Learn How to Make a Hot Chocolate Bar with rich hot cocoa, marshmallows, whipped cream, and customizable toppings and treats! Hot cocoa boards are a fun and festive way to serve hot chocolate for brunch, movie nights, and special occasions.
Hot Chocolate Bars are a fun way to serve hot cocoa for a group of any size during the holiday season. Everyone can customize their own mug with whipped cream, syrups, sprinkles, and treats. Make a batch of rich, chocolatey hot cocoa to share and serve with a customizable variety of toppings and mixings.
This was inspired by our Oat Milk Hot Chocolate and Baileys Hot Chocolate recipes!
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What Should Be Included In a Hot Chocolate Bar
All ingredients for a hot cocoa bar are available at your local grocery store, and most can be purchased online. The best part is that hot chocolate bars are customizable, so you can add whatever sauces, mixings, and toppings you like. Below is a list of hot cocoa bar ideas and items we love:
- Hot Chocolate - A big batch of hot chocolate is the star of the show. Make a large pot of Oat Milk Hot Chocolate or use your favorite hot cocoa mix.
- Creams and Syrups - Serve a bowl of Easy Homemade Whipped Cream or canned whipped cream for an extra creamy topping. Add syrups and sauces like caramel, chocolate, and Nutella for extra decadence.
- Cream Liqueur - Serve small carafes of cream liqueur, like Baileys or Kahlua, for the adults.
- Marshmallows - Marshmallows are a quintessential hot cocoa topping. Add a mix of original and flavored marshmallows for fun variety.
- Sprinkles and powders - Add colorful sprinkles and cocoa powder to add texture to the tops of each mug.
- Cookies - Cookies are an excellent way to add flavor to a hot chocolate bar. Cookies that are long and can be dipped, like biscotti and Pirouette, are fantastic options. Add Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies and Matcha Cookies (Soft and Chewy) too.
- Treats - Add your favorite sweet treats, like caramels, peanut butter cups, chocolate truffles, chocolate chips, candy canes, dipped pretzels, and more!
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Theme - create a theme for your hot cocoa charcuterie board, like a holiday or flavor. For example, make a pink, red, and white board for Valentine's Day, or a green and red board for Christmas.
- Color - pick a color scheme for your hot chocolate board. Select 2-3 colors that tie back to the season or your event.
- Dairy-free or gluten-free - make a batch of dairy-free, vegan hot chocolate and serve dairy-free and gluten-free treats.
Variations
Customize your hot chocolate to accompany the hot chocolate bar! Here are some delicious hot chocolate bar ideas:
- Vegan - use a dairy-alternative milk, like oat milk or almond milk, instead of dairy-based milk. Try Oat Milk Hot Chocolate for a delicious vegan option!
- Spiked - make a batch for adults with a cup of Kahlua or Baileys. Try Baileys Hot Chocolate for a rich and creamy spiked hot cocoa.
- Peppermint - add a teaspoon of peppermint extract for peppermint hot chocolate on a cold winter night.
- Coffee - Add a shot of espresso for every 2 cups of hot chocolate for a decadent mocha treat.
How to Set Up a Hot Chocolate Bar
- Arrange ingredients - Use a large cheese board, cutting board, or baking sheet for the base of the Hot Chocolate Bar. Use small bowls, plates, and ramekins to divide some of your wet and dry ingredients. Arrange the marshmallows, sprinkles and powders, cookies, and treats on the board and in the small bowls as desired. Arrange mugs by the board. Wait to add refrigerated toppings until the hot cocoa is made.
- Make hot chocolate - Once your hot chocolate bar is arranged, make the hot chocolate. Make it on a stovetop or in a slow cooker.
- Add refrigerated ingredients - While the hot chocolate warms, add the refrigerated ingredients, like whipped cream, to the hot chocolate bar.
- Serve - Divide the hot chocolate amongst the mugs and allow each person to customize their mug of hot chocolate with the toppings and treats.
Top Tips
- Use a slow cooker to keep the hot cocoa warm.
- Prep the day before - If you are entertaining, prepare the hot chocolate board ingredients the night before and place them in ramekins or small bowls for easy arrangement the next day.
- Allergies - If you are hosting, make note of any allergies (e.g. nuts) to keep those toppings separate from the rest of the board.
When to Serve a Hot Cocoa Board
Arrange a hot chocolate bar for any special occasion or fun night at home! Hot cocoa bars are a great activity for friends and family any time. Here are some recommendations when a hot chocolate bar would be the perfect addition:
- Movie nights
- Brunch (serve with Brioche French Toast with Berries or Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding!)
- Valentine's Day (add Valentines Cookies to the hot cocoa board)
- Halloween (or the day after with leftover trick-or-treat candy)
- Holidays, like Christmas and New Years (serve with Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and Chocolate and Coffee Biscotti)
Equipment
Hot chocolate charcuterie boards require common kitchen essentials. You need a sauce pan, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a whisk, and mugs to make the hot chocolate. To arrange the hot chocolate board, you will need a flat surface, like a cheese board, pastry board, sheet pan, cutting board, or serving platter. Separate the ingredients using ramekins or small bowls and jars.
Storage
Store leftover cookies, sauces, sprinkles, and more in their own air-tight containers. Refrigerate any perishable ingredients to maintain freshness.
Store leftover hot cocoa in a lidded container. To reheat, place leftover chocolate milk in a saucepan and warm on medium-low heat. Or make a fresh batch with your favorite hot chocolate mix.
Did You Like This Recipe?
Love this easy diy hot chocolate bar? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment below. Thanks!
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📖 Recipe
How to Make a Hot Chocolate Bar
Equipment
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate
- 6 cups milk or dairy-free milk alternative
- â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar or Demerara sugar
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- ¾ cup dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips chunks or chopped chocolate
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Creams and Syrups
- Whipped cream recipe
- Chocolate syrup
- Caramel syrup
- Nutella
Toppings
- Marshmallows
- Sprinkles
- Cocoa powder
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate shavings
Cookies and Treats
Alcohol
- Baileys
- Bourbon
- Kahlua
- Schnapps
- Whiskey
Instructions
Stovetop Hot Chocolate
- Warm ingredients - Add milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a saucepan and warm on medium-low heat. Whisk until warm, but not boiling.
- Add chocolate and vanilla - Add chocolate and vanilla to the mixture. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and blended with the milk.
- Serve - Divide into mugs and serve immediately.
Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Warm ingredients - Add milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a slow cooker. Stir together ingredients.
- Cover and cook - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir occasionally until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Serve - Divide into mugs and serve.
Hot Chocolate Bar
- Arrange ingredients - Use a cheese board, cutting board, or baking sheet for the base of the Hot Chocolate Bar. Use small bowls, plates, and ramekins to divide some of your wet and dry ingredients. Arrange the marshmallows, sprinkles and powders, cookies, and treats on the board and in the small bowls as desired. Arrange mugs by the board.
- Add refrigerated ingredients - While the hot chocolate warms, add the refrigerated ingredients, like whipped cream, to the hot chocolate bar.
- Serve - Divide the hot chocolate amongst the mugs and allow each person to customize their mug of hot chocolate with the toppings and treats.
Paula A Nakayama
YUM!!! Invite me over, please!