In partnership with Chocolove.
These genius little bombs are the ultimate mid-morning pick-me-up! With a full dose of espresso and a thick coating of super dark chocolate, just stir one into a mug of hot water for a comforting mocha latte. If you’re still searching for stocking stuffers, everyone from college students to 9-to-5ers will love these!
This recipe is actually embarrassingly easy: Instant espresso for a good kick of caffeine. Dry milk to make it a latte and cocoa powder to make it a mocha. Sweetened condensed milk to hold it all together and add a kiss of sweetness. Mix in any other add-in your heart could want – amaretto? peppermint? mexican spices? – and you’ve got instant mocha latte bombs. A quick dip in extra strong dark chocolate keeps them fresh and extra decadent!
Whole dry milk will make the richest, creamiest latte, but most of my local groceries only carried nonfat dry milk. You can still use nonfat, but you may want to add a splash of cream to your drink as well. Using 77% strong dark chocolate makes these richer and less sweet, so these are definitely better for you than most mochas at only 115 calories – a perfect treat to stick with our January resolutions.
A couple more tips: you actually don’t want to roll the balls too tightly, just enough to stick together, so they’ll melt more quickly. These aren’t terribly sweet so you can always add some sugar if you’d like: start with 1/2 cup brown sugar, taste, and work from there. A stand mixer isn’t reaaaaally required, but this ‘dough’ is so thick and sticky that you’ll get a great arm workout!
These mocha latte bombs really are the best last-minute stocking stuffer; a whole batch only takes half an hour and makes three dozen bombs! Wrap a dozen up in a treat bag and you’re all set. They can be stored at room temp at the office or in a desk drawer, just keep them out of direct sunlight so the pure chocolate coating doesn’t melt.
I’m still scrambling in this last week before Christmas (!!) to find the last few family gifts, so don’t be surprised if these show up on your doorstep!
Mocha Latte Bombs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups instant espresso
- 3 cups dry milk
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 6 oz. Chocolove Extra Strong Dark Chocolate or other 75%+ dark chocolate
Variation: Amaretto Mocha
- 2 T. almond extract
Variation: Peppermint Mocha
- 2 T. peppermint extract
Variation: Mexican Mocha
- 1 T. cinnamon powder
- 1 T. chili powder
Instructions
Mocha Latte Bombs
- Combine instant espresso, dry milk, cocoa powder, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. (If making any of the variations, add ingredients now.)
- Mix on medium with a paddle until just barely combined. Overmixing will make the balls more difficult to dissolve.
- Divide into six portions, then roll each portion into 6 balls to make 36 equally-sized balls.
- Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler, or in a saucepan set over a pot of boiling water.
- Roll each ball in the melted chocolate. Shake off any excess and set on parchment paper.
- Let bombs dry overnight so the chocolate sets. Store in a dry container at room temperature or in the fridge.
To Make A Drink
- Stir one bomb into 8 oz. of boiling water until completely dissolved.
Sounds interesting, but at the end of the recipe, under notes, I’m not sure I am reading this right, it states ” You can substitute condensed milk for evaporated milk to make a much sweeter mocha”
Wouldn’t that be the other way around? Sweetened condensed milk is much sweeter than evaporated milk.
I haven’t tried but its a great idea!
Great catch Christine, you’re absolutely right! I originally tested the recipe both ways since I prefer less-sweet myself, but my taste-testers loved it with sweetened condensed milk, so that was the winner for the final recipe. I’ve corrected the note. Thanks so much for letting me know!
How long can these be stored?
Great question, Angela – all cooked foods are considered perishable foods. I’ve personally kept them on the shelf for over a week; my estimate would be one week at room temperature, up to a month in the fridge, or up to six months in the freezer. (As always, use your best judgment for food storage!) Hope you enjoy!
Can these be used like a hot chocolate bomb in hot milk instead of water? I assume it would me richer but it sounds really good!
Absolutely Teri, that sounds extra delicious!
How could you make this version for a white chocolate mocha? I know white chocolate for the coating, but what about a substitute for the cocoa powder?
What a great idea, Stacy! I haven’t tested this, but I would look for something like white cocoa powder. A mix like this will be sweeter than traditional cocoa powder, but I bet it will be delicious!
Could you make these without dry milk and put them into whole milk??
Hi Madinah, I haven’t tried that! The purpose of the dry milk is to help them dissolve smoothly; they might take a very long time to dissolve without it, or the whole milk might need to be very hot. I’m curious how they turn out if you do try them this way!
Hi! This recipe looks great. About how big is each ball and is it only one per cup of hot water ? And can you dip them in the chocolate after with a fork to let the excess drip through or can you use a toothpick to dip? Or will they come apart of you do? Thanks so much!!
Hi Emily, thank you for the kind words! Each is about the size of a ping pong ball, and it only takes one per cup of hot water. You can absolutely dip them into the melted chocolate with a fork or a toothpick, both will work well! (Rolling them can be a bit quicker, but messier.) Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much! One last question: how do you achieve such a smooth look while rolling them? I’m only nervous they won’t be perfectly round and smooth from rolling but your photo looks spot on!!!
Is the cocoa powder in the recipe actually cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix?
Hi Brittany, it’s cocoa powder – not hot chocolate mix. I particularly like Hershey’s special dark since I prefer dark chocolate!