d.i.y.: chocolate sprinkles

If you were to ask me what I thought my most “popular” post was, I’d probably reply with one I was particularly proud of. Either because of the photography (like the M&M truffles), the recipe (like the French macarons), or both (like the Milk Bar birthday layer cake).

What I would have NOT said was “Oh, the sprinkles post for sure”.

And yet.

It is BY FAR my most popular post, ever – with more than 116,000 views and almost 6,000 pins. And still counting.

Baffling.

The photos are meh at best, downright blurry at worst. And the recipe? While catchy, yes, it is truly no bigs in terms of skill or complexity.

So why the sprinkles?

‘Cause of this post.

Yep – good old BuzzFeed is directly responsible for my most-viewed (and pinned) post ever.

And that’s okay – personally, I love BuzzFeed (I mean, how can you NOT love Australians taste-testing American junk food?), and am truly grateful for the exposure.

You’d think that I would have capitalized on this momentum, turning out ANOTHER sprinkles post, stat.

But I just don’t roll like that – I kept saying that I’d get to “that chocolate version”, but never did (even with SEVERAL requests for one – ugh, I’m the worst).

Till now! And it only took 3 years!

chocolate sprinkles

Just as easy as the rainbow version, with a rich, delicious chocolate flavor, these are the sprinkles of your dreams. They bear zero resemblance to the store bought variety, and you will want to put them on/fold them in EVERYTHING. So, so good.

chocolate sprinkles

Have fun!

chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate Sprinkles
from Brave Tart

5 ounces (1 1/4 cups) confectioner’s sugar
1 1/4 ounces (1/3 cup) cocoa (Dutch or natural)
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) water
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

Get all of your materials ready before you start – I use this special tip but you can also use a tip with a small single hole (like a Wilton #2) – or a parchment cone – with equally great results.

Set up your tip/piping bag, and 3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I also dampen a paper towel or two – to cover the tip if I have to walk away for a minute (so that the icing doesn’t dry out and clog), and to wipe down the tip occasionally.

Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa into your mixing bowl. Do not skip this step, as even the tiniest clump of sugar will clog your piping tip.

Add the remaining ingredients and – using the paddle attachment – beat on low till the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat till shiny and smooth. Scrape down the paddle and bowl and beat on medium again for another minute or two.

Place the icing in a pastry bag fitted with your tip. Pipe out icing in long lines on your prepared baking sheets. Don’t worry if the lines aren’t perfectly straight, or if there are breaks as you pipe them out.

Let the icing dry – uncovered, at room temperature – for a full 24 hours.

Lift the parchment paper off the baking sheet and place onto a cutting board. Slowly curl the paper up and away from the icing lines to release. Gently slip them onto the cutting board and discard the paper.

Line them all up and chop into desired lengths. Use immediately or store in an airtight container indefinitely.

(print this recipe)


This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2015/04/16/d-i-y-chocolate-sprinkles/

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10 Comments

  1. Kris on April 19, 2015 at 9:09 pm

    I can’t wait to try this. I had some sprinkles in the Netherlands a few years ago, and theirs are so much better than ours that I haven’t used American sprinkles since. The Dutch eat sprinkles on peanut butter for breakfast!

    • sherisilver on April 19, 2015 at 10:27 pm

      The Dutch know what’s up. 😉 Let me know if you try this, and how it compares!

  2. Rutba on July 12, 2017 at 5:28 am

    Hi one time i tried making chocolates this way but they did not set, nor they were crunchy. I tried putting them in the refrigerator also but they were still soft to the touch.I wonder if this will set or not.
    Any thoughts or comments? Please share with me<3
    Thankiesss!

    • sherisilver on July 12, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Have you used this recipe? It’s possible that humidity played a part in them not drying out…………

  3. Mari on August 17, 2019 at 7:48 pm

    If the mixture is basically impossible to get out of the frosting tip, should I try adding more water?

    • sherisilver on August 17, 2019 at 10:01 pm

      Yes – this is one of those recipes that is truly trial and error – every time. Even the humidity in the air can affect the consistency. Don’t give up!

  4. Lauren on September 16, 2019 at 7:11 pm

    Hi, thanks for the recipe. I started making my own sprinkles a while ago and want to try chocolate next!

    Can you post a photo of the tip you use? (The link is broken) Is it the 5-line piping tip?

  5. Lisa on December 1, 2019 at 10:35 am

    What a great recipe idea! I’d love to try these with mint extract or maybe even maraschino cherry juice. Do you think the juice might work in place of the vanilla?
    Thanks again for sharing

    • sherisilver on December 1, 2019 at 12:10 pm

      Oh yay! I’ve never tried any flavorings other than extracts. My guess is that the juice will not give as strong a flavor as it’s not as concentrated. If you try it let me know!

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