• Home
  • About
  • Press
  • Recipe Index
  • Videos
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Tumblr

Sugar and Charm

  • Eats & Drinks
    • Easy Everyday
    • Desserts
    • Cocktails
    • Drinks
  • Parties
    • Party Food
    • Celebrations
    • Everyday Parties
    • Party DIY
    • Party Planning
    • Flowers
  • Home
    • Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
    • Gardening
  • Holidays
    • 4th of July
    • Birthdays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Saint Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
  • Shop
Home » Holidays » How to Create a Holiday Hot Chocolate Bar

How to Create a Holiday Hot Chocolate Bar

Published on December 3, 2018 Updated on September 1, 2020 by Eden

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

‘Tis the season for hot chocolate! We’re sharing all the details on how to create your own holiday hot chocolate bar with ideas, deocrations and more!

Hot cocoa, mugs, marshmallows and flowers on a brass bar cart.

With the amount of hot chocolate we consume during the month of December, we should have a hot chocolate tap installed! We’re joyfully sharing all the details on creating your own hot chocolate bar for the holidays. Prepare yourself, because it’s about to get real sweet!!

Pouring hot cocoa into a mug with a gold P on it.

Steps for Making a Hot Chocolate Bar

We’re going over every detail for creating the most charming and gourmet hot chocolate bar.

Bar Cart or Table

First, you’ll need a good area to stage your hot chocolate bar. If you own a bar cart, that’s the perfect way to display all of the items for the hot chocolate bar.

You can also set up a small table, off to the side, with a tablecloth and holiday decorations as well.

Hot chocolate bar with a Christmas wreath, mugs, syrups, flowers and holiday hot chocolate all placed on a brass bar cart.

What do you put on a hot chocolate bar?

Fill the bar with toppings, supplies and a large pitcher of hot chocolate! We’ve listed out everything you’ll need blow:

Hot Chocolate Bar Supplies

A list of supplies you’ll need:

  • Glass Bottles for syrups, 
  • Gold Monogram Mugs,
  • Brass Bar Cart, 
  • White Cake Stand, 
  • Linen Napkins, 
  • Hot Chocolate from Williams Sonoma
  • White Bowls
  • Tall white vase
  • Spoons for stirring
  • Glass heatproof pitcher for hot chocolate.
Close up photo of marshmallow snowman faces

What do you put on hot chocolate?

Hot Chocolate Bar Toppings

The ideas for toppings are endless! Have four to six toppings for your guests to choose from and make sure to have a lot of marshmallows!

  • Snowman marshmallows
  • Snowflake marshmallows
  • Marshmallow snowmen on a stick
  • Whipped cream
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Crushed peppermint
  • Gingerbread cookies
  • Hot chocolate stir sticks
  • Peppermint sticks
  • Candied ginger
  • We also added Bailey’s, Kahlúa, Salted Caramel Syrup and bourbon for guests to add to their hot chocolate.
Snowflake marshmallows in a white bowl.

How do you keep hot chocolate warm at a party?

It’s important to serve the hot chocolate in a stainless steel Thermos that will keep hot chocolate warm on the bar. You can even label it hot chocolate and one for water if you’re using hot chocolate sticks.

We like this one gallon Rambler from Yeti, but there are many affordable options too.

Hot Chocolate Bar with hot cocoa, marshmallows, mugs, syrups and flowers.

What temperature should hot chocolate be?

Hot drinks are usually served around 140 degrees to 160 degrees. You can use a thermometer to test the temperature before adding the hot chocolate to a thermos.

Williams Sonoma Hot Chocolate in Tin Cans

Gourmet Hot Chocolate

You don’t have to make homemade hot chocolate. There are plenty of places to buy gourmet hot cocoa to serve. All of our delicious cocoa for this bar was from Williams Sonoma. One of my favorite flavors is their Vanilla Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows!

Cinnamon sticks in a bowl

World Market is also a great place to pick up some unique hot chocolate mixes.

Williams Sonoma Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Marshmallows

Decorations

To make the hot chocolate bar even more enticing and beautiful, add some pretty decor! Decorate with fresh flowers and greens to add that holiday spirit!

Winter floral arrangements

Fresh Flowers and Wreaths

I use fresh flowers for almost all of my parties. Around the holidays wreaths are all over the house and they make for easy decorations.

Close up of flowers

Bottle Brush Trees are a great way to fill in empty space.

Faux snow on the bottom of the bar cart works too. Be careful using too much as it can make its way into a mug of hot chocolate!

Bar cart with marshmallows, trees faux snow and mugs

Ornaments and glass candy jars are perfect for decorating a bar as well.

Holiday wreath and How to Create a Holiday Hot Chocolate Bar

Hot Chocolate Bar Setup Ideas

Have a pitcher of hot chocolate, mugs and bottles full of different syrups to add to the hot cocoa.

Snowman marshmallows on sticks going into a gold mug.

Make sure there are a lot of toppings to use for the cocoa and make sure to have a bottle of whipped cream out for guests to use.

Holiday Hot Chocolate Bar

Charming details like these snowman marshmallows on a stick are what make a setup special. Buy things that people wouldn’t always splurge on and make it a sweet experience for guests.

Gold mug with snowman on a stick
Gingerbread cookies in a bowl

Mini gingerbread cookies are perfect toppings for hot chocolate!!

Syrups in glass jars with gold spout

Spiked Hot Chocolate

A hot chocolate bar isn’t complete without the option to spike the hot cocoa! Pour Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlúa and in glass bottles for guests to spike their own hot cocoa. We also snuck a bottle of bourbon too. Have you ever had bourbon in hot chocolate, it’s delicious and warming? It’s really GOOD!

Pouring Baileys Irish Cream into a white mug with a P on it.
Flowers on a winter wonderland bar
Stir it up hot chocolate sticks.

Hot Chocolate on a stick are a great addition. Have some hot water or milk available and place the sticks, unwrapped on a platter.

You can also make your now hot chocolate on stick by following our recipe!

Girl holding a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, cookies and marshmallow.

Top the hot chocolate with whipped cream, cookies, peppermint and marshmallows!!

There are so many ways to incorporate this into a celebration. Here are some ideas!

  • Hot Chocolate Bar for a Wedding
  • Baby Shower
  • For Teachers
  • Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar
  • A Winter Birthday Party
Hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, cookies and candy cane

More Holiday Ideas!

How to Put Together a Charming Christmas Brunch

Winter Wonderland Holiday Drink Station

Holiday Coffee Bar

We hope you’re inspired to host your own holiday hot chocolate bar!! Please share your set-ups with us on Instagram and Facebook! Also, leave a comment and let us know how yours turned out!

Enjoy the holidays and stay charming!


1 Comment

Related Posts

  • New Year’s Eve Champagne Bar

    New Year’s Eve Champagne Bar

  • Rudolph Collins Recipe

    Rudolph Collins Recipe

  • 33 Christmas Movies to Watch for the Holidays

    33 Christmas Movies to Watch for the Holidays

Stay up to Date

Join our Newsletter to Keep up on Latest

Related Posts

  • Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
  • Biscotti Recipe with Cranberry and Pistachios
  • Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Easter Eggs
  • Gingerbread Tree
« Spiced Apple Sparkler Holiday Punch
British Isles with Princess Cruises »

Comments

  1. Julie Blanner says

    December 22, 2018 at 8:50 am

    You’ve outdone yourself! This is one of the prettiest bars I’ve seen!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Eden of Sugar and Charm

Adding a little charm to the everyday life with entertaining and lifestyle inspiration, sweet recipes and classic style… your daily dose of sugar and charm!

Meet
Eden
Signup for the Newsletter
View our Most Charming Posts

Popular

The Best Coconut Loaf Cake

The Best Coconut Loaf Cake

How to Build a Gingerbread House Like a Pro

How to Build a Gingerbread House Like a Pro

A Refreshing Watermelon Cocktail Punch

A Refreshing Watermelon Cocktail Punch

Lavender Gin and Tonic Punch

Lavender Gin and Tonic Punch

The Most Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie Recipe

The Most Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie Recipe

How to Create a Tea Garden

How to Create a Tea Garden

You Might Also Like

The Perfect Pancake Recipe

A Classic Whiskey Sour Recipe

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Charming Woodsy Kids Bedroom

How to Host a Mini Tropical Party for Your Family

Featured In:

Featured In Logos

Copyright © 2021 · Sugar and Charm · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Statement

MENU
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Eats & Drinks
    • Easy Everyday
    • Desserts
    • Cocktails
    • Drinks
  • Parties
    • Party Food
    • Celebrations
    • Everyday Parties
    • Party DIY
    • Party Planning
    • Flowers
  • Home
    • Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
    • Gardening
  • Holidays
    • 4th of July
    • Birthdays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Saint Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • About
  • Press
  • Contact