Pumpkin Spice Jack o’Lantern Hot Cocoa Bombs For Halloween
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These Jack o’Lantern Hot Cocoa Bombs are the perfect Halloween drink to enjoy this spooky season. With pumpkin spice cocoa, marshmallows, and Halloween M&Ms, pour over hot milk and it’ll warm you through after a night of Trick or Treat fun!
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Jack o’Lantern Hot Cocoa Bombs
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
With Halloween on the way, it’s time to turn boring, round hot cocoa bombs into fun Jack o’Lantern bombs, filled with pumpkin spice hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, and Halloween M&Ms!
Maybe you’ve been decorating the front of your house for Halloween or took the kids out for a round of Trick or Treat in the neighborhood, if you’ve been out in the cold, this hot chocolate drink will warm you right up.
Or if you’re throwing a Halloween party for family and friends, these Jack o’Lantern hot cocoa bombs will go down a real treat – maybe package them up to give out as party favors, or serve them up with a plate of Halloween cookies!
If you’ve made cocoa bombs in the past, then you could probably head on down to the recipe card and get making them, but if these are going to be your first try, then please read through as I’ve got tips along the way to help you.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Jack o’Lantern Mold – a 3-piece set available on Etsy. If you can’t source them on Etsy, I have seen the same mold on various cake making supply websites.
- Orange Candy Melts
- Black Candy Melts
- Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Mix – if you can’t find this ready made, use regular hot chocolate powder and add some pumpkin pie spice to your liking.
- Halloween M&Ms
- Mini Marshmallows
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Pumpkin Spice
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is pumpkin spice, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Pumpkin Spice Irish Coffee with Baileys Irish Cream
- Maple Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix
- Pecan & Pumpkin Spice No-Churn Ice Cream
More Hot Cocoa Bomb Recipes
Looking for more hot cocoa bombs to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Mickey & Minnie Hot Cocoa Bombs for Disney Lovers!
- The Grinch Hot Mint Chocolate Bombs – Just 5 Ingredients!
- Shark Hot Cocoa Bombs for Shark Week or a Baby Shark Party!
Melting Tips for Candy Melts
You can melt candy melts/candy wafers in the microwave or a double boiler, or if you plan on making lots of candy-covered treats in the future, I recommend investing in a Wilton candy melting pot as treat-making life is then so much easier!
Try this PME one if you’re in the UK, as the Wilton one is not available on Amazon.co.uk.
If you use the Wilton Candy Melting Pot, you can check out Wilton’s demo video on YouTube which is really helpful. They also give tips on how to melt candy melts in the microwave, as well as using the double boiler method.
The two most important things are
- Do not overheat – use an even melting temperature
- Do not add water – it makes the candy seize up and become unusable. Make sure the equipment used is completely dry, and avoid using utensils that retain moisture like a wooden spoon.
If you find that the candy is too thick, add vegetable shortening or (solid) coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments, up to 1 tablespoon, and stir well.
Another reminder – do not add water. The very first time I used candy melts I managed to get water in the bowl and it was ruined. Learn from my mistakes! Additionally, do not use vegetable oil, butter, milk, or any other liquids as this will also make the candy seize up.
If you are using your microwave, test melt a small amount of candy melts first, to see how it works. You may need to adjust the temperature and time to suit your machine. Heat in 15-30 second increments, stirring the candy melts each time. They may not look melted, but they might have started melting from the inside. Stirring helps to distribute the heat.
Hot Cocoa Bomb Making Tips
Hot cocoa bombs are a lot easier to make than you might think. The very first time I made them I thought I would fail, but I couldn’t believe how easy it actually was! Here are my tips for success!
I know that these Halloween hot cocoa bombs are in the shape of a pumpkin, but they’re not any more difficult to make.
- Place a plate in the freezer before you start making the pumpkin halves. Place the pumpkins onto the cold plate when assembling the other cocoa bombs to help keep them cool.
- The pumpkin mold (available on Etsy) that I have suggested comes with flexible inserts to place inside the hard mold, making the candy spread out and fill the cavity evenly. Then a slightly smaller rigid mold goes on top to hold everything together. This type of mold will make making your Jack o’Lanterns a breeze!
- Remove the insert and outer molds carefuly so as not to crack the candy. Always make extras just in case! As you become more experienced and skilled you’ll find that it is not as tricky as you might think.
- Before filling your cocoa bombs, you will want to make sure the edges are even so that when you seal them together they adhere well without any gaps.
- My preferred method is to place a small plate in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until warm and then rubbing the candy shell over the plate to gently melt the edges.
- You can also heat up a shallow pan on the stove, place a piece of wax paper into the pan, rub the chocolate pumpkin halves on that to gently melt.
- Follow the directions on the package of hot chocolate mix to see how much you need to make a mug of hot chocolate, and place that inside the bomb. 1-2 tablespoons should probably be enough, and will fit intside the cocoa bombs.
- To attach the pumpkin halves together, gently melt the edges again and place together, holding until set If you find there are any gaps, use a little melted candy to seal up the hole. You could also pipe melted candy around the edge to stick the two halves together.
How Do I Make Jack o’Lantern Hot Cocoa Bombs?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Pumpkin Jack o'Lantern Hot Cocoa Bomb
This Jack o’Lantern Hot Cocoa Bomb is the perfect Halloween drink to enjoy this spooky season!
Ingredients
- 1 Jack o’Lantern Mold (Available on Etsy)
- 3 (10-oz) bags Wilton Orange Candy Melts
- 1 (10-oz) bag of Wilton Black Candy Melts
- 2 cups pumpkin spice hot cocoa mix
- 1 cup Halloween M&Ms
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
- The Jack o'Lantern mold is listed in the Recommended Products below. It has 3 parts to it. The base part of the mold is the one that will have the face of the Jack o'Lantern. There will be a flexible plastic insert, and then you will have another plastic piece that goes into the face of the pumpkins to keep the flexible parts in place. It sounds complicated, but so much more obvious when you have the mold in front of you!
- Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the orange candy melts in increments of 45 seconds or until the candy is melted. Stir in between to ensure the candy has melted evenly and throughout.
- Fill the base mold with the melted orange candy to the fill line.
- Insert the flexible parts into each mold.
- Press the top piece down into the mold to cause the orange melted candy to fill the shape of the mold.
- Place the mold into the fridge for 15 minutes. Also, place a large plate or cookie sheet into the freezer to chill. This is to place the pumpkins on when they are set and will help to keep them cool when assembling.
- Gently pop out the pumpkin halves and place them onto the freezer plate.
- Repeat steps 2-7 until you have used up all of the melted candy. You should get about 8 Jack o'Lanterns.
- To build the cocoa bomb, add 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice hot cocoa mix to a half-pumpkin, add a few mini marshmallows, and some Halloween M&Ms.
- Using one of the melting methods listed in the notes below, melt the edge of the empty half-pumpkin and place it onto the filled half-pumpkin. Gently press and hold together until set.
- Repeat steps 9-10 with the remaining pumpkins.
- Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the black candy melts in increments of 45 seconds or until the candy is melted. Stir in between to ensure the candy has melted evenly and throughout.
- Transfer the melted candy to a disposable food bag (cut off a small tip) or a squeeze bottle.
- Use the melted black candy to fill in the eyes, nose, and mouth of the Jack o'Lantern.
- Leave to dry before using the Jack o'Lantern hot cocoa bombs - place in a large mug and pour over warm milk. Allow the outer shell to melt before stirring to combine all the ingredients inside the bomb!
- Alternatively, you can package each candy pumpkin in a box or cello bag to give as gifts.
- Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
Notes
*There are three methods for melting the rim of each skull to even them out and for attaching them together:
- Method 1: Pour some melted chocolate into a disposable piping bag, then pipe it around the edge of the one half-skull. Carefully place them together and gently hold for 30-60 seconds to allow the piped chocolate to harden and "glue" the pieces together.
- Method 2: Warm up a shallow frying pan on the stove. Place a piece of wax paper into the pan, and holding one half-skull, rub gently on the wax paper until the edges start to melt a bit. Use this to then stick the two halves together, holding gently until set.
- Method 3: Heat a plate in the microwave for approximately 60 seconds. Remove from the microwave then place it directly onto the hot plate for 5 to 10 seconds. You just want the rim to gently melt. Stick the two halves together, holding gently until set.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 6gSugar: 25gProtein: 3g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Halloween Dinner!
You’ve made the post-dinner hot drink with dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a Halloween dinner party!
- Appetizer: Savory Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
- Soup: Leek & Potato Soup
- Salad: Apple Walnut Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Main Dish: 5-Ingredient Herb Mustard Sirloin Steak Recipe
- Side Dish: Garlic and Chive Cauliflower Mash
- Beverage: Apple Cider Margarita
- Dessert: Haunted Mansion Cupcakes
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Check out Crafty October from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration; including recipes, printables, crafts, and more!