A hot chocolate station is a fun way to warm up and bring holiday cheer! By gathering a few simple items together you can please a crowd or just your family. Round up some hot chocolate goodies and make some fun memories!
When assembling your hot chocolate station, a few items can be helpful. A tray, basket, or wooden crate is a good way to corral all of the items. Mason jars and small bowls are also good for holding small items. It is also fun to have special spoons, scoops, bakers twine, and mugs to make the station extra special.
Holiday Mugs
While this hot chocolate station can be used all winter long (and all summer if you are here in Alaska) I like to make it special for Christmas by swapping out my white mugs for Santa Mugs. My white Santa mugs are from Walmart (2019) but THESE are super fun as well!
Disposable cups with lids are also a great option for serving hot chocolate. This is especially helpful if you are wanting to keep the hot chocolate warm for longer or if you are serving it outside. I like to pick up a big bag of disposable cups from Costco at the beginning of the winter.
A black metal mug rack is awesome for storing mugs. It is such a fun visual statement in the kitchen year-round, and looks extra cute with Santa mugs for the hot chocolate station.
Hot Chocolate Sign
The Christmas Hot Chocolate sign was purchased at Michaels (2019) but I found other cute signs on Amazon HERE as well! Be sure to check out Pinterest for other printable signs to add to your hot chocolate station.
Mix-ins
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the mix-ins for your hot chocolate station. Below are some of our favorites.
- Mini Marshmallows
- Specialty Marshmallows
- Chocolate Syrup
- Caramel Syrup
- Christmas Sprinkles
- Whipped Cream
- Straws
- Stirring Sticks
- Candy Canes
- Flavored chocolate Kisses
- Red Hots
- Andes Mints
- Flavored syrups (think coconut hot chocolate, yummm!)
Hot Chocolate
There are several options for hot chocolate when making your hot chocolate station, read below to see which works best for your crowd.
Hot Chocolate Packets and Hot Water
Provide hot chocolate powder or packets and hot water. People will mix their own hot chocolate and then add their mix-ins. To make sure that you have enough hot water it is helpful to have a Hot Water Dispenser or a Tea Kettle. I will often mix up hot chocolate and have it ready in this Airpot.
Hot chocolate powder is fun because you can get many different flavors and each person can choose their own. Our personal favorite is Stephen’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Crock Pot Hot Chocolate
When you want a rich hot chocolate to serve a crowd, crockpot hot chocolate is the way to go. With a few simple ingredients mixed ahead of time, you have steamy hot chocolate ready whenever your guests want some. There are lots of recipes out there, but this one is one of our favorites. This can also be made on the stovetop!
K-Pods
For a smaller crowd, a Keurig machine is a fun solution for brewing your hot chocolate. With single-serve pods of hot chocolate, your guests can brew up a cup whenever they are ready.
Serve up the Hot Chocolate
Get ready to please a crowd with your hot chocolate station. I make sure to have a bin in the pantry to store all of the goodies when not in use, otherwise, they would be gone in a flash with our 4 little boys! When we have company over we pull out the ingredients and quickly have a fun treat for all to enjoy.
Other drinks to serve a crowd
If you are looking for more drink ideas to serve a crowd be sure to check out our Soda Station as well as the Lemon Water Punch, both are my go-to drinks when serving a group.
Make it a gift
A hot chocolate station is a great gift basket to give to a friend or neighbor for the holidays. Be sure to check out our other gift basket ideas that are easy to put together and are sure to put a smile on someone’s face!
P.S. If making your home ready to host guests is something you desire to do more of, but struggle to do on your own, be sure to sign up for Room Transformation Boot Camp waitlist. Room Transformation Boot Camp is an online class where I teach you my step-by-step room transformation process and cheer you on as you tackle a room in your home. I will be the designer in your back pocket to help you make decisions through the room transformation process!