How to make hot chocolate bombs using a 3 part mold
My favorite way to make hot chocolate bombs is to use a 3 part mold. These molds are made of PET, which is a food safe, BPA-free recyclable plastic. Each hole is filled and pressed to create an even piece of chocolate every time, which gives a consistent look for your finished chocolate bombs.
Three part molds are fairly new for making hot chocolate bombs. Due to their design, they offer a high amount of precision, which is useful if you have to make lots of bombs. They do have a small learning curve, but I'll walk you through every step.
These molds can come in many different shapes to create hollow chocolate forms, and I am going to show you how to use the 70mm (2.75inch) size. This size refers to the diameter of the completed sphere and is perfect for fitting into a regular coffee me. I got mine from Amazon here (be sure to select 70mm).
Each mold also comes with 3 very thin inserts. The name "3 part" comes from a top piece, the inserts, and a bottom piece. Because they are made of plastic, they cannot be heated or placed in the dishwasher. It's recommended that between usages its wiped clean with a paper towel to remove residue.
If you're looking for tools you need to make the bombs, as well as chocolate types to use, or shipping questions, check out my "Hot chocolate bombs: your complete guide" post, which covers covers more of the basic questions around hot chocolate bombs.
First, let's go over some common questions I get about using a 3 part mold.
When I heat my chocolate it's thick/clumpy/not fluid...what's going on?
Compound chocolate has this really interesting characteristic that when it gets really hot it thickens up. It sounds counter-intuitive, because I want to think that as we "melt" ingredients, they should get more runny. It's a pretty simple fix - you didn't burn your chocolate (until you see that it has black spots, in which you will have to throw it out.) You just have to let it cool down. The ideal working temperature for most compound chocolates is around 100F (32C). You don't need a thermometer at all to work with compound chocolate - but just wait until it cools by gently stirring it in your bowl. It will go back to it's fluid state, I promise.
If you really want to heat up your chocolate, you can caramelize your white chocolate, which is insanely yummy. Even though compound chocolate is not real chocolate, it still works! (Some people believe that caramelized white chocolate is dependent on the cocoa butter content, but it's really dependent on the presence of sugar ;) )
Why can't I get my chocolate out of the 3 part mold?
This is probably the number issue with these molds. As chocolate cools, it naturally contracts or shrinks as it hardens. This happens with real chocolate, and probably with compound chocolate as well. (Compound chocolate has different fats, so I'm not totally sure, but it acts similar to real chocolate)
If you have trouble removing the chocolate easily, it is because the chocolate has not set completely. The first time I used these molds I could not, for the life of me, get them out. Turns out I wasn't being patient enough in letting them set completely.
If all else fails put your molds with the compound chocolate in them in the freezer. It was almost comical how easy they were to take out when set completely.
My chocolate melts in my hands when I work with it! How do I fix this?
Warm hands, warm heart! But yeah, problematic when working with chocolate. Some people swear by keeping ice nearby to chill their hands when working with chocolate, some people wear gloves. Both those methods can help. You can also try to touch the chocolate as little as possible. Compound chocolate has a higher melting temp than real chocolate (which coincidentally melts at body temp - a key feature as to why it melts in your mouth so wonderfully when you eat it) so at least we have that to our advantage. So when you pop them out of the mold, do it onto the counter top and then use the silicone muffin cups to handle your chocolates.
Step by step:
Video
Here's a video tutorial showing exactly what this mold is, how to fill it, and remove chocolate spheres to make the bombs.
Here's another tutorial using this mold to make a set of planet bombs:
These were probably my favorite ones of all the bombs I made.
If you'd like to see more, I've created over 15 tutorials on different ways to make hot chocolate bombs. You can check out those videos on my YouTube channel here.
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.
I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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Hot chocolate bombs using a 3-part mold
For every chocolate bomb (an entire bomb with marshmallows and cocoa powder) you will need:
- 52g (1.8 oz) chocolate (I like Mercken's white chocolate)
- 1-2 tablespoons/15g (0.5 oz) hot cocoa mix
- 9g (0.3 oz) assorted marshmallows
So for instance, if you wanted to make 3 hot chocolate bombs, you'll need 156g of chocolate, 45g of hot cocoa mix, and 27g of marshmallows.
For every chocolate bomb (an entire bomb with marshmallows and cocoa powder) you will need:
- 52g (1.8 oz) chocolate (I like Mercken's white chocolate)
- 1-2 tablespoons/15g (0.5 oz) hot cocoa mix
- 9g (0.3 oz) assorted marshmallows
So for instance, if you wanted to make 3 hot chocolate bombs, you'll need 156g of chocolate, 45g of hot cocoa mix, and 27g of marshmallows.
- Pro tip: Before you begin, mark with a permanent marker which piece is the bottom (this is the piece to fill with chocolate). The top and bottom plastic pieces look almost identical, except for a faint fill line on the bottom piece. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally filled the top piece and tried to fit them together backwards. It could be just me, but could save you some frustrations later.
- Melt chocolate: Add your chocolate wafers to a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on high power (mine is 1200W) 30 seconds at a time. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula between every heating step and continue heating until the chocolate is fluid. It should resemble the consistency of house paint (sorry, I'll try to think of a better analogy!) and run off of the end of your spatula smooth and easy. If you'd like to color your chocolate, add drops of oil-based food coloring or powdered coloring.
- Add melted chocolate to bottom piece: Your bottom piece will have an indicator line inside every cavity. Carefully pour enough chocolate into each cavity up to that line.
Now take the thin plastic inserts and place them onto the surface of the chocolate you just poured. No need to push it down at this point, that's what the top piece is for.
Line up the cavities of both the bottom and top piece and press them together. You will see the chocolate start to flood between the plastic pieces.
Now turn the entire mold upside down. Use your thumb and forefinger and gently squeeze the base of each cavity to ensure all the chocolate has reached the top. - Setting the chocolate: Place the entire mold in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to set.
- Removing chocolate from the 3 part mold: Once the chocolate has set completely, it should remove with ease from the mold. Remove the top piece and gently slide each chocolate hemisphere out by placing a couple fingers onto the thin plastic inserts. Once out, you can gently peel the thin plastic inserts from inside the hemispheres. Place half of the chocolates sphere in cupcake liners (either silicone or paper) and the other halves on a tray.
- Filling the chocolate spheres: Now fill each of your chocolates in the liners with 2 tablespoons (about 40g) of hot cocoa mix. Add enough {{ marshmallow }}s to reach the top rim of your half chocolate sphere.
- Assembly: Grab a plate that has been warmed in the oven or pan that has been placed on the stove for a few seconds. Take your empty half-spheres and gently rub the edges on your warm pan. Quickly place it on top of a filled half-sphere. The melted chocolate acts as a glue to hold the two pieces together. (You can also use a piping bag to pipe melted chocolate on the rim, but make sure your chocolate is not warm or it will melt you shells.) Continue with the rest of your spheres.
- Decorating: Melt just a little more chocolate if needed and fill a piping bag or parchment cone (I have a short video here if you want to learn how to make these cones). You can drizzle on some extra chocolate, along with some sprinkles, or do even more elaborate designs.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
Recommended Sugar Lab Recipes + Experiments
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