Local chocolatiers make melt-in-your-mug hot cocoa bombs
As the newest trend in mug magic, hot cocoa bombs can help you warm up this winter through a bit of bonbon bewitchery. Here are four local chocolatiers that have made a literal splash with their renditions of these hollow hard-shell chocolate spheres, which release cocoa powder and other drinkable surprises as they melt into warm milk or hot water. All you have to do is swirl, sip, repeat. Extra marshmallows not required.
Sprinkle Sugar Pop
Sprinkle Sugar Pop owner Christina Perez launched her home-based South Sacramento confectionery in November 2019 with five flavors of hot cocoa bombs. She has since increased the selection to 12 varieties, including a Nutella-inspired best-seller, which features the chocolate-hazelnut spread layered inside the hard chocolate shell. Her mazapan creation features the crumbly, peanut-flavored Mexican candy—one of her childhood favorites— finely ground into the cocoa powder. Other bombs include red velvet, hazelnut espresso, caramel, and cookies and cream. $20-$22 for four. Contactless pickup is available. South Sacramento. @sprinklesugarpop
Sugar Sweetery
A Harry Potter-themed hot cocoa bomb by Sugar Sweetery (Photo courtesy of Sugar Sweetery)
Sugar Sweetery’s married owners Candice and Justine Cabanilla take cues for their hot cocoa bombs from the big screen. For example, a Harry Potter creation reveals colored marshmallows that correspond to the four Hogwarts houses, from Gryffindor (red) to Ravenclaw (blue). Along with occasionally selling out their hot cocoa bombs during social media flash sales, the Cabanillas, who started their business from their Rancho Cordova home in 2016, frequently collaborate with their customers on special orders, marking significant events like gender reveals and birthdays through custom-made designs. $6-$8 each. Delivery and contactless pickup are available. Rancho Cordova. sugarsweetery.com
Elk Grove’s Spiced By Sadaf rang in the new year with chocolate and chai bombs. (Photo courtesy of Spiced By Sadaf)
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Spiced By Sadaf
What started as a box of homemade chocolate-covered strawberries posted on Instagram for last Mother’s Day has since blossomed into a full-fledged confectionery business for Spiced By Sadaf owner Sadaf Yelda. The Elk Grove resident recently released a Valentine-pink Kashmiri chai bomb garnished with crushed pistachios and edible rose petals. Her popular tea globes, however, possess a different kind of romance: the iridescent orbs—made of isomalt, a clear, moldable sugar substitute that melts on contact with hot water—contain Teavana or Tazo tea blends and a pinch of edible glitter to create sparkling botanical potion. $24 for four Kashmiri chai bombs. $26 for four tea globe bombs. Contactless pickup is available. Elk Grove. @spicedbysadaf
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Pretty Sweet
A four-pack of Pretty Sweet treats (Photo courtesy of Pretty Sweet)
After three years at her brick-and-mortar storefront in Folsom, Pretty Sweet owner Musarrat Afshan has taken the hot cocoa bomb trend to gourmet heights by grinding decadent Valrhona chocolate into her scratch-made hot cocoa powder. The El Dorado Hills resident decorates her handcrafted orbs with chocolate drizzle, gold sprinkles and fondant hearts that float to the surface of the creamy cuppa. $28 for four. 350 Palladio Pkwy. Folsom. 916-805-5165. prettysweet.co
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