You can make this unique hot chocolate bomb recipe that pairs freeze drying with delicious hot chocolate. As long as you have a freeze dryer, these hot chocolate bombs are unique, decently easy to make, and a little less finicky than normal hot chocolate bombs.
In recent years hot chocolate bombs have made an appearance. Normally, these are chocolate spheres with hot chocolate mix, and maybe marshmallows, inside. They require molds, tempered chocolate, and some time to assemble. While they make delicious hot chocolate, these freeze dried hot chocolate bomb bites can be used to make either hot chocolate, or as a snack on their own.
Similar to these delicious egg nog bites, this hot chocolate bomb recipe can be used to make bites for snacking, or bombs for making hot drinks. You can also use fair trade cacao powder, organic sugar, or a low or non-calorie sweetener of your choice instead of a commercial hot chocolate mix.
You will need a spherical ice cube mold, or mold of your choice. This hot cocoa bombs recipe won’t make super fancy chocolate enclosed bombs, but will make shelf-stable hot chocolate bombs that can be eaten as-is, or used for making quick hot chocolate on the go.
Making the Freeze Dried Hot Chocolate Bombs Recipe
Start with 2 cups of your favorite hot cocoa mix, or follow the recipe with formulating your own mix instead.
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Freeze Dried Hot Chocolate Bomb Recipe
Description
Start with 2 cups of your favorite hot cocoa mix, or follow the recipe with formulating your own mix instead.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole milk (or 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream)
- 8 ounces semi-sweet melting chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl mix together cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract. You can do equal amounts of cocoa and sugar instead of one to two if you like a stronger chocolate and less sweet flavor.
- Add milk and cream, if using, and whisk until fully blended and there are no powdery blobs left. The mix should be semi-thick. Heat the milk before mixing for easier initial blending.
- Pour into spherical ice cube molds, or extra large ice cube molds. Freeze for 12-24 hours. You can press mini marshmallows into the mold before pouring in the chocolate mix and before freezing if you have a large (2-3 inch sphere) mold. You can use silicone molds in different shapes than sphere and cube too.
- Transfer frozen chocolate milk blocks from the molds to your freeze dryer trays. Process for 24-36 hours in your freeze dryer. When fully dry and crisp you can remove the hot chocolate bites from the freeze dryer, let them warm to room temperature, then proceed with the chocolate dip.
- Melt the semi sweet chocolate in a heat proof bowl in a double boiler. Half dip the freeze dried chocolate blocks, and let chocolate drip and harden. Decorate with white chocolate drizzle, sprinkles, or freeze dried marshmallows if desired. Chill rapidly to set the chocolate. Note: solid chocolate cannot be freeze dried due to it’s fat content, which is why these bombs are dipped after the center portion is freeze dried.
- Store your hot chocolate bombs in mylar bags, sealed for freshness. With the chocolate dip the bombs will safely last 3-6 months in storage. If you skip the chocolate dip, the hot chocolate bites will last for 20 years with an oxygen absorber and desiccant in sealed, non-windowed mylar bags.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole milk (or 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream)
- 8 ounces semi-sweet melting chocolate (optional)
Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl mix together cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract. You can do equal amounts of cocoa and sugar instead of one to two if you like a stronger chocolate and less sweet flavor.
Add milk and cream, if using, and whisk until fully blended and there are no powdery blobs left. The mix should be semi-thick. Heat the milk before mixing for easier initial blending.
Pour into spherical ice cube molds, or extra large ice cube molds. Freeze for 12-24 hours. You can press mini marshmallows into the mold before pouring in the chocolate mix and before freezing if you have a large (2-3 inch sphere) mold. You can use silicone molds in different shapes than sphere and cube too.
Transfer frozen chocolate milk blocks from the molds to your freeze dryer trays. Process for 24-36 hours in your freeze dryer. When fully dry and crisp you can remove the hot chocolate bites from the freeze dryer, let them warm to room temperature, then proceed with the chocolate dip.
Melt the semi sweet chocolate in a heat proof bowl in a double boiler. Half dip the freeze dried chocolate blocks, and let chocolate drip and harden. Decorate with white chocolate drizzle, sprinkles, or freeze dried marshmallows if desired. Chill rapidly to set the chocolate. Note: solid chocolate cannot be freeze dried due to it’s fat content, which is why these bombs are dipped after the center portion is freeze dried.
Store your hot chocolate bombs in mylar bags, sealed for freshness. With the chocolate dip the bombs will safely last 3-6 months in storage. If you skip the chocolate dip, the hot chocolate bites will last for 20 years with an oxygen absorber and desiccant in sealed, non-windowed mylar bags.
With this method you don’t have to worry about fingerprints on the chocolate shell.
Hot Chocolate Bomb Variations:
You can switch up the chocolate used for the dipped shell. Use candy-melts for quicker melting sweeter chocolate. You can alt in dark chocolate, or unsweetened chocolate for a darker, richer end hot chocolate. You can even use peppermint flavored chocolate to make a fancier flavored chocolate shell. You can also use milk chocolate or chocolate chips, or whatever melt-able chocolate you have on hand for this hot chocolate treat.
After dipping the freeze dried hot chocolate bites, you can also top the still soft chocolate with crushed candy canes, curls or flakes of semi-sweet chocolate, additional chocolate wafers, cookies, peppermint candies, and other edible items for decoration.
Making Hot Chocolate with your Hot Chocolate Bombs:
Place one or two chocolate bomb in your mugs and pour just boiled water, or hot milk, over the chocolate bombs. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and blended into the hot water. Add additional milk or cream if desired and topped with whipped cream before serving.
A golf ball sized sphere mold can have one bomb per cup. One inch or smaller ice cube molds will need two or three bombs per cup, unless you’re only making a four or six ounce cup. Smaller molds can be fun to make smaller quantities of hot chocolate for young kids or toddlers.
Gifting Freeze Dried Hot Chocolate Bombs:
This hot chocolate bomb recipe makes another great gift from your freeze dryer, and this recipe can help you get the most out of your freeze drying efforts.
Gift your freeze dried hot chocolate bombs by placing them in cupcake liners, then tucking them into mylar bags and sealing them. You should be able to fit 3-5 bombs, or liner’s of bombs per mylar bag. You can also set up small sized, windowed, mylar bags with single serving combos (1 or 2 bombs per liner) for stocking stuffers or small gift occasions, or as part of a gift basket.
You could even include chocolate covered spoons with your chocolate bombs, as part of a hot chocolate themed gift basket.
Other Things to Freeze Dry:
Besides this hot chocolate bomb recipe, there are lots of different things you can preserve in your freeze dryer. These eggnog bites, for example, are a great holiday treat and can be quickly freeze dried or even run at the same time as some of these hot chocolate bombs.
You can also freeze dry various candies, which changes the candy’s texture and form. Or even just do marshmallows, and marshmallow fluff.
Of course, fruits, veggies, and even entire Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners can be successfully freeze dried. Make sure to try new things, and experiment with fun freeze dried foods for your family. There are lots of gifts you can preserve with a freeze dryer, so if you’ve invested in one, make sure to try some fun things for gifts as well as your normal preserving.
Back to You:
What other things are you interested in freeze drying? Leave a comment and we’ll explore them!
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