For many years, I simply made my kids little chocolate bunny suckers for Easter…
milk-free and allergy-friendly, of course. And they loved them.
Then one year, as the boys got older, I decided to splurge on store-bought dairy-free chocolate bunnies at about $15 a pop.
I thought my boys would be ecstatic to get their first-ever chocolate bunnies not made by mom.
But ya know what?
They actually liked my DIY chocolate Easter suckers better.
Most notably, they thought hollow chocolate bunnies from the store were not quite up to par with mom’s solid bunnies.
Can’t blame them there!
So once I knew how loved my Easter chocolate suckers really were,
I purchased a bigger plastic bunny mold to really dazzle the kids.
Of course, they loved it!
Definitely, a lot of money is saved when I mold our own dairy-free, allergy-friendly chocolate candy.
But truly, it’s the love that goes into making our own safe chocolates that I most enjoy.
Even if you’re not the most artsy, creative person, you can definitely do this for your kids, too…
because I’ve laid out some really helpful steps to teach you all the tricks and tips.
You can rock this!
SUPPLIES FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE BUNNIES
For your convenience, some of these are affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
Just make sure the chocolate chips we linked do work for your allergies.
foil or plastic wrap
If you use the plastic bunny mold that I linked, one 10oz bag of dairy-free chocolate chips will make just at 4 flat-sided bunnies, if you don’t sneak any chocolate to eat while making them. If you decide to put the halves together to make 3D bunnies, you will get one 3D bunny per bag of chocolate chips with plenty leftover.
Also, with the bunny mold I linked, you can fold the mold in half to make 3D bunnies while setting in the refrigerator instead of “gluing” the halves together with chocolate after setting. But I like to keep my mold flat because I rarely make the 3D bunny option and mostly go with flat-sided bunnies. If I folded my mold in half, it would be really hard to lay flat for setting chocolate but I can still put two halves together and make 3D if I want. Hope that helps! I love this mold.
Walmart makes our very favorite allergy-friendly white chocolate. But they also carry semi-sweet and dark chocolate in allergy-friendly chips.
Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to make these adorable bunnies!
DON’T GET WATER IN THE CHOCOLATE
When your plastic bunny mold arrives, wash with hot soap and water. No dishwasher.
But make sure the plastic mold is completely dry before you start making your bunny.
Any water getting into the chocolate will ruin the smooth chocolate texture.
Also, make sure your bowl, spoon, hands, and everything else near the chocolate are dry as a bone. No water allowed. Not even a drop.
Water getting into the chocolate will clump it into a mess you will not like, and it can’t be melted back to smoot.
You won’t want to toss all this special chocolate into the trash so be mindful about water during this otherwise fairly easy process.
DO YOU NEED TO THIN THE CHOCOLATE
Even though no water is allowed in the chocolate, some oil is ok but not necessary.
I do like how a little coconut oil makes the chocolate a little smoother and easier to work with.
But I see no difference in the finished product whether I use oil or not.
So do whatever you like when it comes to adding oil. Measurement below.
DON’T SCORCH THE CHOCOLATE
The second no-no when making chocolate candies and bunnies is to not overheat the chocolate while melting it.
Overheated chocolate easily scorches and burns, and it won’t melt back to smooth.
Yep…you’d be throwing scorched chocolate in the trash just like wet, clumped chocolate.
So just be careful, be patient, and follow these easy steps below for the perfect bunny made with your favorite dairy-free chocolate.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BUNNIES
1. Make sure your candy mold is clean and DRY.
2. Pour a bag of dairy-free chocolate chips into a large microwave safe bowl.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil to the chocolate, optional.
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring WELL after every 30 seconds. It may seem like overkill but be patient. Every 30 seconds keeps it from burning.
5. Stop heating the chocolate when the chips are ALMOST all melted or you’ll scorch the chocolate.
6. Finish melting the chocolate by stirring vigorously while still warm, until all the chips melt into smooth chocolate.
7. Using a small spoon, start filling the bunny cavity one spoonful of melted chocolate at a time. Get into all the nooks and crannies. Don’t let the chocolate go over the top of the mold, keep it all in the cavity with patience and preciseness. Your finished bunny will look as neat as your work…so be neat.
8. Keep tapping the plastic mold with your finger to level out the chocolate.
9. Keep adding spoonfuls of melted chocolate until the entire bunny cavity is filled, but not filled above the cavity. Wipe any excess that came out of the cavity.
10. Tap one last time to flatten the back of the chocolate. It will come out as neat as you left it.
11. If you need to melt more chocolate to finish filling your plastic molds, microwave more chocolate using the steps above.
12. Carefully place the chocolate filled plastic mold in the refrigerator (uncovered), making sure it’s level.
13. When the chocolate has fully set and hardened, it will easily pop out of the mold. Don’t force it out or it may not be fully ready, and those parts of the bunny may be messed up. Setting to full hardness may take about 30 minutes with the bunny mold we’ve chosen. I like to give the mold a gentle twist to see if the chocolate pops out easily.
14. If you’re using the bunny mold I linked above, you have the option of putting the two bunny sides together with a little more melted chocolate as the glue for a true 3D bunny. Or you can keep the two bunnies separate as flat-backed bunnies. Flat-backed is much easier.
15. Once set, wrap your bunny well in foil or plastic wrap. Finish off with a cute bow tied around the neck area.
16. Store your chocolate bunny in the refrigerator or freezer until Easter.
Also, see the video in this post to watch some of this in action.
Hope you get to try your hand at DIY chocolate Easter bunnies soon!
Once you have the plastic mold and know how to make a smooth chocolate bunny, you’re set for a very special Easter tradition year after year.
Then the hardest part will just be deciding if your next bunny will be white, semi-sweet, or dark dairy-free chocolate!
EXTRA BUNNY MAKING TIPS
If the bowl of chocolate hardens before you finish working with it, just put it back in the microwave for another 15-30 seconds at a time…stirring in between.
For white chocolate bunnies, be sure to check out Walmart’s organic and allergy-friendly white chocolate chips. They are a-mazing and what I used for our white bunnies in this post. They taste like real white chocolate!
If you use the plastic bunny mold I linked and Walmart allergy-friendly chocolate chips, you can make 3-4 flat-sided chocolate bunnies for under $4!!! Not counting the $6 bunny mold you can use for years to come.
If something goes awry with making your chocolate bunnies, you can always pop the chocolate back in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, and start all over. I had to do this with a 3D bunny attempt. I think flat-sided bunnies are more my vibe.
If you do decide to try a 3D bunny, make sure you fill both sides up evenly so they will match up well. If it flops, you can melt the chocolate back down and start over.
And last tip, make your bunnies just a day or so before Easter. We think the chocolate tastes freshest that way. Oftentimes, I make them the night before Easter.
More Allergy-Friendly Easter Posts
How To Grow Your Own Easter Grass
Allergy-Friendly Easter Basket Fillers
Original Post April 3, 2010
Christine
Friday 26th of April 2019
Can I add Pea Milk to the chocolate to help break up the chocolate. I remember that the choc. Bunny was REALLY solid and difficult to eat unless we thawed it a bit. Thinking that adding Pea Milk will help.
Jamie Kaufmann
Monday 29th of April 2019
I have not tried that. Did it work?! :)
Joanne
Monday 8th of April 2019
Do you ever grease the molds with coconut oil? I tried to make turtles using the same ingredients you did and mine wouldn’t come out of the plastic molds! Any hints?
Jamie Kaufmann
Thursday 11th of April 2019
I sure don't. Make sure the freeze through, tip the mold upside down, and tap them out. Or give the mold a little twist to "break" the candies out. Adding oil to the chocolate will also help. :)
Andrea
Saturday 18th of March 2017
Does the Enjoy Life chocolate contain a lot of sugar?
Jamie Kaufmann
Sunday 19th of March 2017
It's pretty "normal". Yes, sugar. Hope that helps!
blogging
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
Thanks, Dawn! Have fun creating! And thanks so much for sharing. We appreciate it.
This Honest Food
Monday 21st of March 2016
Jamie, LOVE this idea. I bought molds last week so I could make my own chocolates this year, but didn't even think about adding the candy stick to it. Awesome! I'm going to share w/ my FB page and Twitter peeps.-Dawn