A Simple Hot Chocolate Bar

Set up a hot chocolate bar for an easy, fun treat all winter long! Of course you'll need hot cocoa mix, plus all the mix-ins your heart desires!

I've set up several hot chocolate bars in my home over the years, from simple to fancy. I love how fun and festive they are when hosting friends and family this time of year. If you want a fun, kid-friendly activity for the holidays and winter season, keep reading for hot cocoa bar ideas!

Hot Chocolate Bar and Christmas Decorations in the Kitchen | TheTurquoiseHome.com

After I inherited my grandmother's dining room suite, I thought it would be fun to create a retro hot chocolate bar one year. And of course, my kids loved it. They always LOVE it!

I've been dreaming of having a hot chocolate bar in my home for years. This beautiful credenza is the perfect spot to set it up! It's just the right place for a hot chocolate bar.

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I don't know about you, but I'm a huge hot chocolate fan, and I can't get enough of it during the cold months.

I'm not sure it gets all that cold here in Alabama. But when the temperature drops below 50 degrees, a steaming cup of hot cocoa is just the ticket!

So every winter around this time, I whip up a batch of the creamiest hot chocolate (recipe here) and store it in a large canister for the months ahead. (I usually make a second batch, fill a bunch of mason jars and hand them out as Christmas gifts with a tub of popcorn!)

This year I took it one step further and gathered some of my favorite simple hot chocolate toppings together in one spot on the new buffet for my hot chocolate bar!

hot cocoa bar and hot choclate in a mug with marshmallows on top.

What You'll Need for a Hot Chocolate Bar

Hot Chocolate, of course (best recipe HERE – so yummy and stores easily all winter long!)
Toppings (see my full list below)
Containers (different sized bowls, canning jars, latch jars & hocking jars work best!)
Spoons
Mugs
Electric Kettle (I prefer to leave my hot chocolate mix in powder form and let my friends and family add the powder to hot water. This lets them decide how strong they want it.)
Mug tree, optional

I just whipped up a batch of my grandmother's hot chocolate recipe and filled the large hocking jar. Then I filled the bowls and jars with my favorite toppings.

I included just the basic toppings, such as:

marshmallows
caramel bits
sprinkles
toffee bits
candy canes
white chocolate syrup
caramel syrup
Andes mints
stroop waffles
pirouette cookies
biscotti

I'll usually add whipped cream when we have people over or it's a special occasion. I love some whipped cream in my hot chocolate, layered over a few marshmallows with just a sprinkle on top. Yum!!

A tray is the perfect place to keep your hot chocolate bar, so you can move it around if need be. I plan to put most of the ingredients on a tray and keep it out of reach when it's not in use.