‘Tis the season for all things warm and cozy, including a cocoa bar with festive free printable tags for all your toppings! See how you can create a hot chocolate bar in your own home for the holidays.
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This post was originally published on December 1, 2020. Last updated on October 30, 2024
Warm Up Your Holidays with a Festive Cocoa Bar
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to set up a hot cocoa bar!
It’s a fun, cozy addition for holiday parties, Christmas brunch, a cookie exchange party, or just a sweet treat for your family to enjoy together.
And here’s the best part: you don’t have to pack it away when the season’s over!
Keep it stocked all winter long for a warm pick-me-up on those chilly days.
And, as a bonus, I’m sharing some FREE printable tags to help you label all the toppings and make your setup extra festive!
Table of Contents
- Warm Up Your Holidays with a Festive Cocoa Bar
- How to Style a Cozy Hot Cocoa Bar
- Finding the Perfect Spot for Your Cocoa Bar
- How to Stock Your Cocoa Bar: Must-Have Supplies
- The Finishing Touch: Hot Chocolate Bar Toppings
- Sweeten Your Setup: Free Hot Cocoa Bar Tags!
- Download Your FREE Hot Cocoa Bar Printables HERE
- Shop The Post
- More Holiday Inspiration from Midwest Life and Style
- Sip, Savor, and Enjoy!
- Did You Enjoy this Post? PIN It for Later!
How to Style a Cozy Hot Cocoa Bar
We don’t have a large kitchen or much extra counter space, but we do have a formal dining room—and our buffet table is just the right size for creating a hot chocolate station with all the essentials!
And, with our open layout on the first floor, it’s easy to pop over and grab a cozy mug of cocoa—just right for snuggling up with a Christmas movie and a holiday snack board filled with some of our favorite treats.
But you don’t need a formal dining room or a big kitchen to enjoy a cozy hot cocoa bar of your own.
And I’m going to show you how with simple tips to create a hot cocoa bar set up complete with all the best hot chocolate toppings.
So grab some mugs, gather your toppings, and get ready to bring a little extra joy to your holiday season.
Finding the Perfect Spot for Your Cocoa Bar
No dining room or big kitchen?
No problem!
A hot cocoa bar can fit just about anywhere.
Try setting one up on a small bar cart, a side table, or even a cozy corner of your kitchen counter.
To save space, you can even use a tiered tray on your kitchen island to hold all the festive cocoa bar decor and supplies like your mix, marshmallows, and candy cane bits.
How to Stock Your Cocoa Bar: Must-Have Supplies
Once you’ve found the perfect space, it’s time to gather all your hot cocoa bar supplies.
The first must-have for your cocoa bar is a self-dispensing hot water urn.
It’s perfect for parties because it allows guests to help themselves, and it’s easy to use.
Just fill it with water, turn it on, and let everyone make their own mugs with cocoa mix and their favorite toppings!
If you’re creating a cocoa bar for just your family, set it up on a cozy movie night or for a fun weekend treat.
You can even make your own DIY hot cocoa bombs instead of using a dry mix.
And, of course, it isn’t a cocoa bar without festive holiday mugs.
You can use any mugs you have on hand, but if you want to add a little fun and festivity, there are plenty of seasonal options to choose from.
These adorable Santa mugs are a favorite of mine.
You can also use pretty vintage glass mugs, ones with a cozy plaid design.
You can even grab some cute disposable coffee cups if you’re in a pinch (or want to cut down on dishes!)
Don’t forget to include some red and white striped paper straws.
Then add some garland and cozy twinkle lights for a bit of extra holiday charm.
The Finishing Touch: Hot Chocolate Bar Toppings
When it comes to toppings for your hot chocolate bar, you can add as much or as little as you want.
It’s totally up to you!
I went all out with mini chocolate chips, candy canes, peppermint chips, mini marshmallows, whipped cream, and several different types of caramel and chocolate drizzles.
Because there is no such thing as too many choices when it comes to toppings, right?
Whatever you decide, simply pour your toppings into small glass mason jars.
And don’t forget to add a few wooden scoops for easy serving.
Sweeten Your Setup: Free Hot Cocoa Bar Tags!
My FREE printable tags are the perfect finishing touch for your hot cocoa bar.
Thanks to the black chalkboard look and pinecone design, you can use these tags all winter long.
Because who says hot cocoa is only for Christmas?
All you need for the tags is a home printer, some paper (I prefer to use cardstock), and a pair of scissors.
After printing and cutting apart the hot cocoa tags, use a hole punch and a bit of red and white craft twine to attach the tags to each of the jars.
My hot cocoa bar printable pack includes 12 different tags, including all of the tags shown here.
If you aren’t already a member of the MWLS community, just sign up below to get your free printables now!
Download Your FREE Hot Cocoa Bar Printables HERE
Aren’t they perfect?
I love how the tags tie the whole hot cocoa bar together.
It is a fun way to add a festive touch to your home for the holidays.
And more than that, it is a simple and meaningful way to make long-lasting memories with your family.
If you are already a subscriber to Midwest Life and Style, these place cards can be found by visiting the printables tab located on the main menu. The password is included at the bottom of each email.
Shop The Post
Want to recreate this look at home? I’ve linked all the finds I used in this post below! Please note, that sometimes things sell out quickly, so if something isn’t available anymore, I’ve linked a similar item that you might love just as much. Happy shopping!
Garland⎟Tiered Tray⎟Twinkle Lights ⎟Stainless Steel Hot Water Dispenser⎟Santa Mugs
Half Gallon Ball Jar with Lid⎟Pint Mason Jars⎟Mini Wood Scoops⎟Red and White Craft Twine⎟Cardstock⎟Red and White Paper Straws
Ghirardelli Chocolate, Caramel, White Chocolate, and Sea Salt Caramel Flavored Sauce⎟Hot Chocolate Mix
Chocolate Stirrers with Mini Marshmallows⎟Chocolate Stirrers with Peppermint⎟Andes Creme De Menthe Baking Chips⎟Crushed Peppermint Candies
More Holiday Inspiration from Midwest Life and Style
Looking for even more Christmas decorating ideas? You might also enjoy these posts.
Sip, Savor, and Enjoy!
Thank you for stopping by the blog today and joining me for some cozy hot cocoa bar fun.
Don’t forget to grab your free printable tags, and let me know in the comments how you are styling your hot chocolate bar this winter.
Cheers!
Did You Enjoy this Post? PIN It for Later!
Is there anything you can’t do, Jen! Gah-I love how fun and festive this is. It’s super cute and I know your girls must have gone crazy for it. This is definitely something you could use all winter too. Can’t wait to share this fabulous post on Friday. Big hugs and thank you for the printables, CoCo
Awe…I’m so glad you enjoy them, CoCo. Thanks so much for the share!
Jen, your hot cocoa bar and all it’s fixings are just a hit! What fun tags too!
thank you so much, Jenn! My girls are really taking full advantage of all of the fun toppings.😘
I love this! Those tags are just so adorable!
Thank you, Shawna. Aren’t they fun? I love how they add a little something extra to our hot cocoa bar.
Jen I absolutely love your hot cocoa bar! The Santa mugs are darling and so are the gift tags!!! I can’t wait to print them off! Pinning!
Thank you, Kelly! I hope you enjoy the tags. I think they would look perfect on your cute cocoa bar.😘