Hot Cocoa Station

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Tis the season for hot cocoa! Warm up and embrace the Christmas season by creating a customizable hot cocoa station in your home with a decadent slow cooker hot cocoa recipe.

Hot Cocoa

What are the holidays without a cup of rich, decadent hot cocoa?! It’s a beverage synonymous with Christmas, and perfect for those cold snowy days of winter. One sip, warms the soul and makes you feel instantly cozy inside.

As much as I love a cup of hot cocoa, it may be the hot cocoa toppings that are the best part of this winter drink.

Hot Cocoa Toppings

So, I thought I would share with you how to create a hot cocoa station that includes not just the delicious hot cocoa, but all the toppings too! It’s a fun way to serve hot cocoa for family movie night, a Christmas party, children’s birthday party, or even an adult holiday gathering. I promise you, adults will love this just as much as the kids!

Cocoa Station

Christmas Entertaining Blog Hop

Welcome to the first Fabulous Friday Link Party Blog Hop!

The Fabulous Friday Link Party is a place for bloggers to link their best posts every Friday and potentially get featured the following week. The Link Party has now extended its presence to some bloggers who link up regularly. Today the 6 hosts and 6 talented bloggers are launching their 1st Fabulous Friday Blog Hop. Follow along to see all of the amazing Christmas entertaining inspiration.

All the links to the hosts and their featured blogger friends are at the end of the blog.

Christmas Blog Hop

How to Set Up a Hot Cocoa Station

The Hot Cocoa Station Base

I began creating our hot cocoa station, by starting with a base. I placed a plaid red & white table runner down on the counter, and then placed an old vintage wooden sled on top of that. The sled helped to add height to our station, and added cute Christmas nostalgia to the hot cocoa station as well!

Hot Cocoa Station

Pro Tip: After bringing the sled out of storage, I did make sure to clean the wooden sled with hot soapy water a couple of times, since food was being placed on and around it.

Hot Cocoa

Cups for Drinking Hot Cocoa

For your hot cocoa station, you can choose to use disposable hot paper cups, regular coffee mugs, or maybe a combination of both. I have disposable hot paper cups next to our hot cocoa but I also have coffee mugs on the shelf above it.

Hot Cocoa Station

Disposable paper cups are convenient because guests can easily throw them away when done, and most importantly…you won’t have to wash a bunch of dishes after the party. There are really cute disposable Christmas hot paper cups available. I found our disposable hot cocoa cups at the Target dollar spot for only $3.

Cups for Hot Cocoa

These disposable hot paper cups would be a cute addition to a hot cocoa station as well.

Hot Cocoa Station

The Hot Cocoa

The most important part of a hot cocoa station, the hot cocoa!

Now, you could have instant hot cocoa at your station with hot water available to guests to make their own, instant hot chocolate. However, I have the easiest and most delicious hot cocoa recipe that literally takes minutes to mix together, cooks for a few hours in the crock pot, and tastes absolutely incredible.

Hot Chocolate

You and your guests will love this decadent hot cocoa recipe. Recipe included at the end of this blog post!

Hot Cocoa

I placed our crockpot full of hot cocoa on one side of the sled, next to the cups for serving. Guests can easily fill their cups with a soup ladle placed in the hot chocolate filled crockpot.

Hot Chocolate Bar

Hot Cocoa Toppings

The most fun part of any hot cocoa station is the toppings! The hot cocoa toppings you serve are completely customizable to what you and your guests love to add on top of the hot cocoa.

Hot Cocoa Toppings

Topping Ideas for Hot Cocoa Station

  • Marshmallows
  • Peppermint Sticks
  • Whipped Cream
  • Peanut Butter Cups
  • Chocolate Wafers
  • Mint Bits
  • Toffee Bits
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Truffles
  • Meringues
  • Sprinkles
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Sno-caps
  • Course Sea Salt
  • Caramel Sauce
  • Chocolate Sauce
Hot Chocolate Toppings

Supplies Needed for Displaying Hot Cocoa Toppings

Hot Cocoa Printable Tags

How to Display Hot Cocoa Toppings

Tie red & white baker’s twine around the top of each jar. I circled the twine around each jar about 4 times, to ensure a full red & white affect. Pull the twine taut and tie a knot. Make sure to leave long ends to be able to tie a tag to the jar.

Download and print your free hot cocoa topping tags here!

Hot Cocoa Printables

Cut out printable tags, and then punch a hole in each tag to thread twine through. Place a tag on each jar, tying a bow around the tag with the twine for a whimsical touch. Trim twine ends for a finished look.

Hot Cocoa Station

Add toppings to corresponding jars.

Pro Tip: Use the tall canning jars for taller toppings, and the shorter jars for smaller topping pieces.

Arrange the topping filled jars on and around the sled, keeping shorter jars at closer reach for little hands.

Hot Cocoa Bar

Add scoops or spoons to the jars for scooping or place them off to the side for people to easily grab and scoop toppings.

Hot Cocoa Station

You can even add some fun holiday Christmas lights to your station for an even more fun and whimsical touch! The little Christmas tree lights added such a festive glow, and I loved the little pop of green they provided! Here’s a similar strand of lights you could use at your hot chocolate station.

Hot Cocoa Station

Hot Cocoa Station Sign or Banner

A hot cocoa station is not complete without a sign or banner!

Cocoa Banner

I found this adorable “Cocoa” banner at Target which I hung from peg hooks above our hot cocoa station.

Here are some other super cute banners that would be the perfect addition to your hot cocoa station.

Hot Cocoa in the Kitchen

More Christmas Inspiration

For more Christmas & holiday ideas and inspiration from me, click here!

Christmas Décor

There is even more Christmas inspiration at the end of this post from my blogging friends. Be sure to check out their amazing Christmas entertaining ideas!

Hot Cocoa Mugs

Shop Our Home

Links to products featured in this post can be found in our “Shop Our Home” page. I hope this page makes shopping our home a little easier for you! I earn a small commission when you make a purchase from one of our LTK links. Your support helps me continue to create meaningful content for you!

Hot Cocoa Station

I look forward to sharing more of my home with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LIKEtoKNOW.it.

Hot Cocoa Station

Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

Warm up & embrace the winter season with a cup of decadent hot cocoa! This incredibly rich hot cocoa recipe is easy to make with the slow cooker doing most of the work for you.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:4 hours
Total Time:4 hours 5 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder unsweetened
  • 8 oz. Dark Chocolate
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 6 cups 1% Milk
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, heavy cream, cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
  • Carefully pour mixture into slow cooker.
  • Add the dark chocolate to slow cooker.
  • Cook hot cocoa on low for 4 hours, stirring every hour to ensure chocolate melts evenly and does not stick to the bottom.
  • Pour hot cocoa into cups and top with your favorite hot cocoa topping.
  • Enjoy!
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hot Chocolate, Hot Cocoa, Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
Servings: 6
Calories: 194kcal

Christmas Entertaining Inspiration

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Hot Cocoa Station
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Free Christmas Printables
Hot Cocoa Printables

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29 Comments

  1. Your Hot Cocoa Station is simply adorable! I love it! Thank you for sharing it! It was so much fun hopping with you!

  2. I love all of your ideas for a hot cocoa station! Thanks for sharing the crock pot hot cocoa recipe! That will be a wonderful improvement over our usual Swiss Miss!! It’s been fun hopping with you!

  3. Your grandchildren will love it Wendy! My family had such a great time adding all the different toppings to their hot cocoa!

  4. So many great ideas for a cocoa station! I especially love your list of toppings…quite a few that I had not thought of but will definitely include! It has been a delight to read your post and be introduced to you and your blog. This was definitely a fun blog hop! ~Missy Noonan, Sonata Home Design

  5. Hi Heidi – You’ve inspired me to set-up a Hot Cocoa Bar! Love all of the ideas for things you can stock the bar with. Thanks so much for being a part of our very first Fabulous Friday Blog Hop!

  6. Thank you Donna, I appreciate your kind words! Happy holidays and thank you for including in the first ever link party blog hop. It was so much fun!!!

  7. Such a fun and festive way to serve your guests hot cocoa! I love all the special touches you added from the sled, to the adorable printable tags, and all the yummy toppings! It fits perfectly on that part of your counter tucked underneath your beautifully decorated shelf! Here’s to a happy and blessed holliday season for all!

  8. Just what I needed!!!! A good, rich hot cocoa crock pot recipe. And all the fun topping suggestions are great too! Can’t wait to set up a cocoa bar for our neighborhood holiday party. Thanks so much for joining us on this inaugural Fab Friday Seasonal Blog Hop. It’s always great having you link up at the link Party too.

  9. Your hot cocoa station is so cute! I love all the mix-ins you’ve added and the thank you for the printables too. It will definitely help to make setting up one at our house super easy this year. I’ve never made crock pot hot chocolate before so I’m excited to try your recipe. Hope you and your family have a happy holiday season, CoCo

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