How Long Do Hot Chocolate Bombs Last? How to Store Them?
Hot chocolate bombs are small chocolate balls of absolute joy that instantly dissolve when you pour hot milk over them, releasing all the goodness inside – mainly hot cocoa and lots of marshmallows. Now the question is, how do you store chocolate bombs after making them? And how long will they stay good for?
Hot chocolate bombs will stay fresh for up to 60 days if you put them inside an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, you can preserve the bombs for many months by storing them in a refrigerator or a freezer.
Today, we will crack open these delicious balls of chocolate and find out their secrets. We will answer questions such as the best chocolate for making the bombs, what sort of mold to use, how to refrigerate them, etc.
How Long Do Hot Cocoa Bombs Last?
Chocolate and cocoa powder are not easily perishable items. They will not rot or go bad even if you leave them at room temperature. If improperly stored, they can develop molds or bacterial contamination. But the more probable scenario is that the chocolate will lose its quality long before that happens.
So, hot chocolate bombs have a relatively long shelf-life compared to many other sweet treats. At room temperature, you can keep the bombs fresh and usable even after 1-2 months, provided that you store them properly.
To keep them in your stock for longer, you can put them in a fridge or freezer. Inside the chilled temperature of a fridge, these bombs can comfortably last up to months, maybe even 1-2 years, again only if you store them correctly.
| Room Temperature | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homemade | 60 days | 1-2 years | Indefinitely |
| Store-bought | 60 days | 1-2 years | Indefinitely |
How to Store Hot Chocolate Bombs?
Since the two main ingredients in a hot chocolate bomb are chocolate molds and cocoa powder, the worry here is not that they will become poisonous. Rather it is about storing them in a way that will best preserve their quality.
With that in mind, the best way to store these treats would be to put them in an airtight container and leave them in a pantry or cabinet. Not only will the bombs remain usable for many weeks, but you will also ensure that the quality of the chocolate does not degrade too quickly.
The key here is to ensure that moisture or water cannot enter the container. Otherwise, the chocolate and the cocoa inside will quickly go stale. The moisture can also be a fast route for fungus to grow on the bombs.
Keeping them in a fridge is another option. This way, you can store them for a much longer period. Although, just like with many other snacks, the chocolate will slowly lose its quality the longer you keep it in the fridge. That is why the best way to enjoy these bombs is to use them within a couple of days.
Do Hot Chocolate Bombs Need to Be Refrigerated?
Unlike many common foods like fish or milk, you do not have to keep your chocolate in the fridge to keep them fresh. You can keep chocolate and cocoa powder at room temperature for a long time. You just have to ensure that they remain in a cool and dry place, away from too much moisture. Otherwise, they will go stale.
If you want to keep the chocolate hard and fresh for a very long time or do not have a safe place to keep the chocolate out in the open, your next best option is the refrigerator. The fridge is also a terrific way of preserving chocolate that is not tempered, as the colder temperature will prevent it from melting.
What Is the Best Chocolate for Hot Chocolate Bombs?
You can practically use whatever chocolate you want when making hot chocolate bombs. You can go for the classic semi-sweet milk chocolate bombs. Or you can make them with white chocolate, a combination of milk, butter, and sugar without any cocoa solids.
Semi-sweet chocolate is the standard for most people. Since the chocolate is not inherently very sweet, you have the chance to adjust the sweetness of your hot chocolate later on. Alternatively, if you want some bitterness to counteract the sweetness of the marshmallow and added sugar, you can select dark chocolate, which has a higher percentage of cocoa.
You can even go for a mixture of chocolate if you so desire. For example, you can make the mold out of milk chocolate and drizzle it with white chocolate later. Or you can stuff bits of dark chocolate inside the balls and the cocoa powder and marshmallows. It is really up to you and how you prefer to drink your hot chocolate.
Do You Have to Temper Chocolate When Making Hot Chocolate Bombs?
Using tempered chocolate is the best way to ensure that your chocolate bombs attain the perfect shape and crunch, long-lasting.
When making hot chocolate bombs, the first thing you have to do is melt your selection of chocolate. And tempering is heating the chocolate to a certain temperature so that the molecules inside the chocolate acquire an organized structure.
This organized structure makes chocolate shiny and smooth on the outside. And it also gives chocolate that familiar snap when you break it.
Additionally, tempered chocolate does not melt very easily since the underlying structure is very strong.
And these properties are crucial for making chocolate molds. If the chocolate is not in its temper, then it will look messy and unappealing on the outside. It will also not set as quickly as you would like it. Afterward, when you attempt to form the bombs with the chocolate mold, it will start melting from the heat of your fingers.
But if you temper the chocolate beforehand, they become so much easier to work with. They will retain their shape even when you start to form the bombs.
Consequently, the moment you pour hot milk on top of the bombs, they will easily melt and expose their insides.
Can You Use Candy Melts for Hot Chocolate Bombs?
You can utilize candy melts when making hot chocolate bombs. Candy melts are a mixture of vegetable oil and sugar that people normally use to coat various confectionaries. Hence, why it has the word “melt” in its name.
Now, you can incorporate the candy melts in a couple of different ways. First, you can melt the candy and pipe it over your chocolate bombs, and then quickly drizzle sprinkles on top. The melted candy will provide a firm attachment for the sprinkles.
Or you can melt the candy and place it in a bowl. Then dip the entire bomb in the bowl to coat all of the exteriors. Candy melts can come in all sorts of colors. So, they can be a fun way of giving your bombs a striking look.
Can You Use Almond Bark for Hot Chocolate Bombs?
You can use almond bark in a very similar manner to candy melts. Almond barks are made out of vegetable fat instead of cocoa solids. They will easily melt, which you can use to coat your bombs.
Almond barks come in various flavors and shapes. You can get almond barks that also have roasted nuts, which you can put inside the bombs. So, when the bomb melts, the crunchy bark and nuts will add a different texture to your hot cocoa drink.
Can You Use Water With Hot Chocolate Bombs?
The whole purpose of hot chocolate bombs is to have an alternative way of preparing a hot chocolate drink. But if you want to avoid milk in this process, you can use hot water instead. Since the bombs are mainly chocolate and cocoa powder, hot water will be enough to melt them, just like milk.
Water does not have the fat and protein present in milk. So, the end product will not be as rich or creamy. But you can compensate for this by packing the bombs with plenty of flavors. For example, you can place chunks of milk chocolate inside the shells.
When stuffing the chocolate bombs, it is best to avoid putting any liquid inside them. Because the liquid can cause the shells to break apart or melt prematurely, it can make the shells weak. So, you will not receive the explosion of the chocolate that is much of the appeal.
What Size Molds for Hot Chocolate Bombs?
When picking the right size of molds for your chocolate bombs, you have to consider the mug you plan on using. Because the bombs have to fit inside the mug comfortably, the filling will likely spill over and lead to a giant mess.
The standard mold size for making chocolate bombs is 3” or less. 3” is the diameter of your average mug. So, you would want the bombs to be at least a little smaller than that to fit. I recommend that you get a mold where the diameter of the hemispheres is 2 to 2.5 inches. This way, you can safely make the chocolate bombs for most, if not all, mug sizes.
To sum it up, hot chocolate with marshmallows is like a drink during the winter season. And when it comes in the form of these wonder balls, the experience becomes truly something special.
