Fill heart-shaped or round chocolate shells with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows to create these festive Valentine's Day Hot Chocolate Bombs. Then package them to give as gifts to your sweetheart, family, or friends.
Valentine's Day is the perfect holiday to share hot chocolate bombs.
Not only is chocolate an iconic Valentine's Day gift but it's also typically cold on February 14th (at least it is here in Ohio) so giving your sweetheart a heart-shaped hot chocolate bomb and a mug of steaming milk is sure to warm his/her heart and belly.
I can't wait to share these with my sweetie. I know he'll love them.
VIDEO
You can watch this video to see how to make round hot chocolate bombs then scroll down to read my very detailed step-by-step instructions to make the heart-shaped hot chocolate bombs.
As you watch the video, you'll see how to paint chocolate into a silicone mold. That's the technique you'll use to make the hot chocolate bomb hearts.
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For Valentine's Day, you can make chocolate spheres and drizzle them with chocolate and top them with heart sprinkles.
I used red heart sprinkles, and a pink Valentine's Day sprinkle mix on two of my chocolate spheres.
I also decorated one of my chocolate bombs with edible glitter. I mixed together red edible glitter with edible gold hearts.
Or you can make heart-shaped hot chocolate bombs.
You can decorate them with a drizzle of dark chocolate and sprinkles or you can drizzle them with white chocolate or even red-colored white chocolate (or candy melts).
Let's begin by talking about the chocolate you will use to make your hot chocolate bombs for Valentine's Day.
Dark Chocolate
- You can use pure semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate to make these hot chocolate bombs or you can use compound chocolate (also known as Candy Melts, confectionery coating, almond bark, or melting wafers).
- Pure chocolate contains cocoa butter and it MUST be tempered (heated and cooled at specific temperatures) in order to harden properly and to come out of the hot chocolate bomb mold.
- Compound chocolate contains palm kernel oil or other vegetable oils and it was created to melt easily and harden without any fuss.
- Pure chocolate tastes better than compound chocolate but is typically more expensive and more work. So, you have to decide what you prefer to use to make your hot chocolate bombs.
Melting and Tempering Dark Chocolate
Below I will give you a quick overview of melting and tempering chocolate, but you should check out my How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs tutorial for a very detailed explanation.
In that post, you'll read all about choosing the right chocolate, the explanation of why you need to temper chocolate, what happens if you don't temper your chocolate, and more.
Be sure to read about using chocolate chips while you are reading the post.
Melting Chocolate
Microwave Method:
- Pour your finely chopped chocolate or Candy Melts wafers into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power for 30 seconds then remove and stir.
- It's always best to melt small uniform-sized pieces of chocolate. The larger the pieces of chocolate, the longer it will take to melt.
- See my chocolate making tips page for detailed information regarding working with chocolate.
- Repeat this process of heating for 30 seconds and stirring until most of the chocolate is melted.
- Then heat at high power for 15-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted.
Double Boiler Method:
- Fill a pot with 1 inch of water and set a tight-fitting bowl over the opening of the pan.
- Fill the bowl with finely chopped chocolate or Candy Melts wafers and heat on low heat stirring often until melted.
Tempering Dark Chocolate
- Melt 12 ounces of finely chopped dark chocolate (or use small chocolate Callets or pistoles) to 115°-120° Fahrenheit.
- Begin to cool the chocolate by stirring in about 2 ounces of chocolate.
- Continue to stir, scraping down the sides of the bowl until all of those chocolate pieces have melted.
- Check the temperature of the chocolate.
- Continue to sprinkle in small amounts of chocolate and stir to cool the bowl of chocolate.
- Be sure to always scrape the sides of the bowl. You do not want the chocolate to harden around the edge of the bowl.
- Your goal is to get the dark chocolate to 88-91 °F.
- Once the chocolate reaches that temperate, remove any unmelted chocolate pieces. If there aren't many pieces you can also just dissolve them using an immersion blender. If there are too many, however, you don't want to do that as you will run the risk of cooling the chocolate too much.
I prefer using Callebaut Couverture Chocolate Callets when tempering chocolate by hand. The Callets look like chocolate chips but they are not. They melt easily and are super easy to temper. Plus they are small enough that you do not need to chop them.
How to know if chocolate is in temper?
- Test the temper of the chocolate by dipping a metal spatula, spoon, or knife into the chocolate.
- Shake it, to remove the excess chocolate then set it aside at room temperature.
- In 3-5 minutes, the chocolate should harden and look shiny.
- Alternatively, you can spread a small amount of chocolate on a piece of parchment paper and allow it to air dry for 3-5 minutes. It should peel off the paper and snap when broken.
- While you are waiting, be sure to stir your bowl of chocolate, to make sure it doesn't cool too much around the edge.
- If your test chocolate has hardened and looks shiny be sure to check the temperature of your bowl of chocolate before proceeding to make your chocolate balls.
- The chocolate will have cooled slightly and will need to be warmed slightly!
- Heat it in the microwave for about 5 seconds then remove and stir and check the temperature. Do not let it go above 91°F.
- If it does, you have to start this whole process over again.
- You are now ready to fill your molds with chocolate.
NOTE about milk and white chocolate.
- The tempering temperatures for milk and white chocolate are lower.
- Be sure to check out my chocolate making tips page if you plan to make milk or white chocolate shells for your Valentine's Day hot chocolate bombs.
Sphere Molds
To make round hot chocolate bombs, you can use polycarbonate sphere molds, silicone molds, or round plastic ornaments as molds.
You can see details on how to use all three of these molds in my How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs tutorial.
- To make the hot chocolate bombs that are pictured in this post, I used a 6-cavity polycarbonate mold that makes hot chocolate bombs that are 2 ¼ inches in diameter.
- If you prefer, you can use a 6-cavity silicone mold to make your chocolate balls. Freshware silicone half-sphere molds make 2.8-inch chocolate bombs.
- Or, you can use FDA food-approved plastic ornament balls as molds.
I prefer to use the polycarbonate hot chocolate bombs molds so I'll show you that technique below. You can see the other two methods in my How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs tutorial.
Make your chocolate spheres using a polycarbonate mold.
- Fill the half-sphere cavities in your 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.
- If your room is cool at about 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit (20-21° C) you can leave your chocolate sitting on your table until the chocolate hardens. If not, just pop it into the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens. That will take 5-10 minutes.
- To check to see if your chocolate has retracted from the mold, look on the underside of the mold to see if the chocolate looks all one color.
- You will notice in the video that I turn the mold upside down. I actually suggest you do not do that, as the chocolate can fall out of the mold. It was easier for me to film it by turning it over.
- You should lift the mold up over your head to look for dark spots. If you see dark spots, the chocolate is still wet in those areas. Chill it for a few more minutes.
- 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 for a few more minutes and try again.
- After waiting for a while for the chocolate to harden, if it just won't come out of the mold that means your chocolate was not in temper. You will have to wash the chocolate out of the mold using hot water and try again!
Heart Mold
To make heart-shaped hot chocolate bombs you'll need to use a heart-shaped chocolate mold. I used Wilton's Silicone Heart molds, but as of 2022, they have been discontinued. You can find similar Silicone Heart Molds on Amazon.
I've used these heart-shaped molds to make so many delicious Valentine's Day desserts including:
- Conversation Heart Cheesecakes
- Naturally Colored Conversation Heart Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Heart Bowls filled with Chocolate Mousse
- Strawberry Mousse Hearts
- Chocolate Brownie Hearts with Raspberry Cheesecake Hearts
- Orange Semifreddo Hearts
The molds do make rather large hot chocolate bomb hearts. You can use other heart molds if you prefer. This Spinning Leaf Heart Mold would work great if you want a smaller heart-shaped chocolate bomb.
Paint chocolate into a silicone heart mold.
- Fill the mold with about 2 tablespoons of tempered pure chocolate or melted compound chocolate (candy melts, etc.)
- Use a paintbrush to brush the chocolate up the sides of the mold.
- If the chocolate pools in the bottom of the mold continue to brush it up around the sides until the edges are well coated.
- If your chocolate is thick you can just leave the mold upright and pop it into the refrigerator (or freezer, if using compound chocolate/candy melts) until hardened.
- Always allow pure chocolate to harden at room temperature (if your room is cool) or in the refrigerator.
- Always put compound chocolates (candy melts) into the freezer to harden.
- If you are using candy melts or thin chocolate I recommend flipping the mold upside down and setting it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet before chilling.
- Allow the mold to chill for 3-5 minutes just until the chocolate hardens then remove the mold.
- Brush another coat of chocolate around the sides of the mold.
- Chill again until the chocolate hardens.
NOTE: If you do not make the walls of the chocolate shell thick enough they will break when you un-mold the chocolate.
Filling heart hot chocolate bombs:
- Sprinkle mini marshmallows over the bottom of each chocolate heart.
- Spoon about 2 ½ tablespoons of hot chocolate mix over the marshmallows.
- Tap the mold gently on the counter a few times to let the hot chocolate sink in between the marshmallows.
- Use the back of a spoon or your finger to press the hot chocolate down into an even layer.
- Leave about ⅛ inch of room above the hot chocolate mix to add more chocolate.
- Brush away any powdered hot cocoa mix from the edge of the chocolate heart.
- Pipe chocolate over top, making sure you cover the edge of the heart.
- Tap the mold gently on the counter a few times to allow air bubbles to escape.
- Pop the air bubbles then cover the hole with chocolate.
- Scrape off any excess chocolate.
- If you watch the Conversation Heart Hot Chocolate Bombs video you can see how I fill a chocolate shell with the powdered hot cocoa mix then cover it with chocolate.
- Chill in the refrigerator, if using pure chocolate, and in the freezer, if using candy melts, for 2-5 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
- Remove and un-mold the chocolates. I found it easiest to turn the silicone mold upside down and set it over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Tug on the mold around the hearts, then push on the bottom of the heart mold, allowing the chocolate hearts to be pushed out.
- If there is chocolate around the edge of the heart, use a sharp knife to cut it off.
Wear gloves when handling chocolate.
- Be sure to wear food-handling gloves or white fabric gloves when touching chocolate otherwise, the heat of your hands will melt the chocolate and you will leave fingerprints on the surface.
- If the chocolate does get marked up, you can brush the surface with a food-use-only paintbrush to smooth out any scuffs.
Filling chocolate spheres:
- You can fill your chocolate spheres (or chocolate hearts) with hot chocolate mix (see the recipe below) and marshmallows (just as you filled the heart mold) or you can fill them with chocolate ganache (click here for the recipe)
- Fill half of your chocolate shells and leave the other half empty.
- I like setting the chocolate shells in a mini muffin tin. It keeps the balls from rolling around.
homemade hot chocolate mix recipe
Sift together:
- 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
- 2 ½ cups dry milk powder
Stir in:
- 1 cup (2 ½ ounces) finely grated dark chocolate
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How to seal the chocolate spheres.
- 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 the edges 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.
- It's best to watch the video to see how it's done.
Decorating the chocolates.
- Fill a disposable pastry bag or a small zip-top bag with dark chocolate, white chocolate, or red-colored white chocolate.
- Snip the tip off the bag.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the chocolate hearts.
- While the chocolate drizzle is still wet, add some sprinkles, if desired.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes just until the drizzled chocolate hardens.
- Drizzle chocolate over top and add sprinkles or edible glitter.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes just until the drizzled chocolate hardens.
- You can also drizzle these chocolate spheres with white or red-colored white chocolate.
Buying Supplies
You can find the molds, chocolates, and supplies to make these hot chocolate bombs for Valentine's Day from Amazon. I earn a small commission at NO extra cost to you if you use the affiliate links below.
If you’d like to learn more about the art of making chocolate, be sure to check out my online video chocolate making classes at The Sugar Academy. Save 20% off any class using coupon code HUNGRYBLOG20.
Serving Valentine's Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Place the chocolate bomb in a mug then pour steaming hot milk over top.
- Allow the chocolate to melt.
- Then stir the hot chocolate mix and melted chocolate into the milk.
- Enjoy!
The heart-shaped chocolate bombs would also be fun to serve at a Wedding or Bridal Shower. They'd be a great addition to a coffee bar. They are really delicious when added to a cup of coffee.
Storage
- Store the hot chocolate bombs at room temperature for up to two months, if they are filled with hot cocoa mix, and up to 2 weeks if they are filled with chocolate ganache.
- I do not recommend storing hot chocolate bombs in the refrigerator as they may become wet with condensation and they may develop bloom (spots or streaks).
Related Recipes
Recipe
I highly recommend you read through the step-by-step tutorial above! I give you so many tips that you really don't want to miss.
- 18 ounces melted and tempered pure chocolate or melted compound chocolate (candy melts, almond bark, melting wafers)
- 1 cup hot cocoa mix or chocolate ganache
- 6 tablespoons mini marshmallows or tiny dehydrated marshmallows
- optional sprinkles, colored sugar, edible glitter, or other toppings
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Make 6 heart-shaped chocolate shells or 12 chocolate half-sphere shells.
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If using a silicone heart mold, fill it with about 2 tablespoons of chocolate, and use a brush to paint the chocolate up the sides of the mold.
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If using pure chocolate, chill the chocolate in the refrigerator until hardened, 5-10 minutes. If using compound chocolate (candy melts) place the mold in the freezer for 3-5 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
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Paint a second coat of chocolate around the sides of the heart mold and chill just until hardened for 2-5 minutes.
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If using a polycarbonate half-sphere mold fill all of the cavities in 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 allow some of the chocolate to drip out of the mold, leaving just a thin coating of chocolate in the mold.
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Scrape off the excess chocolate.
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Chill until hardened.
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Fill all 6 of the heart-shaped chocolate shells or 6 of the chocolate half-spheres with mini marshmallows (or tiny dehydrated marshmallows) and 1-3 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix or chocolate ganache.
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If you made chocolate hearts, pipe chocolate directly over top of the hot chocolate mix, then tap to remove air bubbles. Scrape off any excess chocolate, and chill until hardened.
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If you made chocolate spheres, heat a skillet over low heat for 20-30 seconds. Melt the top edge of one of the empty chocolates and place it over the top of the filled chocolate. Press gently to seal the two pieces together.
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Drizzle chocolate over the top of your hot chocolate bombs and decorate with sprinkles or other fun toppings.
The quantities needed will depend on the size of your molds.
You will get 6 hot cocoa bombs that are 2 ¼ inches in diameter made and decorated using 18 ounces of chocolate. You'll need more chocolate for larger hot chocolate bombs.
You can fill your chocolate bombs with as little as 2 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix or chocolate ganache but I prefer 3-4 tablespoons for a richer hot chocolate drink.
Store your hot cocoa bombs at room temperature for up to 2 weeks if filled with chocolate ganache or up to 2 months if filled with hot cocoa mix.
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.
If you like this chocolate recipe you might also like to see over 100 of my festive and fun Valentine's Day recipes, here.
Below are some of my favorite Valentine's Day recipes that might like too...
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Fudge Hearts
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake
- Gingerbread Cookie Cups - December 2, 2023
- Cheeseburger Skulls - October 15, 2023
- Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes - June 20, 2023
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