Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Acorns
Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Acorns
Fun and Easy for Kids
This is the perfect autumn treat for homeschooling moms who want to bring their lessons to life in the kitchen. While you’re teaching about the wonders of oak trees and acorns, why not let your kids create edible Hershey’s kisses chocolate acorns as part of the lesson?
These are remarkably easy to make and only require three ingredients!
Here’s the equipment you’ll need for your Hershey’s kisses chocolate acorns:
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Microwave-safe bowl or double boiler (for melting chocolate)
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Acorns:
- ¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 40 mini Nilla wafer cookies
- 40 milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped
Variations to the Original Recipe
- Hershey’s Kisses: Feel free to experiment with flavors! Special dark, almond-filled, or even limited-edition flavors like mint truffle will work. Encourage your kids to choose their favorite.
- Mini Nilla Wafers: For a fun twist, you can substitute miniature Nutter Butters (Nutter Butter Bites) to add a peanut buttery flavor. Both options make perfect “acorn caps.”
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips: These form the cute little top of the acorn “hat” (aka, the stem), but don’t hesitate to swap for milk or dark chocolate chips, or even a small piece of pretzel if your kids like a salty-sweet combo. Get creative with candy melts too!
How to Make Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Acorns
Step 1: Prepare the Baking Sheet
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. This will be your acorn assembly station. Let your kids help you with this part—it’s a great way to introduce them to the concept of mise en place, or preparing your workspace!
Step 2: Melt the Chocolate
- Set aside ¼ cup of semisweet chocolate chips for the stems.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips. Start with 30-second increments, stirring after each one to make sure the chocolate heats evenly. This is a good opportunity to talk to your kids about the different states of matter—how solid chocolate turns to liquid when heated. You could even tie this into a science lesson!
Step 3: Create the Acorn Base
- Lay your mini Nilla wafers upside down on the prepared baking sheet. With a small spoon or skewer, place a dab of melted chocolate in the center of the flat side of each cookie.
- Now for the fun part—have your kids press a Hershey’s Kiss into the chocolate, pointy side up, to form the bottom of the acorn. This is where you can remind them how the shape of the acorn protects the seed inside, just like the chocolate is held snug by the wafer. Repeat with the remaining Kisses and wafers. Refrigerate the tray for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
Step 4: Add the Stems
- Once the acorn bases have set, reheat the leftover melted chocolate if needed. Using a skewer, dab a small amount of melted chocolate on top of each Nilla wafer (this will be the “glue” for the acorn stem).
- Have your little ones press a semisweet chocolate chip, flat side down, into the melted chocolate. You can chat with them about the role of the acorn stem in nature—it connects the acorn to the oak tree!
Step 5: Final Set and Enjoy
- Pop the baking sheet back in the fridge for another 5 minutes to let the chocolate harden and the stems fully set.
- Once they’re ready, your edible acorns are complete! You can enjoy these cute fall treats as a snack during your acorn unit study or package them up as a fun autumn gift for friends and family.
Bonus Tip:
As part of your homeschool lesson, take your acorn treats outside and enjoy them after a nature walk where you collect real acorns. Let your kids compare the real ones to the ones they made. You could even discuss the life cycle of an oak tree while snacking!
Because these treats are quite sweet, you might want to make a savory snack to balance them. I’d recommend this “spicy” Crockpot Snack Mix.
These acorn treats are not only delicious but also a great hands-on learning activity that ties into the beauty of the fall season. Enjoy this simple and fun recipe while making lasting memories in your homeschool kitchen!
