Nothing says Fall like Pumpkin Spice – be it in your morning latte, pumpkin pie or coffee creamer. Now there’s a ‘new kid on the block’ that uses that beloved spice blend! Introducing Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cocoa Bombs.
Cocoa bombs are spheres of tempered chocolate containing cocoa powder, marshmallows and whatever else you would like that’s meltable. Place one inside a mug, and pour hot milk over it. It won’t take long for the bomb to explode. Watching that happen is almost as good as the treat itself.
This recipe for Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cocoa Bomb entails a double wall of white chocolate enclosing layers of marshmallow, cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips. Dusted with a homemade pumpkin spice blend and topped with chards of white chocolate. Plunge them into hot milk and watch them explode!
Ingredients For Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Bombs
The following ingredients are for the cocoa bombs themselves and the pumpkin spice as well.
Just to be clear, on an accuracy note, not all white chocolate is chocolate. White chocolate’s ingredients are cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and oftentimes vanilla. The Food and Drug Administration, states that legally to have the title ‘chocolate’, white chocolate needs to contain at least 20% cocoa butter and does not need to have the presence of cocoa solids.
You can read more about the FDA’s report here
Many people are of the opinion that white chocolate is not real chocolate but rather white confectionary used in baking.
I checked my package of white chocolate chips. Sure enough, the label reads ‘Premier White Morsels.’ It turns out I did not use white chocolate but rather white confectionary. BUT for the purposes of this post, I will call it white chocolate!
- White chocolate, chips or block chocolate.
- Marshmallows, mini or large. I am a fan of using what you have already and I had large marshmallows in my pantry. If using large, be sure to chop them up.
- Cocoa powder – I used Ovaltine to introduce some malt overtones.
- Chocolate chips, mini ones are good, I used bittersweet to balance the sweet creaminess of the white chocolate.
- Pumpkin spice blend made from cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. All spices were ground.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Chop up the marshmallows or any other ingredient you choose to use that is not small. This will make the melting part of the bomb more effective.
Place white chocolate chips into a double boiler, Bain Marie, or water bath. Confused? Don’t be. Put 2/3 of the quantity of chips in one heatproof container like a pot or Pyrex bowl, and place it on top of a pot containing about an inch of water. The container with chocolate in it should NOT touch the water in the pot. Melting the chocolate this way is called tempering. Tempering will make the chocolate shiny and glossy when cool. It won’t melt easily in your hand (something that is important when assembling each bomb.)
Place the pot of water containing the pot of chocolate chips onto a low burner and allow to melt.
When the chocolate reaches about 100 degrees F, remove it from the water bath. Using a balloon whisk, add the remaining 1/3 of the white chocolate chips, one tablespoon at a time.
Once the chocolate is smooth, spoon about a tablespoon into each mold (12 total.) Using a silicone brush, distribute the chocolate up around the sides of each mold. Allow to cool, then spoon another tablespoon of white chocolate into each mold. Brush again. This creates two layers of chocolate.
Add marshmallows, then cocoa and lastly mini chocolate chips.
Only fill 6 of the molds. Prewarm a flat metal plate (such as the removable bottom of a mini cake pan.) Remove an empty chocolate mold and lay it on the hot plate to slightly melt the chocolate perimeter. Then stick it onto the filled mold base and press slightly to seal.
Flexibility of Ingredients
There are lots of ways to change these Cocoa Bombs to your liking:
- The type of chocolate you use. As mentioned above, I used Nestle Premier White Morsels, so not actually chocolate. You could use a real white chocolate or even milk or dark chocolate. I choose white because I want the pumpkin spice blend to be seen on the surface.
- Use cocoa, prepared hot chocolate mix, Ovaltine (like I did), Mexican or British drinking chocolate or prepare your own blend of drinkable chocolate.
- Any other ingredient that can ‘melt’ in warm milk besides marshmallows and chocolate chips, like sprinkles (rainbow or chocolate).
- DO NOT add nuts within the bomb or on top. The bombs will be dissolved in hot milk and chopped nuts could present a choking hazard.
Flexibility with Equipment
- I used silicon molds. I have made bombs without using a mold and it is more challenging. However, if you would like to avoid purchasing molds, then there is a way to make your own molds at home. First of all, take a small piece of aluminum foil and a small orange or a hard boiled egg and wrap the foil half way up the side of the orange / egg, to create half a sphere. Second of all, repeat this action 12 times to produce enough half spheres to make 6 full spheres.
- As mentioned earlier, there are several different ways to melt chocolate on the stovetop. Using a special pan set that has one pot sit exactly on top of the other is ideal. Do not microwave the chocolate. The tempering process involves heating 2/3 of the chocolate to around 100 degrees F and adding the remainder of the chocolate, little bit at a time, as it cools. Microwaving does not give you the control to do that.
Uses of Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
These are great to serve at any get together where kids are included. Consider adding these to a Fall Festival party along with a Candy Apple Dipping Bar and homemade Dulce de Leche.
This Pumpkin Spice variation is especially popular during Fall and onto Thanksgiving. They also make great gifts and ‘bring alongs’ to parties.
Storage
Cocoa bombs of any type will store for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container unrefrigerated.
They can last up to 4 months if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
They can also be frozen, but wrap each one in plastic wrap, and place them in an airtight container to protect any unwanted damage.
Equipment
These silicon molds Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cocoa Bombs so much easier. They are dishwasher safe, high heat resistant and made from food grade material.
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A Tip From Me
Do not forego the second application of the white chocolate in the mold which creates a double layer of chocolate. This will strengthen the bomb making it more durable and less fragile for gift giving.
Spoon any leftover white chocolate onto a Silpat mat and allow it to harden. With a metal food scraper, skim it across the surface of the chocolate and made chards of chocolate. This is entirely optional. Chocolate chards are great for garnish and prevent unnecessary wasting!
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- I love these for kids, how do I make them for adults? Glad you asked! Boozy cocoa bombs are definitely a thing. Add cocoa to the bottom sphere half along with 1 oz alcohol, such as Irish whisky, Irish cream, coffee liqueur, rum, or brandy, you pick your poison! Then add the top of the sphere and seal both halves together. Add hot milk and enjoy.
- How do you stop them from breaking? Adding two layers of chocolate helps make them less fragile.
- How do I stop fingerprints showing up on the surface of the bombs? Wear disposable gloves and don’t handle them too much. Also tempering the chocolate helps decrease the chances of fingerprints showing up.
- Why are my cocoa bombs not shiny? This is due to the fact that the chocolate is not tempered or you overheated the chocolate. A solution to this is to dip your bomb into some more melted tempered chocolate which will provide the glossy look you want. Alternatively, dip it into melted chocolate and then dip it in sprinkles.
- I don’t want a messy looking seam, how can I avoid this? Camouflage the seam with sprinkles or chocolate shavings, or drizzle melted chocolate over the top.
- What quantity of milk is needed? You will need about 10-12 oz of milk, cream, or half-and-half to melt the chocolate sphere.
Recipe for Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
Equipment
- 12 Silicone Molds Sold as a 4 pack of 6 hemispherical hot chocolate molds
Ingredients
- 12 oz white chocolate chips, or block chocolate
- 4 oz marshmallows mini are preferable
- 2 oz mini chocolate chips
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder or similar drinking chocolate
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground clove
Instructions
- Chop up the marshmallows if using large ones. Chop up any other ingredient you choose to use that is not small, this will make the melting part of the bomb more effective.
- Place ⅔ of the quantity of white chocolate chips into a double boiler to melt over a low heat. Melting the chocolate this way is called tempering and it will make the chocolate shiny and glossy.
- When the chocolate reaches about 100 degrees F, remove it from the water bath. Using a balloon whisk, add the remaining 1/3 of the white chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon at a time so that each spoonful melts before the next one is added.
- Once the chocolate is smooth, spoon about a tablespoon into each mold (12 total.) Using a silicone brush, distribute the chocolate up around the sides of each mold. When set, spoon another tablespoon of white chocolate into the mold and repeat with the brushing. This creates 2 walls of chocolate.
- Add marshmallows, then cocoa (Ovaltine) and lastly mini chocolate chips to 6 of the molds.
- Using a flat metal plate (eg. a pie plate) that has been pre warmed, remove an empty chocolate mold and lay it on the hot plate to slightly melt the chocolate perimeter. Then stick it onto the filled mold base and press slightly to seal.
- Mix the four dry spices together. With a silicone brush, apply a think layer of warm white chocolate to the surface of the sphere. Sprinkle the spices onto the top of the sphere, the chocolate will help it stick.
- OPTIONAL: Spoon any leftover white chocolate onto a Silpat mat and allow it to harden. With a metal food scraper, skim it across the surface of the chocolate and make chards of chocolate for decoration.
- These bombs are now ready. Place one in a large mug. Pour 10-12 oz hot milk over the top of it and watch it explode.
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