Festive Hot Cocoa Bar & Recipe

This hot cocoa bar is a great way to celebrate the holiday season. Put on a Christmas movie, gather the whole family, and create a delicious chocolately drink.

I love all holidays, but I especially love Christmas. I tend to go above and beyond (and have since I was a kid, really). Growing up, people told me that I was bubbly and overflowing with enthusiasm for life.

I take that excitement and apply it to my every day life. It especially shines during holidays. I love creating an atmosphere where you can really get into the holiday spirit! That's also why we do our Bethlehem dinner tradition.

Food is a great way to get into the holiday mood. This Starbucks white hot chocolate is the coziest drink. And our cranberry mocktail is a perfect holiday drink because it has that beautiful red color while also having the cranberry flavor.

These green Christmas drinks are typically a big hit too especially with our Christmas charcuterie board, Christmas popcorn or this Elf pancake spaghetti!

Our Thanksgiving mocktail works for Christmas, too. I love how simple it is. You can’t forget our candy cane mocktail to really dive into the holiday flavors.

Hot chocolate season is here. There are so many fun ideas when it comes to creating a hot chocolate station. Of course, you have the different toppings, but you can also get cute cups and decorations.

Pull out some cute mason jars and bowls for the fun toppings and get ready to create! Your kids will love to come up with their own recipes, and the best part is that you don’t have to make it yourself.

Why you should make this recipe

• It's a great way to cure the winter blues
• It's a great activity if you are looking for something to do
• A hot cocoa station is a tasty treat for holiday gatherings
• You can use your creativity to come up with a beautiful table

What can I put on my hot chocolate station?

A great way to spread holiday cheer is through a hot chocolate bar party. Have your friends bring their favorite toppings and have unlimited hot chocolate.

You can put anything and everything on your hot chocolate station, because there is no wrong way to do it. There are many hot chocolate bar ideas, so come up with works best for the theme you want to follow.

Here are some of our favorite toppings that make the perfect addition for the ultimate hot chocolate bar:

• Jumbo marshmallows
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate sauce
• Caramel sauce
• White chocolate Christmas crack
• Christmas reindeer chex mix recipe
• Peppermint sticks
• Chocolate chips
• Mini marshmallows
• Irish cream
• Cinnamon sticks
• Candy canes
• Sea salt

How to decorate a hot chocolate bar

Decorating for the holidays is my favorite anyway, so I love coming up with cute ways to decorate this hot cocoa bar. There are a ton of ways to make this bar festive. And it doesn’t have to be expensive.

I recommend checking out your local dollar store to see what stuff they have before spending a lot of money. You can usually find a ton of cute stuff. Here are some things I recommend adding to your bar.

Cute cups

A party isn’t a party without coordinating utensils. Because it’s Christmastime, go for holiday cups (red and green, snow-themed, etc). 

Paper cups work, but make sure you have a sleeve to place around them so the cup doesn’t get too hot. If it isn’t a kid party, you can have everyone bring their favorite mug. Paper cups or styrofoam are usually best for the kiddos.

Signs

Go to Hobby Lobby and get yourself a cute hot cocoa sign. I find it really completes the look of the station. Smaller signs work great for labeling each topping.

Chalkboard signs are super cute, especially with a chalkboard marker. You could also print out little place cards so you don’t want to worry about your handwriting.

What hot cocoa brand is the best

There are so many hot cocoa brands that it can be overwhelming to decide which is best to serve at a hot cocoa. bar. Some options you have are hot chocolate bombs, homemade hot chocolate, and hot cocoa mix.

Choose whatever style works best for you (and the amount of people planning to attend). If a lot of people are going, have a slow cooker with homemade hot cocoa or mix in it. Then the hot chocolate will stay warm for a long time.

I like to use hot cocoa powder because it is much easier to make.

Here are some of my favorite hot chocolate mixes from the store:

• Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate hot cocoa
• Starbucks hot cocoa (I love the peppermint kind)
• Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Hot Chocolate mix
• Stephen's

Homemade hot cocoa recipe

Making homemade hot chocolate is not as complicated as you think. It only requires four ingredients. Grab a saucepan and heat the milk, cocoa powder, and sugar until well combined.

Then, add chocolate chips and whisk together until creamy and smooth. If you have the time, making your own hot chocolate is fun. It also has a creamier taste. It is also very rich.

Tips for success

• Use 2% milk (or whole milk) for a creamier cocoa
• Decorate the table with Christmas lights
• Put out different flavors of coffee creamers for different hot cocoa flavors

Ways to enjoy

Our Christmas charcuterie board pairs perfectly with this hot cocoa bar. I love charcuterie boards because they are great to snack on throughout an event. Plus, there is a bit of something for everyone.

Another great recipe is our white chocolate Christmas crack. That and our Christmas Chex mix are so incredibly tasty. They are also easy to make for holiday parties, so it’s a win-win.

Any of our gluten-free Christmas desserts work well with hot cocoa. We also have these reindeer cookies that are so so cute. Our kids love to help decorate them.

For a Christmas breakfast, you definitely have to check out our Christmas pancakes. They are easy to make and mouthwatering good.