If you’re going to be hanging around the house for the holidays, you might as well have a cup of cocoa in your hand. At all times. The best way to give yourself all-day access to all the cocoa you can drink + toppings is by setting up a hot cocoa bar right in your home. 

Here are some tips for setting up the most heavenly hot cocoa headquarters.  

Make THE BEST Hot Cocoa

The star of the hot cocoa bar is a really good hot cocoa recipe. This one from Food Network is described as, “like drinking liquid frosting.” 

Hot Cocoa Bar Toppings

• Marshmallows
• Gingerbread cookies
• Candy canes
• Sprinkles
• Whipped Cream
• White & dark chocolate chips
• Chocolate & caramel syrups
• Orange zest
• Cinnamon sticks
• Maple syrup
• Spirits for spiking: Amaretto, peppermint schnapps, Irish cream, coffee liqueur
  

Set the Self-Serve Stage

• Set up your cocoa bar in any room of your home -- you can use your kitchen counter or a bar cart or console table in the living room. Take it outside and set up a hot cocoa station at the end of your driveway for a socially distant beverage with family!
• Add a festive runner -- or scarf or knit blanket -- for a cozy vibe and to catch sticky spills. Be sure to have lots of napkins on hand. 
• Organize your bar into handy drink-making and display zones with stylish trays and rustic wooden cutting boards. 
• A mug tree adds vertical organization and keeps cocoa cups at the ready. 
• Use elevated cake plates to add visual interest and maximize your serving space. 
• Fill clear mason jars with fixings + stirrers. 
• Fill festive bowls with sweet and salty nibbles for all-day snacking.

Add Ambience

• Cute cocoa-themed wall decor alerts all chocoholics where to belly up for a cup of the good stuff. 
• Diffusers infuse your home with complementary fragrances of the season so no one will ever want to leave. 
• Baskets of blankets and piles of pillows give everyone a cozy place to curl up, sip cocoa, play games, and savor this treasured time together.