White Chocolate Covered Cherry Bombs will spark joy in your life this summer! Fresh sweet cherries are dipped in luscious white chocolate and sprinkled with fizzy and festive Pop Rocks. They're an easy, kid-friendly addition to your spread of 4th of July desserts!
Chocolate Covered Cherries are one of the easiest desserts on the planet, and they're super easy to customize for fun and festive bridal showers, baby showers, and the 4th of July!
Our family goes BIG on this very special holiday (30+ people show every year), and our 4th of July desserts usually include colorful foods like yogurt pie, creamy watergate salad, cookies, brownies, kool aid ice cream, fresh watermelon, and sangria. This year, I wanted to make something our 5-year-old would love so I created an edible explosion of fireworks!!!
I opted to use fresh cherries in this recipe for three reasons:
1. Sweet red cherries are in season.
2. Maraschino cherries are one thing I hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double Hate...and loathe entirely.
3. Fresh cherries are soooooooo gorgeous and delicious.
Cherries With Stems
You're probably wondering how to pit cherries while keeping the stems in tact, huh? It's actually not as difficult as one may think!
By far, the easiest way to pit a cherry without removing the stem is to use a cherry pitter...especially if you have kids. But I also found a great tutorial on how to pit cherries using a standard veggie peeler you probably already have in your kitchen drawer.
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Since it was Owen's job to pit the cherries, I opted for the cherry pitter. Of course he ended up breaking it within the first two minutes, but at least he had fun with his mama in the kitchen, right? *shrugs*
So the secret to pitting the cherries without removing the stem? Just turn the cherry sideways! Turning the cherry sideways allows you to push the pitter through the center of the cherry so the pit will come out of them and leave a perfect hole in the center.
You don't have to pit the cherries if you don't want to before you cover them with white chocolate.
Also, keep in mind pitted cherries must be made the morning of the party. Once the seeds are removed, the juices start to release from the fruit and, although they'll be covered in chocolate, the moisture will cause the coating to eventually break so it's best to dip the pitted cherries on the day you plan to serve them.
Cherries without the seed removed can be made up to 1 day in advance and will hold up in the freezer for about 3 months. Make sure to warn your guests if you don't remove that seed though!
Easy 4th of July Desserts
These white chocolate covered cherry bombs require 3 simple ingredients:
- Fresh Cherries
- White Chocolate Chips
- Red and Blue Pop Rocks
I bought my first round of pop rocks at Dollar Tree, but I don't suggest you do so! They were hard and chewy, barely popped, and were simply a waste of money. I highly suggest you buy the pop rocks on Amazon or from your local grocery store.
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES ALREADY?!?
- Start by washing and drying your cherries very thoroughly!
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment, pour Pop Rocks into two small pinch bowls so they're easily accessible, and pit the cherries if you wish.
- Add the white chocolate chips to a glass bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds and until white chocolate becomes smooth.
- Then gently dip the cherries into the melted white chocolate and place on the baking sheet.
- Immediately sprinkle with Pop Rocks, and repeat until all chocolate is gone.
- Refrigerate until chocolate is set and serve!
Looking for more 4th of July desserts?
White Chocolate Covered Cherry Bombs
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds fresh red or ranier cherries
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 4 (0.24 oz) packages of red and blue Pop Rocks
Instructions
- Place cherries in a colander, rinse them with cold water, then spread in a even layer on a dish cloth or thick layer of paper towels. Gently pat dry, cover with a new dish cloth, and refrigerate while preparing the remaining ingredients. NOTE: Don't dip the cherries until they are completely dry! Water causes chocolate to seize and get grainy and gross.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper, pour pop rocks into two small bowls, and set aside. If pitting the cherries, continue to step 3. If leaving cherries in tact, skip to step 4.
- Using a cherry pitter, turn the cherries on their side so the stem is sticking out parallel to the floor and remove pit according to package instructions.
- Add the white chocolate chips to a glass bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until white chocolate becomes silky smooth and no lumps remain. About 1.5 to 2 minutes. Alternately, melt chocolate in a double boiler, if preferred.
- Gently pick up a cherry by the stem and dip halfway into the white chocolate, leaving a bit of the bright red showing at the top. Carefully lift the cherry out of the chocolate and lightly shake off the excess. Place the cherry on the lined baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with Pop Rocks. Repeat with remaining cherries.
- Once finished, refrigerate until the white chocolate has completely hardened and keep chilled until ready to serve.
PIN THIS RECIPE NOW! YOU KNOW YOU'll WANT IT LATER!
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