
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Scrape off the excess chocolate using a metal spatula or bench scraper to clean the edges of the chocolate.
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Turn the mold upside down and set it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
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If using pure chocolate chill it in the refrigerator until hardened, about 10-15 minutes. If using compound chocolate (candy melts) place the mold in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
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If needed add a second layer of chocolate.
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If using a silicone mold with multiple cavities, fill about ⅓rd of a cavity with chocolate, and use a brush to paint the chocolate up the sides of the mold. Chill and if needed add a second coat of chocolate around the top edge.
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Make a total of 24 chocolate half-spheres and reserve the remaining chocolate for decorating.
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Fill 12 of the chocolate half-spheres with a tablespoon of hot cocoa mix.
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Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of marshmallows over top.
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Heat a skillet over low heat for 20-30 seconds.
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Melt the top edge of one of the empty chocolates and place it over top of a filled chocolate. Press gently to seal the two pieces together.
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Drizzle chocolate over top of your hot chocolate bombs and decorate with sprinkles or other fun toppings.
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Attach one red candy nose, two candy eyes, and two candy antlers to the chocolate bombs using melted chocolate.
- Store your hot cocoa bombs at room temperature for up to 2 months.
- To serve the hot chocolate bombs fill a coffee mug halfway with very hot milk.
- Add the chocolate bomb then pour a little more hot milk over top.
- Allow the chocolate to melt then stir into the milk to create a delicious cup of hot chocolate.
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Make homemade hot chocolate mix by sifting together:
- 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
- 2 ½ cups dry milk powder
- 1 cup finely grated dark chocolate (you don't need to sift this, just mix it in using a whisk)
If you like these cute Christmas hot cocoa bombs you might like to make these other designs too.
More Christmas Hot Chocolate Bombs
These Snowman Hot Chocolate Bombs in little candy cups are just the cutest!
These Starlight Mint Hot Chocolate Bombs are filled with homemade Peppermint White Hot Cocoa Mix.
Boozy Hot Chocolate Bombs will make great Christmas gifts for many adults on your list.
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The Partiologist
How adorable, I love how they are peeking out of the cup!!