Kinder Eggs Are the Perfect Shortcut for Homemade Hot Cocoa Bombs

From buzzy whipped coffee and hot cocoa "charcuterie" boards to what's-old-is-new sourdough starters and banana bread, the 2020 food trends keep on coming. Just like the rapidly-updating news cycle, it's been one of the most impressive and busy years in recent memory for culinary creativity as more Americans have been tinkering around in their kitchens at home—and swapping ideas on TikTok, Instagram and other online platforms.

Quite possibly one of the biggest things to explode (sorry!) onto the culinary scene: Hot cocoa bombs. From the moment we reported about them appearing on Costco shelves, available via Etsy shops and dressed up as snowmen at Trader Joe's (and frequently selling out at all of the above), professional and amateur chocolate-lovers have been whipping up their own creative renditions.

Related: Disney Is Selling Olaf-Shaped Hot Cocoa Bombs, Proving Some Things Are Worth Melting For

Making hot chocolate bombs at home certainly is possible, but does require a steady hand and some special equipment, including a mold to score the signature, mug-fitting round "bomb" shape. This is why we love this shortcut Hot Chocolate Truffle recipe designed to be dropped into a mug of warm milk for a similar flavor experience.

It's also why we were blown away by this shortcut recipe hack from Instagrammer @bosstofe:

To make the Kinder Egg hot cocoa bombs, she uses a knife to carefully slice the chocolate egg open around the seam, then removes the filling. In its place, she scoops in a spoonful of hot cocoa mix and a few mini marshmallows (tiny ones like these Twang Café Zuca Dehydrated Mini Marshmallows; $14.95 for two 2.6-ounce containers, amazon.com would work great!). Then place the unfilled half of the egg seam-side down on a warm skillet to soften the chocolate just a bit. Press the empty half onto the filled half until the chocolate adheres and voila: an almost-instant hot chocolate bomb, ready to pop into a mug and cover in warm milk.

Here's the catch: Unfortunately, these types of Kinder Eggs aren't available in the States. They were banned by the FDA back in the 1930's, as the toy found inside the chocolate egg was thought to be a choking hazard. A different type of Kinder Egg is now available in the U.S. but unfortunately, it won't work for this hack. The good news is there are other egg-shaped chocolates you could use instead, like these Cadbury Eggs! (Buy them: amazon.com, $24 for 48-pack)

We already have our sights set on a hot cocoa bomb latte using this method to wake us up on January 1 as we embark on a cheery and hopeful new year. With a shortcut as simple as this, we have a feeling after trying the bombs this way, we'll never go back.