It’s no secret. Our favorite bubble bar recipe here at Bath Fizz and Foam is our very own Wonder Bar!
Why?
It’s so dynamic! Wonder Bar is a bubble bar recipe that can be pressed like a bath bomb, scooped into adorable bubble scoops, rolled into bubble rolls and piped as a bubble frosting. You can even cut out shapes using cookie cutters. It literally does anything you would want it to do!
Occasionally, I need just a bit to pipe onto bubble shots or decorate a bath bomb. Here’s an example of three adorable bubble shots that I wanted to top and cauldrons that needed a bit of piped Wonder Bar!
I didn’t necessarily need a whole batch of Wonder Bar for any of these small projects. So, what can you do in this instance?
Masterbatch it and simply pull just what you need! I like to always keep a double batch of Wonder Bar mixed up that I can pull small amounts from for frosting cupcake bath bombs, piping bubble wands and other small projects that don’t require a full batch. And it’s easy! Let’s talk it through!
Masterbatching Wonder Bar
I personally always have a double batch of Wonder Bar mixed up for my masterbatched mix. You can masterbatch as much as you want! I’m tempted to fill a 3 gallon bucket with mix ready to go!
Step 1: Measure out all the dry ingredients for Wonder Bar.
Step 2: Measure out the cocoa butter and wet ingredients (do not include the alcohol, scent and color).
Step 3: Combine the dry and the wet and mix thoroughly.
Repeat for however many batches you want and store in a large container. I mix up to two batches at a time because that is how much my mixer can hold at once. You can store however many batches you want together. You’re only limited to the size of your storage container!
NOTE: The only ingredients you do not add to your masterbatched Wonder Bar is the alcohol, scent and color! Leave those out and add them when you’re ready to make your projects.
I like to store my mix in a large food storage container. Plastic food storage bags and plastic buckets would work as well. You want it to be airtight.
How long can you store it?
All of the ingredients are pretty shelf-stable and since it doesn’t include water or anything that will spoil, you can project it to last the length of your shortest shelf life ingredient. I’ve personally had some masterbatched mix on hand for up to 4 weeks and Robyn has stored it for up to two months!
Store tightly closed in a dry and cool location. Keep away from moisture and heat.
So, how do you use it!
Simple! When you’re ready to make a new product, simply measure out some of your Wonder Bar mix and then add alcohol to get it to the right consistency for what you’re trying to make! Then add your scent and color.
Adding scent – In the original batch of Wonder Bar, we recommend adding 12 grams of fragrance. This equals about 1.3% of base ingredients (everything aside from alcohol, which evaporates). Scent can actually be added at 1-2% but is simply a matter of preference! If you want your scent stronger, add up to 2%. If you want it less strong, add closer to 1%.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to start with using 500 grams of masterbatched mix. You can add 1-2% of scent, or 5-10 grams for this size of batch. Alcohol isn’t used to calculate scent usage because it mostly evaporates!
When working with essential oils, you can still use the 1-2% rule, but you’ll need to make sure you’re following IFRA guidelines. I’d run your scent blend through eocalc.com to make sure you’re using safe amounts. For example, you don’t want 2% cinnamon leaf essential oil in your batch! It would be irritating to your skin.
Next, add alcohol to get it to the right consistency!
Adding alcohol – Since you might not be using a full batch, you can’t go by the alcohol guidelines in the PDF; you’ll have to learn how much alcohol to add by recognizing the right consistency in your mix. Add a little at a time, allow it to mix and then add more if needed.
Pressable Texture – You can use many different bath bomb molds with Wonder Bar. You just have to use a pressable texture. I actually like a pretty dry texture for pressing (the mitten), similar to bath bomb mix. It will be crumbly but it will stick together if pressed hard. Robyn likes a pressing consistency that is more of a crumbly dough (bear mold). It really is a matter of preference. In experimenting with different bath bomb molds, we noticed that some worked better with a more dry pressable texture and some worked better with Robyn’s more dough-like mixture. You’ll have to experiment! Be sure to dust with cornstarch to keep your mold from sticking if you go with the more dough-like mixture!
Scoopable Texture – For scooping bubble bars, you want more of a dough-like texture. Wonder Bar should be like a cold cookie dough, sticking together in a ball, but it shouldn’t be sticky. It shouldn’t stick to your gloves as you work with it. Try a test scoop. If your ice cream scoop doesn’t easily create the scoop texture on top, you might need to add more alcohol. If you scoop slouches and flattens then you might have added too much alcohol.
Rollable Texture – I like a rolling texture that is just a hair wetter than scoopable texture. You should be able to flatten your mixture into a pancake and roll it without it crumbling or breaking too much.
Piping Texture – Piping texture is the wettest texture! You know you’ve nailed it when it looks like butter cream frosting! When you pipe it, it is smooth and creamy. If you pipe it and it is airy looking and not smooth, add more alcohol!
It is hard to tell you exactly how much to measure from your masterbatch…it all depends on how much product you want to make! Experiment and keep good notes! I’ve found that I typically start with 300-500 grams of mix and see where that gets me depending on what I’m trying to do. You’ll soon know exactly how much to weigh out for scoops, rolls, piping and embellishing other small projects.
Have fun experimenting!
Happy Bubble Making!
Robyn & Amanda
Wonder Bar Bubble Bar Recipe + Process Guide
Get one recipe to make it all! Make bubble bar scoops, rolls and bubble frosting, using just ONE recipe! Get Wonder Bar here.
