How to Build the Perfect Hot Chocolate Bar
A hot chocolate bar is the perfect experience for your next winter gathering. A hot chocolate bar is a fun interactive station or table that allows party guest to customize and create their own hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is a staple drink for the wintertime and pairs great with marshmallow, but switch it up. The hot chocolate drink station is perfect for themed movie nights and Christmas parties, suitable for both kids and adults.
Select Your Signature Hot Chocolate
First, the most important thing is the hot chocolate. Would you like the hot chocolate prepared in advance using real chocolate, hot cocoa packets, or hot cocoa bombs?
Decide what type or form of hot chocolate will be the star of the hot chocolate bar. Knowing what type of hot chocolate you are featuring will determine what supplies and ingredients you need.
For instance, if you are making the hot chocolate from scratch or using pre-made batches of cocoa, the most significant factor will be keeping it warm. Because if it is cold, it is just a chocolate mix. A crockpot is the best alternative for keeping hot chocolate hot, as it is easy to set up and use, and is an appliance most people already have.
Stir Up the Perfect Base
If you decide to go with hot cocoa packets, the next question would be what base drink to pair the drink powder with.
Water is the easiest to use and cost-effective. A tea kettle or electric kettle helps keep hot water and milk ready for use. However, water in hot cocoa does not complement the rich taste and texture of chocolate.
Using milk can get pricey, especially if you decide to offer a milk option. To cater to guests’ dietary needs. Whole milk, goat milk, a plant-based milk like almond, lactose-free milk, and nonfat are a few options to consider when setting up your hot cocoa bar.
Pimp Your Hot Chocolate Bar
Now time for the fun part and ways to bring diversity to your drink bar. Spoon, candy add-ins, syrup flavors, and any other ingredients you’d like to add for guests to customize their drinks.
Swap Spoons for Sweet Treats
No plastic spoons are allowed. Instead, try candy canes or peppermint sticks, chocolate-shaped spoons, and even cookies like Pirouettes, which can serve as suitable substitutes for spoons.
Pile On the Sweet Stuff
What is hot chocolate without marshmallows? Offer marshmallows of different sizes and colors, but take it a step further and add candy pieces as a topping. Crushed candy canes, chocolate shavings, graham cracker pieces, sprinkles, and mint candy are additional toppings to add to the drink table. Don’t forget the whipped cream and chocolate or Caramel sauce to drizzle on top.
Add a Little Holiday Spirit
Time to add the bar to the hot chocolate bar. If your guests are over 21, consider adding miniature bottles of alcohol to enhance the Christmas spirit. Peppermint schnapps, Bailey’s Irish Cream, kahlúa, or your favorite whiskey can turn a child’s favorite winter drink into an adult-spiked hot chocolate.
Add Sparkle to Your Hot Chocolate Bar
It does not matter how good your hot chocolate is if no one tastes it. Decorating your hot chocolate bar will help catch guests’ attention and organize your toppings. Christmas lights, fairy lights, garland, even a mini Christmas tree, and decorative napkins are great items for a Christmas-themed bar.
Label each topping with a catchy phrase. Mini chalkboards are a trendy and versatile option that can be reused. Glass jars and a cookie tray are also great alternatives for holding hot chocolate toppings and accessories.
Decorations and catchy phrases can be switched out to match themes. For example, if the hot chocolate bar theme is based on the Grinch movies, incorporate movie quotes and stick with green colors and heart-shaped decor.
Don’t Forget the Mugs!
Some last-minute items to grab are mugs and snacks. If you’re serving regular hot chocolate, regular thermal cups will work, but not for your hot chocolate bar.
Grab mugs to fit the festive theme of winter. Shop for mugs at resale shops for a reasonable price, or if you are creative, make custom mugs for your guests to double as a gift.
Snacks to complement the hot chocolate are a great addition to the table. Treats that pair well with hot chocolate are sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, donut holes, and mini muffins. The sweet treat is another way to keep the buzz going about your chocolate bar next year.
Dream Big, Sip Bigger
For your next holiday party, go big or go home with your hot chocolate bar. Have fun and add as many toppings and sauces to your drinks station as you like. There is no official bar guide; the only rule is to include hot chocolate.
