Happy December everyone! I’m here today to post one of the most December-ish recipes, these cookies and cream hot chocolate bombs! Man, if it’s not the most hot chocolate time of year, I don’t know what is.
A few years ago, I posted these salted caramel hot chocolate bombs.To my surprise, they’ve become one of the more popular recipes on my bloggity blog. So today, I present to you another version, only with some Oreos mashed up inside.
I got inspired to make these hot chocolate bombs after tasting some cookies and cream hot chocolate at my local convenience store. Glamorous, I know. But I thought it tasted amazing and wanted to make my own version at home. Plus who doesn’t love cookies and cream flavored foods? I know I’m a huge fan.
So how do we make these hot chocolate bombs?
First, let’s talk about how these hot chocolate bombs are made. One thing I’ve noticed that is super popular this year are the hot chocolate bombs made with the molds that have powdered mix and other treats inside. Dudes, these are totally awesome and make great presents. However, if you don’t have the time or resources to spend on making that style of hot chocolate bombs, you should try this version. It’s totally delicious and fast. All you’ll need to do is pop the chocolate cubes into a hot cup of milk and it’s perfection!
To make these cookies and cream hot chocolate bombs, all I is heat up some cream with sweetened condensed milk on the stove. Then I add chocolate chips and let them melt, then stir them until completely smooth. Off heat, tons of crushed Oreos are added. After that, the mixture is poured into a pan and left to set. Cut them into a cubes and they’re done!
Let’s talk about homemade marshmallows…
Jet puffed marshmallows are all fine and dandy, but next-level hot chocolate is made with homemade marshmallows. I can’t even really explain why, it just makes the hot chocolate so velvety and frothy. It’s definitely worth the time.
I used to work in a bakery where we offered hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. And before I saw how they were actually made, I was totally intimidated to try them. But I’m telling you, they are super easy. To start, gelatin is softened by mixing it with some water. Add in some sugar syrup and whip until fluffy. Pour the mixture into a dusted pan and allow it to set up. Next step is to cut them into cubes. I also mixed more crushed Oreos into my marshmallows to amp up the Oreo flavor (before I poured the mixture into the pan).
I stacked the hot chocolate bombs and marshmallows on top of each other and connected them with a bamboo pick. This just makes them easier for gift-giving but isn’t necessary.
Pass these out as neighbor gifts!
This recipe makes quite a few bombs so it’s perfect for passing out around the holidays. I just keep them in an airtight container on the counter and try to use them within a week. As it turns out, this actually isn’t a hard thing to do when you have kids to also love hot chocolate. Ha!
I hope you really love this recipe, and I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!
Cookies and Cream Hot Chocolate Bombs
This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make homemade hot chocolate. With Oreos mixed in, to boot!
Ingredients
For the hot chocolate bombs:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup good quality chopped unsweetened baking chocolate
- 15 Oreo cookies, crushed and divided
For the marshmallows:
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 packages unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- remaining Oreo crumbs from hot chocolate bombs, plus 5 extra crushed Oreos for topping (optional)
- sprinkles (optional)
- bamboo serving sticks (optional)
- candy liners (optional)
Instructions
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Line an 8x8" pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease with non-stick spray.
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Mix together heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat until just steaming, then remove from heat. Add chocolate and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to melt the chocolate.
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Over low heat, whisk the chocolate until smooth and shiny. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Remove from heat and add in 1 cup of the Oreo crumbs. Stir until well-combined, then pour into 8x8" pan and allow to sit for at least 1 hour to set up. You can also put it in the fridge for faster and harder setting.
For the marshmallows:
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Lightly grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch, then add 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into the pan and tap to liberally coat the pan with the mixture. Set aside the remaining powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture for later.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the gelatin with 1/2 cup of the cold water. Allow to bloom for several minutes while you cook the syrup.
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In a saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook until mixture reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Turn mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the sugar syrup to mix with the bloomed gelatin. After all the syrup has been added, turn to high and whip for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is lukewarm and thick. Add the vanilla and the remaining Oreo crumbs, and mix until well combined. Scoop the mixture into the pan, and smooth to the edges. Smooth out the top. Add additional Oreo crumbs and sprinkles (if desired). Dust lightly with some of the remaining cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture (you may not need all of it). Let marshmallows sit for at least 4 hours up to overnight to set up.
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Once the hot chocolate bombs have set, cut into cubes about 1 1/4" big. You should have about 36 squares.
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Cut the marshmallows into even 1 1/4" cubes (this is optional and only if you want them to look pretty stacked on top of the bombs). You'll have a few extra marshmallows if you cut them into 1 1/4", or you can cut them into bigger pieces.
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Place a marshmallow cube on top of a hot chocolate bomb cube, and stick a bamboo stick through both. You can also place a candy liner on the bottom for easy gift-giving.
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To make the hot chocolate, warm up your favorite milk to a hot temperature, then add the hot chocolate bomb. Allow to sit a few minutes, then stir around until dissolved.
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The hot chocolate bombs melt best when they're at room temperature. They keep up to a week.
