Happy Blogmas!

I had so much fun blogging throughout the month of October so I wanted to try another blog series specially for the holiday season throughout December. Remember my Blogtober festive hot chocolate post? Well, of course it was time to give that another go!

This time I decided to go for something I have always wanted to create—a hot chocolate bar!

What You Need

1.) Hot Chocolate Mix of Choice

Any sort of hot chocolate mix of choice will do here. Peppermint, dark chocolate, vanilla, or plain with added flavored syrup of choice are some great starts. Some cleaner brands I recommend are Equal Exchange and Trader Joe’s organic mix.

2.) Toppings

A hot chocolate is not complete without toppings! This is what makes a hot chocolate bar so special, after all. There are so many great options here—you can find pre-mixed hot chocolate toppings at many grocery and convenience stores, like Target or Walmart. You could also use festive sprinkles, chocolate shavings or crushed candy cane flakes to create your own sprinkle topping.

A classic staple topping is a marshmallow snowman! You can simply spear some pretzel sticks through a few marshmallows to make the form of a body and arms. Whipped cream in alternative to marshmallows. If you are dairy-free, there are some decent almond and coconut-based whipped cream options out there. Lastly, it doesn’t hurt to add in some form of cookie topping for good measure. In the past I have really enjoyed Trader Joe’s gingerbread mug hangers.

3.) Stirrers

Do not forget something cute to stir with! Whether you go the purely decorative or edible route, the main requirement is something fun and festive. I found these edible peppermint stirring sticks at Walmart, but you can find all sorts of edible hot chocolate stirrers made from chocolate, peppermint, candy, etc. from places like Target, World Market, Five Below, etc. Sometimes you can even make your own by melting and then freezing chocolate on the end of plastic spoons or pop-sickle sticks!

4.) Festive Mugs

A hot chocolate bar should have a few festive, cutesy mugs on display at all times! You can find adorable holiday mugs at so many places, but I would point you to Target, Marshalls, T.J. Max or even the Dollar Tree to find some inexpensive ones.

5.) Tray Stand

You have your toppings, mix, stirrers and mugs all ready to display—the only thing you are missing is some form of try to display everything on. You have many options here! I personally prefer a stacked tray look of some sort—either multi-tiered or 2 different platters stacked. Michael’s crafts has a great option, but you can also hit up Target, Marshall’s or many other places for more tray options.

Arrangement Tips

Some tips for arrangement: Keep your items spaced out a bit so people can see what goodies you offer! Also, mason jars are great for showcasing toppings and stir sticks because they are both clear and classic, which helps people showcase the toppings in a fun way. You can also wrap ribbons around the jars to really finish up the look. I would have at least two or three mugs on display at all times to really maximize the “bar” effect.

Below are some examples of items like the ones I used in my hot chocolate bar, as well as some of my go-to favorite ingredients.

I hope you enjoyed this post and got some fun ideas. I would love to know how you would make a hot chocolate bar and if you have any other suggestions!