Healthy hot chocolate balls that are vegan, and filled with a healthier homemade chocolate cocoa mix and marshmallows.
Healthy Hot Chocolate Balls
Make healthy hot chocolate balls to turn a chilly day into a cozy time with a mug of hot chocolate that is healthier and fun to make. Just drop them in dairy-free milk and watch them explode! Mine are regular sized here, but I have a mini hot chocolate bomb recipe here.
These hot chocolate balls look complicated but they are actually easy to make provided you have a silicon mold. You can make them in about 40 minutes from start to finish and best of all you can customize what you put inside.
What are Hot Chocolate Balls?
Hot chocolate balls, often called hot cocoa bombs, are chocolate shells filled with powdered cocoa, marshmallows and other ingredients, that crack open and dissolve when you drop the ball into a mug of hot milk. My version is completely vegan, so all the ingredients I recommend are dairy-free.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Powder Mix
Mix A Batch: In a dry blender, add 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cup coconut palm sugar, 2 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder and a pinch of salt. Process for 15 seconds or so to combine and pour into a dry jar.
Make a Single Cup: To make a single mug of cocoa using the mix, add 3 tablespoon of the cocoa powder mix to a steaming cup of hot dairy-free milk. Oat will be the creamiest.
Fill a Hot Chocolate Ball: To use this mix to fill these hot chocolate balls, just spoon in 3 tablespoon per shell, or follow the directions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
What You Need to Make Hot Chocolate Balls
It's easy to make these cocoa treats but you will need a few things.
Silicon Mold: The most important item you'll need is a silicon mold to make the chocolate shells. Here is my favorite. The silicon part is important because it allows you to make chocolate shells that have a shiny surface, so shiny it resembles tempered chocolate even if all you did was melt chocolate chips.
Of course you are welcome to temper your chocolate if you know how and have time, but it's faster and easier to just melt the chocolate and let the mold do the work.
Chocolate Chips: Use the best quality you can find. Look for brands that have few ingredients, with the first one or two being cacao butter, and to increase the nutritional quality of your chosen chocolate, look for 60% cacao or higher.
Chocolate Cocoa Mix: You can buy a commercial mix (here's a vegan one!) or make your own by following my recipe detailed above and in the recipe card below.
Optional Additions: Mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, nut butter, flavored chocolate, dried fruit, peppermint candy, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper and anise, sprinkles or edible golden stars. Amounts are based on your tastes but here are some options. Add 1 tablespoon of mini marshmallows or chocolate chips, add 1 teaspoon nut butter, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and only a pinch of cardamom, anise or cayenne pepper.
Extra Fancy: To decorate the outside in an extra fancy way, dust with gold power, drizzle with icing and sprinkle with stars are just some ideas.
How to Assemble
1. Melt Chocolate: Start by melting chocolate chips in the microwave. I put mine in a glass pyrex measuring cup and melt at 60 seconds at first. Stir and if all chips aren't melted, microwave again in 10 second intervals.
2. Fill Mold: Put 2 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each well of the mold, and use the back of a spoon or pastry paint brush to cover the whole well, leaving thick chocolate on the edges especially. Refrigerate the mold for 15 minutes, or allow to to set for 1 hour at room temperature. If you have time, avoid refrigeration as it can slightly dull the chocolate surface.
3. Extract Shells from Mold: Gently pry the chocolate shells out of the mold. Set them open on a cooling rack and fill half of them with at least with cocoa mix, any other choices as well as a few marshmallows.
4. Put Two Halves of Shells Together: Microwave a microwave-safe plate for 60-90 seconds and with clean, dry hands set one shell face down on plate for a second to melt the edge. Then place that half onto a filled half. Do this until all bombs are assembled.
5. Decorate & Use to Make Cocoa: Decorate, and then serve. To use, drop a single ball into a mug and pour hot milk over it, stirring to help dissolve. Or drop the ball into a steaming mug of milk.
Make Custom Flavors
Make spicy Mayan chocolate cocoa by adding cayenne pepper, or a chocolate mocha hot chocolate by adding instant coffee granules. To make them fun and festive, top with sprinkles to match your preferred holiday: pastel sprinkles for Easter, red and green for Christmas, and golden stars for a snowy weekend holiday.
FAQS
How long do hot chocolate balls keep? Hot chocolate balls keep at room temperature until use for about two weeks. After that, freeze by sealing them in a dry container.
Buy a chocolate mix. If you want to buy a vegan chocolate mix instead of mix it up yourself, the healthiest commercial hot chocolate mix with no powdered milk and preservatives, zero sodium and minimal sweetener might come as a surprise. It's Hot Cocoa Double Chocolate by Starbucks. It's even vegan!
Try My Other Easy Chocolate Treats
Mini Hot Chocolate Bombs
Healthy Filled Chocolate
Homemade Twix Bars
Sprinkles Chocolate Bar Recipe
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Chickpea Chocolate Clusters
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Hot Chocolate Balls
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate Balls
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
- ⅔ cup Chocolate Cocoa Mix
Vegan Hot Chocolate Powder
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup coconut palm sugar
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
- pinch of salt
Necessary Equipment
Instructions
- Melt Chocolate: Start by melting chocolate chips in the microwave. I put mine in a glass pyrex measuring cup and melt at 60 seconds at first. Stir and if all chips aren't melted, microwave again in 10 second intervals.
- Fill Mold: Put 2 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each well of the mold, and use the back of a spoon or pastry paint brush to cover the whole well, leaving thick chocolate on the edges especially. Refrigerate the mold for 15 minutes, or allow to to set for 1 hour at room temperature. If you have time, avoid refrigeration as it can slightly dull the chocolate surface.
- Extract Shells from Mold: Gently pry the chocolate shells out of the mold. Set them open on a cooling rack and fill half of them with your selections. At least with 1 teaspoon of cocoa mix and a few marshmallows.
- Fill & Put Two Halves of Shells Together: Microwave a microwave-safe plate for 60-90 seconds and with clean, dry hands set one shell face down on plate for a second to melt the edge. Then place that half onto a filled half. Do this until all bombs are assembled.
- Decorate, Eat, Save: Decorate, eat or keep at room temperature until use for about two weeks. After that, freeze by sealing them in a dry container.
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