How to Create a Holiday Hot Chocolate Bar

‘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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Mini gingerbread cookies are perfect toppings for hot chocolate!!

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!