All About Mini Breakable Heart Candy | History, Uses, and Making Tips

All About Mini Breakable Hearts

Mini breakable hearts have become a popular item for Valentine's Day and other occasions where you may want to give someone something sweet but with a fun twist. These little chocolate hearts come in a variety of sizes, usually from bite-sized to a couple inches across. They are made of chocolate or candy and designed to easily break or smash when dropped or thrown. The hollow interior is often filled with small candies, sprinkles, or other tiny treats that spill out when the heart is broken. Let's take a closer look at these cute and clever sweets!

A Brief History

Breakable hearts have been around for decades, but they seemed to gain mainstream popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Candy companies started producing them en masse as novelty Valentine's Day items. Their small size and clear symbolism of love made them an inexpensive but still sweet gift or party favor for February 14th. The fact that they could be broken by the recipient added a touch of fun and interactivity.

How They're Made

Most mini breakable hearts are made using plastic molds. Liquid chocolate, candy, or sugar is poured into the mold and allowed to harden. The hardened heart can then be popped out of the mold. In some cases, two halves of the heart are made separately and then joined together, leaving a thin seam around the middle that makes the heart easy to break at that point. Before the two halves are joined, the inside is filled with small candies, sprinkles, crushed cookies, or other tiny treats. The filling adds to the delight and surprise factor when the heart is cracked open.

Fun Ways to Use Mini Breakable Hearts

There are lots of fun ways to use these treats beyond just gifting them in a box for Valentine's Day:

• Use them as party favors or as a cute dessert at a Valentine's dinner or get-together.
• Give them out to kids for classroom Valentine's Day exchanges.
• Hide them around the house or in your loved one's car and let them find and break the hearts.
• Use them decoratively by stringing them together into a garland or grouping them in glass bowls.
• Smash one over ice cream for an instant tasty topping.
• Include one in a gift basket or care package for an extra touch of charm.
• Give guests their own heart to break over their coffee or cocoa as a novel stir-in.

Fun Ways to Break the Hearts

Half the fun of breakable hearts is finding creative ways to smash them:

• Throw them at a hard surface like the sidewalk or a brick wall.
• Place them on a table and hit them with a hammer (outside is best for the resulting mess!).
• Drop them from heights onto a hard floor.
• Put them in a small paper bag or wrap them in plastic and stomp on them.
• Hit them with a bat, rolling pin, or other kitchen item.
• Squeeze them in your hands until they crack (watch out for melting chocolate!).
• Cut them with a knife, being careful of any filling that may spill out.

Tips for Making Your Own

You can make DIY breakable hearts to get exactly the type, size, and fillings you want. All you need are chocolate molds in heart shapes, candy melts, fillings like sprinkles or crushed cookies, and lollipop sticks. Simply melt the candy, fill one half of each mold, add filling, top with more melted candy, insert a lollipop stick, and let cool completely before gently removing from the molds. Add any extra decorative touches and then package them up for gifting or party favors. Make sure you warn the recipients that the hearts are meant to be broken!

The Appeal of Mini Breakable Hearts

When you give someone a mini breakable heart, you're giving them a chance to experience a literal "tug at the heartstrings." These charming little treats combine the symbolism of hearts and Valentine's Day with the fun of breaking open a surprise-filled treat. Their small size makes them perfect for small gifts, party favors, or desk treats. Kids and adults alike enjoy the novelty of smashing something so cute to reach the candy filling inside. Any way you break them open or gift them, mini breakable hearts deliver lots of sweetness and fun.

FAQs

What are mini breakable hearts made of?

Most mini breakable hearts are made of chocolate, candy, or sugar. The hollow heart shells are made by pouring liquid chocolate or sugar into a mold. Once hardened, the heart halves are filled with small candies or sprinkles before being joined together.

Can you make your own breakable hearts at home?

Yes, you can make DIY breakable hearts using chocolate molds, candy melts, fillings, and lollipop sticks. Melt chocolate, fill the molds, add fillings, top with more chocolate, add a stick, and let cool completely before removing from the molds.

Are breakable hearts only for Valentine's Day?

While these hearts are very popular for Valentine's Day, they can be given as gifts or used as party favors year-round. Their novelty and surprise factor appeal to people of all ages.

What are some creative ways to break open the hearts?

Get creative with how you break them! Throw them against walls, stomp on them, hit with kitchen tools, squeeze them, or just bite into them. Just avoid making a big mess indoors.

How should I store and serve breakable hearts?

Keep breakable hearts stored in a cool, dry place until ready to serve. Display them in glass bowls, string them into garlands, or just set them out in decorative boxes or bags. Let guests smash their own or provide wrapped hammers for fun!