How could anyone resist the sweet indulgence of fancy hot chocolate on a cold winter day? It’s a perfect treat for guests of any age, and with all the holiday entertaining going on, it’s worth stocking up on all the essentials—plus some fancy flourishes to make it special!
Setting up a hot chocolate bar for guests to customize their cocoa will undoubtedly make for a memorable holiday season. Here’s how to make an amazing hot chocolate bar at home. Read on to discover our three best recipes!
A truly incredible hot chocolate bar should come stocked with all the bells and whistles. Here’s how to make one that’s sure to impress!
Here is your starting point! You’ll need something pretty to function as your prep station, and a bar cart works perfectly. See if you can buy one at a vintage shop!
Style your bar cart with winter essentials like evergreen garlands, holly berries, fairy lights, or tinsel. It’s all about the holiday opulence!
There are endless numbers of tasty treats you can use as hot chocolate toppings! Here are some of our favourites:
You’ll need containers to hold all the fancy toppings and other add-ons and spoons to dole them out. Look for jars with snap-seal lids so your toppings stay fresh.
If you aren’t adding whipped cream, one way to make your hot chocolate look and taste extraordinary is with stencils for toppings! Place one on the top of your mug, then sprinkle on some powdered sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, or chilli powder to create a pretty image on the surface. Print some stencils out on stiff cardstock paper and cut them out, or see if you can buy some premade from a baking supply shop.
Pretty mugs are an absolute must-have! You can bring out your collection of assorted holiday mugs (because we all have a few collecting dust in the cupboard) or purchase a fancy matching set to compliment your winter decor.
You’ll need a big, thermal carafe to keep your cocoa warm so guests can serve themselves! Prepare it before your guests arrive so it’s ready to enjoy.
Skip the powdered stuff—if you’re making a fancy hot chocolate bar, you may as well pull out all the stops and make a tasty batch from scratch! Here are our top recommendations for unbelievably delicious cocoa.
If you’ve got an espresso machine with a steam wand, you’re in luck! The easiest way to make rich, frothy hot chocolate couldn’t be any more simple: just steam some chocolate milk! You’ll be amazed by the taste and texture, and if you want to skip the whipping cream, you can create plenty of foam to top off your drink instead!
This sweet, creamy cocoa recipe is irresistible! It pairs especially well with candy cane topping.
Ingredients:
Directions: Add all ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over low-medium heat until melted and smooth. There is no need to boil it—wait until all the chocolate chunks have liquified, and it’s ready to serve!
Feliz Navidad! If you’re feeling adventurous, spice things up with some chilli chocolate. Top it off with some cayenne pepper and cocoa powder, and use one of your holiday stencils to create foam art!
Ingredients:
Directions: Add all ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over low-medium heat until melted and smooth. Don’t let it boil! Taste test to see if the sweetness and spice level are to your liking, and adjust accordingly.
Happy holidays from all of us at Royal City! Enjoy your fancy holiday hot chocolate bar—but don’t be surprised if you feel tempted to leave it out all year long!
