How To Make Hot Chocolate Bombs Dairy Free (And Vegan!)

Make the most delicious glass of hot cocoa you’ve ever had with these hot chocolate bombs that are dairy free and vegan! These hot cocoa bombs are made with dairy free chocolate, homemade cocoa mix and vegan marshmallows. These are the perfect treat, just warm up your favorite alternative milk, pour it over the hot cocoa bomb and watch the marshmallows explode.

 

Why We Love Dairy Free Hot Cocoa Bombs

I made those Christmas Hot Chocolate Bombs last month, and we had so much fun with them we started making a few different kinds of cocoa bombs. I decided to make a few as gifts.

As I was creating I quickly realized one of the people I was making for is vegan. I took that as a challenge, and while we aren’t vegan or dairy free ourselves I knew I could make a hot cocoa bomb that was!

What Is A Hot Chocolate Bomb

In case you’ve somehow not seen these before, a hot chocolate bomb is a thin round chocolate that is hollow that is full of hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. When you drop it in a mug and pour warm milk (or alternative milk like almond milk) over it, the marshmallows explode in the cup. They are so much fun!

It’s not easy to find dairy free and vegan hot cocoa bombs to buy when I wrote this post. So I created my own dairy free hot chocolate bomb recipe!

What Kind Of Chocolate Mold Should I Use?

The molds keep flying off the shelves, hot cocoa bombs have been so popular! I highty recommend using a silicone mold to make your chocolate bombs as it makes it easy to pop the chocolate out of the mold.

• I like these larger 2.7 inch 6 cavity silicone molds, which is what I used this time. They hold more marshamallows and are a fun size for giving as gifts.
• These smaller 2 inch silicone molds hold 15 cavities and can be a great size for kids. The downside is the bombs won’t hold as many marshmallows.

There are some hard plastic molds also. These can work but you MUST temper your chocolate (which means melting the chocolate at a specific temperature using a candy thermometer) or the chocolate will not release from the mold! If you have a hard plastic mold you can learn how to temper chocolate here.

How Do I Make Dairy Free Hot Chocolate Bombs?

Making dairy free hot cocoa bombs isn’t hard. Just like making any hot chocolate bombs. it can be a little fussy and requires a little patience to work with the melted chocolate.

Start by melting the chocolate, then filling the silicone cavities with a few spoonfuls of melted chocolate.

You’ll need to use the spoon to almost paint the chocolate onto the mold. I like to go through a second time with an extra spoonful of chocolate to make sure I get it all the way up on the edges and don’t have any holes.

Then refrigerate the chocolate shells for 2-3 hours so they set well.

Pop the chocolate out of the molds. Fill half the chocolate domes with a scoop of the hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.

How Do I Seal The Cocoa Bombs Closed?

This is where these get just a little fussy. On my Christmas Hot Chocolate bombs I melted some extra chocolate and then dipped one side of the chocolate shell in the chocolate. Then place the chocolate shell on top of the side with the cocoa mix and marshmallows and push them together.

My BEST Trick For Sealing Hot Cocoa Bombs Closed- Less Messy!

I’ve since learned a less messier trick! Turn your oven on it’s lowest temperature and throw a sheet pan in the oven.

Let the pan warm up, then pull it out and place a piece of parchment paper over the pan. Place the chocolate shell onto the parchment paper and let it melt for just a few seconds. Then place the chocolate dome on top of a chocolate dome filled with cocoa and marshmallows to seal.

So much less messy! If your pan becomes too cool slide the parchment off of the pan and slide the pan back into the oven. Let it warm up again and repeat the process.

The parchment keeps you from having to chisel chocolate off of the pan later. Remove the parchment before heating the pan in the oven or you may end up with a big melty mess on the pan.

Once the hot cocoa bombs are sealed, I like to place them back in the freezer or fridge for a few minutes to make sure they set well.

Ingredients For Dairy Free (Vegan) Hot Chocolate Bombs

• Marshmallows  I used Dandies brand, they are dairy free and vegan
• Dairy Free Chocolate Chips  I like Enjoy Life or Simple Truth for chocolate chips. You can also chop up a bar of chocolate that is dairy free. Semi-sweet, dark and white chocolate can all be used.
• Cacao Powder
• Raw Cane Sugar – also known as turbinado sugar, but any organic sugar can be used.

When it’s time to explode the hot cocoa bombs you’ll also need about a cup of your favorite plant based milk warmed up.

How Do I Make Sure My Hot Chocolate Bomb Dairy Free Or Vegan?

So when you are making a hot chocolate bomb dairy free, you’ll need to carefully consider what kinds of chocolate, sugar and cacao powder you use. To make these hot chocolate bombs also vegan, using the right marshmallows will also be important.

What Dairy Free Chocolate Should I Use?

You’ll need a chocolate or chocolate chip that is dairy free for this recipe. I tend to turn to Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips which has both a semisweet and a dark chocolate that are delicious.

I also sometimes will grab Simple Truth’s Allergy Friendly Chocolate Chips, which can be found at Krogers, Fry’s, Fred Meyer and any other grocery stores that is in the Kroger group as it is their house brand.

You are welcome to use your favorite dairy free chocolate. You can also grab chocolate bars and use that, just chop it up before you melt it. When working with bars grab a little more chocolate then you think you may need. It’s better to have a little extra to both decorate and to fill any accidental holes.

What Dairy Free Cocoa Mix Should I Use?

If you have a favorite dairy free or vegan cocoa mix you can use that and just scoop a few spoonfuls into each chocolate bomb.

I didn’t have dairy free/vegan cocoa mix, so I made my own and it’s super easy.

Blend together organic Cacao powder and organic turbinado sugar (or any organic sugar), both of which I find at Trader Joe’s. Sometimes cocoa powder contains dairy, so by using cacao powder we eliminate that issue.

Blend the cacao and turbinado sugar in a food processor, which will help the coarse grains dissolve easier in the cup. This keeps you from having gritty grains in the bottom of the cup.

What is Turbinado/Raw Cane Sugar?

Turbinado sugar is coarse raw cane sugar. You can also use to decorate the tops of the hot cocoa bombs. It’s often used to sprinkle on the top of baked goods like muffins to give them a sweet crunch.

Some sugar is ground with animal bone, so read the labels carefully. My understanding is all organic sugar is both vegan and dairy-free, but always read the labels.

Are Marshmallows Dairy Free and Vegan?

Most marshmallows are dairy free (Check the labels just in case), but that doesn’t mean they are vegan. Marshmallows are made with gelatin which is an animal byproduct. Depending on how strict you are as a vegan or vegetarian, many people exclude gelatin.

I used Dandies Mini Marshmallows, which are one of the few brands of marshmallows that are vegan (and because of it dairy free also.) that I found at my local natural foods store.

How Do I Decorate My Hot Cocoa Bombs?

I melted just a few extra tablespoons of chocolate, then placed it into a strong top zipper bag. Snip a tiny corner off of the bag and use the warm chocolate to drizzle over the top. You can also use this same drizzle to fill a tiny hole if you spot one you missed before you decorate.

Sprinkle the tops of the bombs right after adding the drizzle with more of the turbinado sugar on top, it looks really pretty. If you have a dairy free or vegan safe sprinkle you can also add sprinkles.

How Do I Explode My Hot Cocoa Bombs?

When you are ready to explode your hot cocoa bombs heat u a cup of your favorite plant based milk. (I like almond milk, but use your favorite.) Put the hot cocoa bomb into the cup and pour the warm milk over the chocolate. Watch the marshmallows explode as it melts into your cup!

How Do You Wrap Hot Cocoa Bombs For Gifts?

I used these adorable paper boxes to gift my hot cocoa bombs. They are the perfect size for the bigger hot cocoa bombs that four of the 2.7 inch hot cocoa bombs sit perfectly in this box.

If you make smaller hot cocoa bombs there may be a little more room between the bombs in the box. These brown paper bags with a see-thru window would also work well for 2 larger cocoa bombs or the smaller cocoa bombs, though I haven’t tried them.

You can also set the hot cocoa bombs in paper cupcake liners to help keep them from rolling in the box or bag. Cupcake liners are available in every color and pattern under the sun!

Love Hot Chocolate? Try my Whipped Hot Chocolate Recipe which includes tips of how to make a dairy-free version!