As the weather gets chillier and evenings grow darker, there's nothing better than curling up with a piping hot mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.
While pretty much any shop offers a variety of instant hot chocolates, you can really take it to the next level by getting your hands on some hot chocolate bombs instead.
For those unfamiliar, chocolate bombs are hollow chocolate spheres typically filled with marshmallows. When you pour over your hot milk, the result is a rich mug of hot chocolate to keep you warm during the winter season.
Long gone are the days of mixing hot chocolate powder with milk before popping it all into the microwave, which, if you ask me, sounds so much more inconvenient.
Not to mention these hollow spheres of chocolatey goodness have literally exploded - no pun intended - on social media as thousands of videos are dedicated to them on TikTok.
Being that bit more trendy than classic hot chocolate powder, I decided to really put a few of these chocolate bombs to the test to see if there was a worthy winter warmer.
After visiting Home Bargains, Aldi, Asda and Sainsbury's, here is how I rated each hot chocolate bomb.
Aldi Moser Roth Belgian Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Bombe
Price: £1.69
Rating: 4/5
My first ever foray into hot chocolate bombs was with the Moser Roth Belgian Milk Chocolate Bombe from Aldi. The budget supermarket is usually known for its good quality, so I had high hopes.
Considering Moser Roth is its premium chocolate brand, I was expecting a luxurious chocolate - and I was absolutely not let down.
I soon learned it's not a great idea to drop a chocolate ball into warm milk - the milk goes everywhere and the ball just floats on the top. I eventually figured out it's better to pour over the hot milk, which I really wish I'd known before.
With a small mess out of the way, I have to admit Aldi's milk chocolate bomb left a good impression. The chocolate melted really quickly and there was a decent number of marshmallows.
The chocolate was frothy, creamy and velvety smooth - just what I look for in hot chocolates. It was also rich in flavour and came with a nice deep colour, nothing like those insipid watery ones you can occasionally get.
Now, the only reason that I deducted a point was cost. At £1.69, it's dearer than what you'd pay for one tub of instant hot chocolate powder, and, considering the cost of living crisis, every little helps.
Pricing aside, this hot chocolate bomb was smooth, rich, creamy and indulgent, so it still gets a recommendation.
Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Belgian Dark Chocolate & Valencia Orange Bombe
Price: £2
Rating: 2.5/5
Next up was a very fancy looking option from Sainsbury's and, don't worry, this I avoided any accidents by pouring the warm milk over the bomb.
Now, I'm a huge fan of chocolate orange and think it's actually better than any other flavoured chocolate out there. That's why I'm a little surprised at how underwhelming this one turned out to be.
I'll start with the positives. The sphere itself was gorgeously decorated - arguably the nicest out of the lot - and looked incredibly fancy. Plus, a strong chocolate and orange aroma hit me as soon as I opened the box.
That being said, when I poured over the hot milk, this one didn't melt as well as it got stuck to the marshmallows and my spoon when I tried to mix it in.
Sainsbury's bomb was a tad bitter - the handful of marshmallows were needed to add a bit of sweetness to the drink, which could due to it made with dark chocolate.
Interestingly, there was a dark chocolate granule residue left over on the surface when I was nearly finished.
Overall, beautifully decorated, but a little disappointing on flavour, although dark chocolate fans may love this one.
Asda Jingle the Reindeer Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Melt
Price: £1.50
Rating: 4/5
Asda's hot chocolate bomb wasn't a sphere like the rest so far, but it does exactly the same thing but all in the shape of a reindeer.
Now, this little guy was arguably the most festive out of them all, so I was hoping to be more impressed following Sainsbury's lacklustre bomb.
Not only did the chocolate melt smoothly when milk was poured over the top, it also had an incredibly creamy texture that added to the indulgence.
The chocolate was a little bit sweeter than the rest, which wasn't a problem for me as I have quite the sweet tooth.
The only downside was the lack of marshmallows. The packaging from Asda said the melt was "embedded with marshmallows" and I found that it had some of the least so far.
Home Bargains Rudolph Mug Melt Filled With Chocolate Chips and Marshmallows
Price: 99p
Rating: 5/5
Last but certainly not least was a rather festive looking hot chocolate bomb from Home Bargains that resembled Rudolph's infamous red nose.
After I popped over some hot milk - I definitely had the hang of it by this point - and mixed up the chocolate, I had a few thoughts.
The chocolate? Rich and velvety smooth. The texture? Creamy with a dash of froth on the top. And the marshmallows? While a little on the smaller side, it still offered a lot more than Asda's, so a definite plus.
While the marshmallows weren't as fluffy as the others, the taste of its chocolate made up for it, which is really the star of the show.
As soon as I poured over warm milk, this chocolate bomb exploded into a rich and smooth drink with a festive red and pink colour that really gave it that something extra.
Overall, Home Bargains very cheap 99p chocolate melt had the most flavour, being incredibly rich without ever tasting that bit too sweet.
Overall verdict
My first foray into the world of trendy sweets seen on TikTok has certainly been an interesting one and there are certainly ones I would try again.
One thing that I really enjoyed was the convenience of these little hollow chocolate spheres as there's no hassle of mixing up the hot chocolate powder with milk.
Not to mention it's a tad bit more fun to watch the chocolate melt and explode into marshmallows. The treats are perfect for any families at Christmas or for anyone looking to make an Instagram-worthy hot chocolate!
Overall, the only one I really struggled to fall in love with was Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Belgian Dark Chocolate & Valencia Orange Bombe, which may be more suited to those who like their chocolate more on the bitter side.
On the sweeter side were Asda's and Aldi's hot chocolate bombs which proved to make a decent mug of hot chocolate.
So, if I had to pick one, Home Bargains nailed it. Their festive Rudolph bomb made a deliciously creamy, thick and rich mug of hot chocolate. And at 99p, it was the cheapest out of the bunch.
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