Set up your very own hot chocolate bar with these hot chocolate bar ideas, free printable signs, and of course lots of hot chocolate topping ideas! It’s everything you need for the ultimate winter hot chocolate bar.
One of my favorite things to do every year (it’s even on my Christmas bucket list) is to setup a hot chocolate bar! It’s perfect for parties whether you’re doing a classic Christmas party or one of these more unique Christmas party themes!
If you want to create your own hot chocolate bar at your own event, I’m here to help!
I have some simple hot chocolate bar ideas that are great for winter holidays and even Valentine’s day! Plus lots of tips for setting up your very own hot cocoa bar at home.
I’ve also included a set of printable hot chocolate bar signs that you can print out to use with your own setup at home.
What is a Hot Chocolate Bar
Let’s start by just talking about what a hot chocolate bar is. It sounds kind of like a Hershey’s chocolate bar but it’s not.
It’s similar to this DIY s’mores bar setup where the basic idea is that you’re going to put out everything people to make their very own custom hot chocolate.
I absolutely love this idea (and all sorts of other food bars) because it means everyone gets what they actually want. It’s also a really fun way to add some interest to a party, plus you can try out a variety of different options!
What goes on a hot Chocolate Bar
What you put at a hot chocolate bar is totally up to you, but I recommend the following:
- Something to drink out of – Mugs or other cups that wont get warm to the touch. If you want people to have the option to do a variety of hot chocolate mixtures, you could do some smaller cups as well.
- Hot chocolate – Various types of hot chocolates to choose from. You could do powdered hot chocolate mix or something already made like this homemade hot chocolate or this peppermint hot chocolate.
- Mix-ins – I like to include a variety of sauces and flavorings that would be fun to add to a hot chocolate. Think spices like cinnamon, extracts (like peppermint or orange), and sauces like caramel.
- Toppings – this is where you can really have fun! I have an entire section below with some ideas below.
- Stirring utensils – you can use spoons, straws, or stirring utensils. It’s even more fun if you use specific hot chocolate spoons like these that are made to melt in hot chocolate!
- Printable signs – if you’re doing toppings or mix-ins that people may not know what they are, I highly recommend printable signs. If you’re not doing those, I still recommend printable signs just to add some decorative elements and fun to the setup!
- Decorations – make your hot chocolate bar a standout at a party with the addition of some simple either holiday or winter decorations.
And one last addition that I personally think would be fun – hot chocolate themed snacks! These hot chocolate muddy buddies, these hot chocolate cupcakes, or fruit with this hot chocolate dip would be perfect!
Hot Chocolate Toppings
Now that you know what a hot chocolate bar is, let’s talk about what types of hot chocolate toppings to include with your setup!
Honestly, this list could be endless. There are so many different toppings you could use, I could go on and go.
Here are just a few of my personal favorites and ones that I’ve seen widely used.
There are two things you have to have on your hot chocolate bar and those are whipped cream and marshmallows. Those are the classic hot chocolate toppings and it’s just not hot chocolate without them.
So start there.
Then add in any mix-ins that you think might sound good.
Start with some of the larger items like chocolate chips, nuts, even coconut is another favorite. You really can give lots of different choices – just use smaller bowls so if something doesn’t get used, you’re not wasting that much!
You can also add any sort of holiday flavors you can think of – peppermint sticks are a good one, caramel, even little pieces of gingerbread could be good!
And don’t forget to add some spices and seasonings to finish things off. I’m a big fan of sprinkling a dash of cinnamon on top or sprinkling with a little salt if I do a salted caramel hot chocolate.
Like I said, the possibilities are pretty endless so just grab what you think makes the most sense!
The printable signs that I have include signs for the following toppings:
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows (of course!)
- Sprinkles
- Coconut
- White chocolate
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon
- Peppermint
Printable Hot Chocolate Bar Sign
The last element of setting up your hot chocolate bar is adding some printable signs to get people in the mood for hot chocolate!
I have an entire set of hot chocolate bar printables included in this post (download at the bottom) that includes everything from a printable banner to wall art and topping signs!
You can use all, some, or none of them at your bar. They do have a fun wintery vibe to them, so I think they’re a great fit for any hot chocolate bar but totally your call! You can download the entire set at the bottom of this post!
More Christmas Printables
If you like these hot chocolate bar signs, you should make sure to check out these other Christmas printables.
- Christmas gift tags – 16 different designs with fun sayings inspired by Christmas songs and movies!
- Reindeer poop – the cutest reindeer treat tags with everything from reindeer poop to reindeer noses, great for kids!
- Reindeer food – this fun holiday tradition is great for getting kids excited on Christmas Eve!
- 12 days of Christmas tags – if you’re giving someone gifts for the 12 days of Christmas, these tags would be a great addition!
- Christmas coupons – want to give out intangible things for the holidays? Print out these Christmas coupons to use for these types of gifts!
Download the Hot Chocolate Bar Signs
Enter your first name and email address in the form below to get the printable PDF.
You will receive a link to download the PDF to your email within minutes.
If you do not see the form, click here to get to it.
If you do not see the email immediately after you fill out the form, make sure to check your promotions, spam, and junk folders!
As a reminder, the 10 page PDF will include:
- Hot chocolate banner
- Eight food signs
- Five decorative wall art/graphic signs
Eileen Niemeier says
Just what I was wanting to offer at our family Christmas this year!