Chocolate Pop-It dinosaurs: The Perfect Easter Treat for little dinosaur fans

Last year’s summer craze has languished forgotten in the corner since we returned from our brief family road trip.

Crazes are short-lived in our house. Almost as short as TikTok crazes, unless dinosaurs are involved.

But I’m not on TikTok and nearly missed this pop-it chocolate craze entirely. It’s the best use of the neglected toy.

Ours is chocolate pop-it dinosaur. Of course.

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What is a pop-it?

The star of the show and the most essential item for this recipe (it otherwise does not make our top 20 list), is a dinosaur-shaped pop-it.

A pop-it is last summer’s craze for people who like to fidget. It is a brightly coloured silicone toy tray with pokeable bubbles that can be flipped and reused and is designed to relieve stress. They come in thousands of shapes, including dinosaurs and were popularised on TikTok.

Last summer, they were everywhere.

When our LDA convinced D-Rex she needed one, we could only find a T-Rex. Now, a whole host of dinosaur pop-its are available. They would make great guest favours for your dinosaur party bags. Accompanied by a chocolate pop-it dinosaur.

Are the pop-it dinosaurs safe to use?

The pop-its are a toy and as such must adhere to toy safety rules. They must be BPA free, for example, so a small child could put it in their mouth (and no doubt many have). It is a tasteless silicone that is non-toxic and odorless.

It’s not a silicon baking form. I would not bake with a pop-it – you don’t know what might happen or what might be released when they are heated. Still, I and many others felt pop-its were safe to use to make these chocolate pop-it dinosaurs.

If you are concerned, feel free to do your own research.

What you need to make these chocolate pop-up dinosaurs

In essence, you only need 3 things, plus whatever you need for your preferred method of melting chocolate.

1. Chocolate. Our LDA prefers milk and white chocolate. For us, bars of couverture chocolate are cheapest, which is easiest to melt in a water bath (chocolate buds are rare here). How much you need will depend on your dinosaur pop-it: our Triceratops used 200g, while our T-Rex needed about 125g.
2. M&Ms. We used salted caramels M&Ms because the colours are brighter than smarties. It does not matter what type of M&Ms you use (unless you have a nut allergy, obviously). See below for some alternatives
3. Your pop-it dinosaur mould. They come in various dinosaur forms, making it easy to find one your little dinosaur fan will love.

Can I add other things to our dinosaur pop-it candy bars?

Definitely. Swap the M&Ms out for some small gummi bears or other candy. We used mini marshmallows for our Triceratops pop-it.

Not a fan of candy? Add sprinkles (especially dinosaur sprinkles), nuts or cookie crumbs. Or some mini Easter eggs for some Easter flair.

Feel free to mix your chocolates, too. We used milk and white chocolate because they are our LDA’s favourite chocolates. And she thinks dark chocolate tastes like dirt (though I don’t remember her ever trying dirt).

5 tips for making this dinosaur pop-it chocolate

1. Wash and dry your pop-it thoroughly. Use a gentle detergent to wash it thoroughly to get rid of any dirt and grime from popping and any remaining factory chemicals. Dry the pop-it well with a tea towel and then allow it to air dry to ensure it is completely dry. Water and chocolate mean lumpy chocolates.
2. Prepare your fridge in advance. These dinosaur pop-it chocolates work best if allowed to set on a flat surface. As the silicone bends easily, if the surface is not flat, the chocolates will be easily warped. Prepare a flat space in your fridge for them to set. Place a piece of baking paper under the silicone pop-it mould before adding the chocolate and use the baking paper to keep the mould flat when transferring to the fridge.
3. Don’t leave your chocolate pop-it dinosaur in the fridge too long. Leave it in until it just begins to harden. If you refrigerate the chocolate for too long, it will sweat when you remove it from the fridge.
4. Place a tea towel or soft towel under the pop-it for removal. If you turn your dinosaur pop-it chocolate directly out onto a hard surface, you increase the chance it will break. Place a soft towel or tea towel on your surface to prevent breakage.
5. Gently lift the edges of the pop-it fidget toy to separate it from the chocolate. Slowly does it! Still, some areas are quite thin and fragile and will easily break like our Triceratops did, especially along the “joins”. Don’t worry – just present it to your little dinosaur fan as a puzzle!

Why not dino-fy the TikTok trend this Easter?

With just three “ingredients” and around 20 minutes, these chocolate pop-up dinosaurs are as simple to make as they are fun to eat. Why not make some with your little dinosaur fan?

While you may not be a fan of TikTok crazes, at least this one gives a new use to the fidget toy languishing in the corner since last summer. And it’s a use your dinofile is going to love.

Why not dino-fy the TikTok trend this Easter?

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