How to Make Hot Cocoa Bombs with Silicone Molds, Step by Step

5 min readJan 9, 2025Updated Oct 15, 2026

Short answer: temper a dark couverture, coat the cavities of a half-sphere silicone mould such as Pavoni's Semisfera PX001 (Ø 70 × 40 mm), let the shells set, flex the silicone to release them, fill half the shells with cocoa and marshmallows, then melt the rim of an empty shell on a warm plate and press it on to seal. Hot milk poured over the sphere melts the shell and releases the filling. Below: which mould and chocolate to use, the temperatures, and each step.

Quick answer: what you need

Need	Product	Key data	Price
Silicone mould for full-size bombs	Pavoni Semisfera PX001 (Pavoflex)	24 half-spheres, Ø 70 × 40 mm, about 120 ml each	$102.60 CAD
Silicone mould for mini bombs	Pavoni Semisfera PX303 (Pavoflex)	77 half-spheres, Ø 42 × 21 mm, about 20 ml each	$102.60 CAD
Couverture for the shells	Bassan Sur del Lago 71%, 5 kg	Venezuelan cacao, made in Canada; lists chocolate beverages and silicone moulds among its uses	$273.00 CAD
Cocoa for the filling, in volume	Dutched 20/22 Peruvian cocoa powder, 25 kg	Alkalised cocoa powder for drinks, bakery and ice cream	$710.00 CAD
Consistent tempering	Pavoni MiniTemper 110 V	3.5 kg tank, 5 programmable presets, 20–60°C in 0.5°C steps	$3,350.00 CAD

View Pavoni silicone sphere and dome moulds →

Which mould: silicone or polycarbonate

Choose silicone if you want shells that release easily by flexing the mould; choose rigid polycarbonate if you are producing for retail and want the highest gloss.

Pavoni Pavoflex silicone: 100% platinum food-grade silicone, dishwasher safe, rated from −40°C to +250°C (−40°F to +482°F). Once the shells have set, you flex the mould to release them. The Semisfera PX001 gives 24 half-spheres of Ø 70 × 40 mm on a 600 × 400 mm tray, which makes 12 bombs per tray; the PX303 gives 77 mini half-spheres of Ø 42 × 21 mm.
Chocolate World polycarbonate: for glossy production shells, the Half Sphere Ø 80 mm CW2254 (6 cavities, 80 × 80 × 40 mm) $44.95 CAD and the Half Sphere Ø 50 mm CW2251 (12 cavities) $44.95 CAD. Chocolate World's own method for these moulds ends with warming the rims of two halves on a hot plate and joining them, the same seal you use for a cocoa bomb.

Pavoni's care instructions matter here: never put the silicone mould on a direct heat source (hot plate, grill, ceramic hob) and never use knives on it. Warm the chocolate rims, not the mould.

Why temper the chocolate, even in silicone

Silicone lets the shell come out; tempering decides whether it is glossy, snaps cleanly and keeps. KREA Swiss explains that tempering steers cocoa butter into its stable Beta-5 crystal form, which gives a smooth texture, a glossy surface, a clean snap, a longer shelf life with far less risk of bloom, and melting at body temperature. Badly tempered chocolate stays soft or blooms, sometimes weeks later, which matters when bombs are made ahead for a season.

Use the working temperatures of your couverture. For the Bassan Sur del Lago 71%, Bassan gives:

Stage	Bassan Sur del Lago 71%
Melt	50°C (122°F) maximum
Temper (working temperature)	30–32°C (86–90°F)
Crystallise after moulding	16–18°C (61–64°F)
Workroom and storage	16–20°C (61–68°F), below 50% relative humidity
Use after tempering	Within 4 hours

A tempering machine holds those temperatures for you. The Pavoni MiniTemper stores five programmes, each with three stages (melt, crystallise, harden), and its basin changes over for dark, milk or white chocolate. Read our guide to tempering chocolate if you temper by hand.

How to make hot cocoa bombs, step by step

Prepare the mould. Clean the silicone mould before its first use and make sure it is completely dry.
Temper the chocolate to its working temperature (30–32°C / 86–90°F for the Bassan 71%).
Coat the cavities. Spoon or brush tempered chocolate over the whole inside of each half-sphere, up to the rim, and let the excess run back into the bowl.
Crystallise at 16–18°C (61–64°F) until the shells are fully set.
Release. Flex the silicone and push each shell out from underneath, handling it by the edges.
Fill half the shells with cocoa powder or a drinking-cocoa mix, plus marshmallows or other dry inclusions.
Seal. Warm a clean plate, touch the rim of an empty shell to it until the edge just melts, and press it onto a filled half. Hold until it sets.
Decorate with a drizzle of tempered chocolate, then let the bombs set fully before packing.

To serve, place a bomb in a mug and pour hot milk over it.

What to put inside

The filling is what your customer tastes in the cup, so choose real cocoa. For bakeries and cafés producing in volume, the Dutched 20/22 Peruvian cocoa powder comes in 25 kg bags and lists drinks among its uses.

View cocoa powder →

Storing hot cocoa bombs

Store finished bombs like the couverture they are made from. Bassan's storage guidance for the Sur del Lago 71% is 16–20°C (61–68°F), below 50% relative humidity, away from direct sunlight and strong odours, and without temperature swings, which cause bloom. Store the silicone moulds flat in a cool, dry place, with nothing heavy on top.

How AI can help your production

Give an AI assistant your order list and mould data and ask it to plan the production: one PX001 tray of 24 half-spheres makes 12 bombs, one PX303 tray of 77 makes 38 minis with one spare shell. It can turn your recipe into a batch sheet, build a schedule that respects the 4-hour working window of tempered chocolate, and draft the ingredient list for your labels from your own recipe.

AI organises the information; tasting and the final decision stay with your chef.

Pavoni moulds and Canadian couverture at Zucchero Canada

We are an authorized distributor of Pavoni Italia and Chocolate World. The Pavoni Pavoflex sphere moulds are made in Italy; the Bassan Sur del Lago 71% is made in Canada from Venezuelan cacao. Moulds count toward free shipping on orders of $300 CAD or more within Canada (remote areas and the territories pay the actual carrier rate); chocolate and cacao are excluded from free shipping, and food products ship within Canada only. Orders over $500 CAD get 5% off automatically at checkout.

Making cocoa bombs for a café, a hotel or a seasonal launch? Contact our team about volume, or call 587-774-8873 (toll free 877-741-8251).

View all Pavoni Italia →

This article is for information only. Every business is different: draw your own conclusions based on your own expectations, budget and goals, and talk to qualified experts before you decide or invest.

Sources: Pavoni Italia, Food Equipment catalogue 2026 (Pavoflex Semisfera PX001 and PX303) and Pavoni product data (material, temperature range, care); Bassan Chocolate, Sur del Lago 71% technical data (working and storage temperatures, uses); KREA Swiss, "Tempering, what it really is and where it goes wrong"; Chocolate World product data (CW2251, CW2254 production method); Zucchero Canada product pages (MiniTemper, Dutched 20/22 cocoa).

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What size silicone mold do I need for hot cocoa bombs?

For full-size bombs, Pavoni's Semisfera PX001 has 24 half-spheres of Ø 70 × 40 mm (about 120 ml each), enough for 12 bombs per tray. For mini bombs, the Semisfera PX303 has 77 half-spheres of Ø 42 × 21 mm (about 20 ml each).

Do I need to temper chocolate for hot cocoa bombs?

Yes, if you want shells that are glossy, snap cleanly and keep. Tempering gives the stable Beta-5 crystal form, with a longer shelf life and far less risk of bloom. For the Bassan Sur del Lago 71%, melt at 50°C (122°F) maximum, temper to 30–32°C (86–90°F) and crystallise at 16–18°C (61–64°F).

How do you seal hot cocoa bombs?

Warm a clean plate, touch the rim of an empty shell to it until the edge just melts, and press it onto a filled half until it sets. Warm the chocolate, never the silicone mould: Pavoni advises against placing its silicone moulds on any direct heat source.

Are silicone or polycarbonate molds better for hot cocoa bombs?

Silicone releases the shells by flexing and suits small batches; Pavoni's Pavoflex moulds are platinum silicone, dishwasher safe and rated from −40°C to +250°C. Rigid polycarbonate half-sphere moulds, such as Chocolate World's Ø 50 mm and Ø 80 mm models, give a high-gloss finish for retail production.

How should I store hot cocoa bombs?

Like the couverture they are made from: Bassan recommends 16–20°C (61–68°F), below 50% relative humidity, away from sunlight and strong odours, and without temperature swings, which cause bloom.

Do moulds and chocolate qualify for free shipping?

Moulds count toward free shipping on orders of $300 CAD or more within Canada; remote areas and the territories pay the actual carrier rate. Chocolate and cacao are excluded from free shipping, and food products ship within Canada only. Orders over $500 CAD get 5% off automatically at checkout.