Looking for a fun drink to make this winter? Hot chocolate balls are a fun and unique play on hot chocolate that are awesome for kids and adults alike. They make for a great homemade gift idea and are the perfect thing to greet you when you come inside on a cold, snowy day. We’ve rounded up 40 homemade hot chocolate ball recipes so you can make them yourself at home. Enjoy!
What Are ‘Hot Chocolate Balls’?
Hot chocolate balls are chocolate spheres filled with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows that you put into a mug. When you pour hot milk into the mug, the chocolate melts and releases the hot chocolate mix and marshmallows hiding inside. Give it a stir and you have a decadent and delicious cup of hot chocolate. It’s a super fun play on hot chocolate and you can use your favourite flavours to make a variety of hot chocolate balls. You can even make them dairy-free and vegan if you have a lactose intolerance or follow a plant-based diet.
5 Hot Chocolate Ball Essentials to Invest In
1. Sphere Mould
You’ll need a sphere mould to make your chocolate balls. Without one, they’re almost impossible to make if you’re not familiar with tempering. These high quality silicone sphere moulds are perfect for making hot chocolate balls and are super easy to clean, making the process as seamless as possible.
2. Paint Brush
A paint brush will make it easier to get your chocolate in the moulds. Paint a thin layer of chocolate in each mould before placing it into the fridge to set. You’ll then apply a second coat of chocolate, building up the edges so the moulds have a strong edge.
3. Food Thermometer
Use a food thermometer to keep track of the temperature of your chocolate. Consider an infrared thermometer as it’s easier to keep clean.
4. Hot Chocolate Mix and Marshmallows
Hot chocolate mix and marshmallows are the key ingredients for your hot chocolate balls, so you’ll want to make sure you have these on hand. Use your favourite mix and mallows for your most delicious hot chocolate balls.
5. Piping Bag
You’ll also need a piping bag to seal together the spheres after adding your favourite hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Balls
1. Use Good Quality Chocolate
Be sure to use quality chocolate that has cocoa in it. Look for bars of chocolate that are 65% cocoa or more and check the ingredients to make sure it contains cocoa butter. Make sure it doesn’t have too many other ingredients or the chocolate isn’t going to melt properly. Chop 24 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate as finely as you can with a knife. You don’t want any big chunks.
2. The Importance of Tempering Your Chocolate
If you’re unfamiliar with tempering chocolate, it may sound intimidating, but it just means that you’re controlling the heat of your chocolate while melting it so it’s as strong as possible. Untempered chocolate is soft, doesn’t have a shine and has a problem holding its place. Tempering your chocolate is really important and this is where your food thermometer will come in handy.
3. How to Temper Your Chocolate (The Easy Way)
Once it’s chopped, place your chocolate in the microwave and heat for no longer than 30 seconds. Stir it with a spatula, making sure to move the chocolate from the outside edges to the centre to heat it evenly. Place the chocolate back into the microwave and heat for 15 seconds and stir again. Use your thermometer to take the temperature of your chocolate and make sure it’s not above 90 degrees fahrenheit.
Repeat this process 2 to 5 more times. Once the chocolate is almost melted, stir until it’s completely melted from the residual heat from the bowl. Pour a bit of chocolate onto parchment paper and place it in the fridge for 5 minutes. If it looks shiny and snaps in half loudly when you break it, then it’s tempered and ready to go into the moulds.
4. Paint the Moulds
Paint the chocolate into the moulds as we discussed above and place the moulds in the fridge for 5 minutes. Then you can release the chocolate from the mould to be assembled.
5. Assemble Your Chocolate Balls
Fill the first half of each ball about ¾ of the way with your hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. Pipe some melted chocolate onto the top sphere, place the second sphere on top and press gently together to seal. Use a gloved finger to clean off the excess chocolate. This will give a seamless look. You can also roll the ball in sprinkles to finish the look.
6. Enjoy!
Heat your choice of milk until it’s steaming (not boiling). Place the hot chocolate ball in the bottom of your mug and pour the hot milk on top. Use a spoon to stir everything together and voilà!
4o Homemade Hot Chocolate Ball Recipes
1. Easy Hot Chocolate Balls with Multi-Coloured Chocolate Chips | Spoonful of Flavour
2. TikTok Hot Chocolate Balls | I am a Food Blog
3. Hot Chocolate Balls with Melted Chocolate and Sprinkles | I am Baker
4. Hot Chocolate Balls with Marshmallows | A Spicy Perspective
5. Hot Chocolate Coffee Balls | Tastes of Homemade
6. Peppermint Hot Chocolate Balls | House of Nash Eats
7. White Hot Chocolate Balls | What the Fork
8. Shiny Hot Chocolate Balls with Marshmallows | Sugar Geek Show
9. Mocha Hot Chocolate Balls | Pint Sized Treasures
10. Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Balls | Homemade Hooplah
11. Peppermint Bark Hot Chocolate Balls | Glue Sticks Blog
12. White Chocolate Hot Chocolate Balls | Julie Blanner
13. Boozy Hot Chocolate Balls | Bake Me Some Sugar
14. Almond Joy Hot Chocolate Balls | Babaganoush
15. Caramel Hot Chocolate Balls | Amanda’s Cookin’
16. Unicorn Hot Cocoa Balls | Scrambled Chefs
17. Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate Balls | The Denver Housewife
18. Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate Balls | Dairy Free for Baby
19. Snowman Hot Chocolate Balls | Hello, Yummy
20. Peanut Butter Candy Hot Chocolate Balls | Mom Skoop
21. Twix Hot Cocoa Balls | Babaganoush
22. 3-Ingredient Hot Chocolate Balls | Wow, It’s Veggie?
23. Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Balls | The Denver Housewife
24. Mickey Mouse Hot Cocoa Balls | Simplistically Living
25. Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls | The Denver Housewife
26. Hot Chocolate Balls with Peanut Butter and Marshmallows | Everyday Family Cooking
27. White Chocolate Mocha Hot Chocolate Balls | Saving Dollars & Sense
28. Keto Hot Chocolate Balls | Joy Filled Eats
29. Mini Hot Chocolate Balls | Soap Deli News
30. Strawberry Hot Chocolate Balls | Ruffles and Rain Boots
31. Vegan Hot Chocolate Bombs | Texanerin
32. Rum Chata Hot Cocoa Balls | Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons
33. Orange Hot Chocolate Balls | Frugal Mom Eh
34. Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Balls | Cake’s Cottage
35. Fluffer Nutter Butter Hot Chocolate Balls | Lydi Out Loud
36. Fireball Hot Chocolate Balls | The Slow Roasted Italian
37. Birthday Hot Cocoa Balls | Shugary Sweets
38. S’mores Hot Chocolate Balls | When is Dinner?
39. Irish Cream Hot Chocolate Balls | Renee Nicole’s Kitchen
40. Easy and Fun Hot Cocoa Balls | The Toasted Pine Nut
Whether you’re looking for a fun treat to make with your kids, or need a yummy DIY gift idea for family and friends, give one (or several) of these homemade hot chocolate ball recipes a try!
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