How to Make Chocolate Bowls

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

If you'd like to serve dessert in its own edible bowl, try making chocolate bowls. Melt delicious milk, white, or bittersweet chocolate and blow up a few balloons. Dip the balloons halfway into the chocolate and set them aside so the chocolate hardens. Then pop and remove the balloons to reveal beautiful chocolate bowls. For another simple way to make the bowls, spread melted chocolate into a flexible silicone mold and leave them to harden.

Ingredients

Using a Balloon

2 1/2 cups (437 g) of chopped chocolate, such as milk, bittersweet, or white

Makes about 4 bowls

Using Silicone Molds

2 cups (350 g) of chocolate, such as milk, bittersweet, or white, chopped

Makes 6 small bowls

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Balloon

1
Clean 4 balloons with a damp paper towel. Run a little water onto a paper towel and squeeze it tightly so the excess water drips out. Then wipe the damp paper towel over 4 balloons. This will remove any dust from the package so it doesn't get onto your chocolate.^{[1]
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- If you'd like to clean the balloons more, wash them in a bowl of cold water. Then dry them thoroughly with a clean towel.
2
Blow up the balloons as large as you'd like. If you're planning on making small chocolate bowls, blow up the balloons just a little, so they're very small. To make large chocolate bowls, blow them up until they're about halfway inflated.^{[2]
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- Although you can use water balloons, these will be harder to pop, which will make it hard to pull away from the chocolate.
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3
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. To set up the double boiler, put a small pot on the stove and pour in enough water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the side. Heat the water over low heat until it simmers. Then place a heat-proof bowl on the pot and put 2 1/2 cups (437 g) of chopped chocolate into it. Stir the chocolate until it's melted and smooth. This should take about 10 minutes.^{[3]
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- The bowl with the chocolate shouldn't be touching the water in the pot below it.
Tip: If you prefer, put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it. Heat it in 15-second increments and stir in between intervals until the chocolate melts.
4
Spread small spoonfuls of melted chocolate on a baking sheet. To make it easier to remove the chocolate bowls, lay a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Then take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of melted chocolate and spread it into a circle about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) in diameter. Make 1 circle for each chocolate bowl and leave about 6 inches (15 cm) of space between the circles.^{[4]
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- The circles will create a little base for the bowls so the balloons don't tip over or harden unevenly.
5
Dip a balloon halfway with the chocolate and set it onto a circle. Take 1 of your inflated balloons and lower the completely round end into the melted chocolate. Keep lowering until the chocolate comes halfway up the sides of the balloon. Then place the chocolate balloon directly onto a circle on your baking sheet. Repeat this for each bowl you plan to make.^{[5]
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- If you'd like the bowls to have peaks and valleys, lower the balloon into the chocolate at an angle. Then turn the balloon and lower it again.
6
Refrigerate the chocolate balloons for 20 to 60 minutes. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and leave the chocolate balloons to chill until the chocolate hardens.
- If you'd like to make these in advance, you can refrigerate them for up to 1 day, but the chocolate may begin to bloom or develop cloudy streaks.
7
Pop each balloon and peel it away from the chocolate bowl. Once the chocolate has hardened, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator. Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to pop each balloon and gently pull the deflated balloon away from the chocolate.^{[6]
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- Take care when you touch the chocolate bowls. You'll probably leave fingerprints on them.
8
Fill the chocolate bowls and serve them. Set each chocolate bowl on a serving plate and fill the bowls with your favorite items. For example, fill them with sliced fresh fruit, such as berries, apricots, mangoes, or bananas. You can also fill the bowls with ice cream, whipped cream, or mousse.^{[7]
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- While you can refrigerate the leftover chocolate bowls, they may become cloudy or grainy the longer they're stored. Try to use the bowls within 1 day.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Silicone Molds

1
Heat the chocolate over low heat until it melts. Make a double boiler by setting a pot on the stove and pouring in about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Turn the burner to low, so the water begins to simmer. Then put 2 cups (350 g) of chopped chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and set the bowl into the pot. Keep stirring the chocolate for about 10 minutes, so it melts.^{[8]
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- Ensure that the bowl doesn't touch the simmering water in the pot underneath it.
- If you don't want to heat the chocolate on the stove, put it in the microwave and heat it in 15-second increments until it's smooth. Stir the chocolate after each 15-second increment.
2
Spoon 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of chocolate into each cavity of a mold. Get out a silicone mold that has 6 semi-sphere cavities. Pour a spoonful of the melted chocolate into each cavity.^{[9]
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- There's no need to line or spray the silicone mold since the chocolate won't stick to it.
Variation: You can use any shape of silicone mold or silicone liners. For example, make chocolate bowls shaped like stars or hearts.
3
Spread the chocolate along the sides of each cavity. Use the back of a spoon or a silicone brush to spread the melted chocolate across the sides of the cavities. Each cavity should be coated with the melted chocolate.^{[10]
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4
Refrigerate the silicone mold for 8 to 15 minutes. Carefully place the chocolate-coated silicone mold in the refrigerator. Leave it in until the chocolate hardens completely in the mold.^{[11]
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- Keep in mind that if you use a chocolate candy coating that has stabilizers, you may need to freeze it before the coating will harden.
5
Turn the mold over and peel it away from the chocolate bowls. Once the chocolate is hard, take the mold out of the refrigerator and turn it upside-down on a clean work surface. Place your palm over the center of the mold and use your other hand to slowly peel away the corner of the mold that's farthest from you.^{[12]
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- The chocolate bowls will separate from the mold.
6
Fill the chocolate bowls with fruit or dessert. Set a chocolate bowl on each serving plate and fill it with your choice of ripe fruit, such as banana slices, berries, or apricots. You could also fill the bowls with ice cream, mousse, or whipped cream.^{[13]
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- If you'd like to make the chocolate bowls in advance, wait to fill them until just before serving. Refrigerate the empty molds in an airtight container and use them within 1 day.
Decoration Variation: If you'd like to cover the bowl with sprinkles, warm up a little chocolate and brush it over the outside or rims of the hardened bowls. Roll or dip the bowls in sprinkles so they stick and then let them set up for a few minutes.