Lyndsey Stay cozy and warm this winter with a fun family DIY hot cocoa bar.
Hot cocoa is a winter staple for many people, and many families. Why not spice it up a notch and make a quick and easy family activity out of that cup of joy? This DIY hot cocoa bar is super simple to put together, and you can make it as big or small as you would like. This is such a great activity because it doesn’t take much time, and you can even add it into another activity for a little extra warmth and joy.
We actually decorated gingerbread men at the same time as our hot cocoa bar! It was super fun, the kids really enjoyed it, and we got a warm cozy treat out of it! Also, we actually used our candy canes from the Candy Cane Hunt to be a part of our DIY hot cocoa bar. You can check out the candy cane hunt post here!
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What Is a DIY Hot Cocoa Bar?
A hot cocoa bar, or hot chocolate bar, is in other words, a hot chocolate buffet. You create a smorgasbord of different add in’s and toppings, and maybe some snacks, to go along with your warm, delicious cup of hot chocolate. Making a DIY hot cocoa bar can turn an ordinary cup of hot chocolate into a fun and exciting family activity. You get to choose your toppings and make a big, extravagant, delicious cup of fun!
Supplies Needed
Please keep in mind, these are all just ideas. You can take as many, or as few as you’d like to put together a wonderful DIY hot cocoa bar.
Display / Setting
- Mugs or Hot Beverage Cups
- Thermos (optional for keeping milk/water warm)
- Tray (optional for display, or just put everything on your counter, I am all about simple)
- Clear Plastic Cups or Glass Jars (optional for displaying toppings)
- Spoons
- Stir sticks
- Toppings / ad in’s (see below)
Toppings / Ad In’s
- Hot Chocolate (we use Starbucks or Ghirardelli)
- Candy Canes (use as stir sticks)
- Andy’s Mints Chips
- Mini Marshmallows
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Sprinkles
- Caramel Drizzle
- Chocolate Drizzle
- Hot Fudge
- Ready Whip (or whipped cream)
- Toffee Bits
- Course Sea Salt
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Ground Cinnamon
- Mini Peanut Butter Cups
- White Chocolate Shavings
- Pirouette Cream Filled Wafers
- Sanding Sugar
- Caramels
Snack Ideas
- Milano Cookies
- Chocolate or Vanilla Wafers
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Peppermint bark
- WAFELS
- Lindt Truffles
- Molasses Cookies
- Butter Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Biscottis
Additional DIY Hot Cocoa Bar Recipes
Make your DIY hot cocoa bar even more fun with this fun and delicious Homemade Polar Express Hot Chocolate recipe from Brooklyn Active Mama.
Add in another twist of fun with these beautiful and creative Hot Chocolate Spoons from The Wooden Spoon Effect.
Our Simple DIY Hot Cocoa Bar
I didn’t want to spend a lot of time putting our DIY hot cocoa bar together. If we were using this for a party or gathering, I would likely put more into it. When making a fun activity for the kids or family, I am more focused on the memories than I am on the display. Take a look at our simple and fun hot cocoa bar below.
The thermos is used for the warm milk, or you could use it for pre-made hot chocolate. We also completely forgot to put out the mini marshmallows!!!
Pro tip: if you use very fine silver sanding sugar, it will look like glitter in your hot chocolate!
When setting up your DIY hot cocoa bar, it can make it look beautiful to lay out rows of cookies or snacks intertwined between the jars or cups of toppings.
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[…] Perfectly Imperfect – DIY Hot Chocolate Bar and Candy Cane Hunt Perfectly Imperfect adds a dash of warmth to the season with her DIY Hot Chocolate Bar, a delightful winter activity. And don’t miss the fun Candy Cane Hunt idea for the little ones! Dive into the cozy inspiration here. […]
This is such a fun idea!! We are watching Polar Express this weekend, we should include this in our night!
You should! That would be so much fun!
Great and fun event and idea.
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I LOVE hot cocoa during the cold months! This is so much fun, and I love the variety of toppings you have here. Pinning.
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[…] DIY Hot Cocoa Bar | An Easy and Fun Winter Activity […]