How to Make Your Own Chocolate Bar at Home

Published: Jul 28, 2026

It all started with a dream. Before the company and the town and the park, Milton Hershey was just an ambitious candy maker who wanted to find the secret to making delicious chocolate everyone could enjoy.

Milton’s experiments and innovations would lead to HERSHEY’S becoming one of America’s most beloved chocolate brands. At Hersheyland, we love celebrating his legacy and exploring the joy that chocolate brings. And you can be a part of that, too!

Inspired by Milton’s spirit of creativity, we’ll show you how you can make your very own custom HERSHEY’S chocolate bar. It’s the perfect hands-on family chocolate activity that’s part dessert, part craft and all fun.

Why Making Homemade Chocolate Bars Is the Perfect Family Activity

Chocolate-making with kids may sound difficult, but it’s actually a fun, interactive family activity. There are no baking skills required, and even younger kids can show off their creativity by helping customize their own bars.

DIY chocolate bars make excellent gifts or party favors, and they’re perfect for family movie nights. Try making your own in the lead up to the release of the HERSHEY movie!

What You'll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own chocolate bars.

Ingredients

Equipment

Microwave-safe bowl
Silicone chocolate molds
Spoon or spatula
Parchment paper Refrigerator

Mix-In Ideas

Sweet

Mini marshmallows
Rainbow sprinkles
Cookie pieces
REESE’S PIECES
Chopped caramels

Fruity

Dried strawberries
Freeze-dried raspberries
Dried cherries
Freeze-dried bananas

Crunchy

Chopped nuts
HEATH BITS O’ BRICKLE English Toffee Bits
Crushed DOT’S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS
Rice cereal
Granola

Smooth

Creative

Crushed potato chips
Breakfast cereal
Graham cracker pieces
Coconut flakes
Mint extract

make your own chocolate bar ingredient table

How to Make Your Own HERSHEY'S Chocolate Bars

Step 1: Melt the Chocolate

Using the chocolate bar flavor of your choice, break the bar into pieces and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in short intervals to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn. Microwave until the chocolate is melted and can be stirred smoothly.

Step 2: Add Mix-Ins

Layer your chocolate bar mix-ins into your silicone chocolate molds. Let each member of your family select their own mix-ins to create their signature recipe.

Step 3: Fill the Molds

Pour melted chocolate into the molds, covering your mix-ins. You can add extra toppings for decoration. Just don’t choose mix-ins that are too heavy, because they might sink to the bottom. Good options for toppings include sprinkles or coconut flakes.

Step 4: Chill and Set

Put your chocolate molds in the refrigerator and chill until the chocolate is firm. Once the chocolate has fully set, you can pop the bars out of the molds.

Step 5: Taste-Test Your Creations

Now comes the best part: the taste test! Give each bar a fun name based on its ingredients and try each variation.

You can also turn your chocolate bars into a delicious science lesson. Think about how temperature affects chocolate — how does the chocolate bar snap when you break it right out of the fridge versus when it sits at room temperature? Download this worksheet to become a Chocolate Scientist and find more ideas for chocolate science at our Chocolate Lab!

Invent Your Own Signature Chocolate Bar

Once you’ve got the hang of making your own chocolate bars, you can turn chocolate making into a regular family activity. Come up with challenges like “create a movie night-inspired bar” or “design a holiday-themed bar.” You can even host a junior chocolatier competition and let everyone vote for winners with awards like “most creative” or “best crunch.”

Don’t forget to give your homemade chocolate bar a name! See who can come up with the most creative name for their treat. Looking for inspiration? Milton Hershey named his chocolate and peanut candy bar “Mr. Goodbar” after he misheard a company executive remark, “That’s a good bar.” A great name can come from unexpected sources!

Meet the Original Chocolatier: Milton Hershey

Our founder Milton Hershey didn’t set out to become one of America’s most famous chocolatiers. He began his career working in a candy shop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After years living and working around the country, he finally came back to Pennsylvania to start his successful Lancaster Caramel Company.

But his real passion was chocolate. He wanted to make delicious chocolate that was accessible to everyone. After a lot of trial and error, he perfected his recipe and The Hershey Chocolate Company was born.

Innovation is at the heart of HERSHEY’S chocolate. When you make chocolate bars with your family, you’re continuing the legacy of Milton!

There are so many ways to have fun and experiment with chocolate. Besides making your bars at home, check out the interactive chocolate experiences at HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD! Watch your chocolate creations come to life in the Create Your Candy Bar experience, then design a custom one-pound REESE’S Peanut Butter Cup through REESE’S Stuff Your Cup.

And don’t forget to learn more about Milton Hershey’s journey in the HERSHEY movie, coming this Thanksgiving!