For the past few months I have seen them regularly on TikTok and Instagram. Giddy social media users would flaunt perfectly-decorated chocolate spheres. They would grab one, place it in a mug, and pour hot milk over it…then magic. As a hot chocolate fan, I couldn’t deny their appeal. I needed one.

In addition to milk and apple juice, I love hot chocolate!!

Last week I finally got my hands on some hot chocolate bombs. It wasn’t an easy search. After calling around, I finally found a small business called the Garland Mercantile located in Spokane’s historic northside neighborhood. In addition to a hodgepodge of items such as soaps, hot sauces, and candy, the store had what I was looking for.

The Garland Mercantile offered hot chocolate bombs made by a bakery called the Lucky Crumb, another Spokane small business getting a lift from one of its own. The bombs came in small variety boxes of four and sold for $12 per box. Despite the spendy price, I bought a box—I wasn’t going on a Saturday night goose chase only to return empty-handed.

The hot chocolate bombs I bought at the Garland Mercantile.

As the Garland Mercantile employee rang us up, she told me the flavors of the four hot chocolate bombs—pumpkin spice, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and peppermint. Although I would have settled for just traditional chocolate flavors, as I already mentioned, I was just happy to finally find this treat. She concluded the purchased by telling me not to use them in the bathtub and passed me the below slip of paper.

The directions (and common sense) I received with my hot chocolate bombs.

My first hot chocolate bomb experience came the next day. After coming home from church I gave the milk chocolate flavor a try. I followed the directions exactly, and, believe it or not, everything went according to plan. The moment the hot milk made contact with the outer chocolate shell it disintegrated, leaving the contents of the inner chocolate ball to jibe with the milk. After watching the reaction occur I used a spoon to make sure everything was mixed thoroughly (watch me prepare my first hot chocolate bomb!).

The moment when I poured the hot milk on the hot chocolate bomb.

To be honest, I was a tad bit disappointed once I took a few sips. It didn’t taste like a rich, gourmet hot chocolate. Although I tend to enjoy a milder hot cocoa, I did expect a hot chocolate bomb to deliver a more flavorful experience. Based on my experience, it tasted just like it came from a tub of Swiss Miss. Which, to be fair, should be expected as a hot chocolate bomb is really just a glorified vessel that carries—you guessed it—a powdered hot chocolate mix.

Hot chocolate bombs are 100% about the experience. They are fun and put on a good 30-second show. If you are looking to impress a non-hot chocolate connoisseur, you can’t go wrong with these. But if you are supplying hot cocoa to someone who is serious about the drink, you should look for a fancy recipe on Pinterest that doesn’t come in bomb form. However, if you do opt for this newest hot chocolate fad, just remember not to put them in the bathtub. Don’t Blink.