How To Create a Hot Chocolate Station

If you’re hosting a Christmas party, bonfire night, or any other cosy gathering this wintertime, a DIY hot chocolate station is an adorable way to keep bellies warm whilst entertaining your guests. Not only is it a great option that both kids AND adults can enjoy, but it is incredibly cost effective, and takes no time at all to throw together! 

Guests can mix and match their favourite flavours, toppings, and even a add cheeky splash of something boozy if they fancy. Below, we’ll show you how to set up your very own station, from must-have equipment and ingredients to styling tips and an insane slow cooker hot chocolate recipe that will have everyone coming back for seconds (just don’t think of the calories!!).

 

Equipment You’ll Need For Your Hot Coco Station

You can easily pull together a hot chocolate station together using things you already have around the house. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Cups & Mugs: Paper cups for minimal fuss or lovely mugs (use what you have in the cupboard already, or visit a Charity shop for some cheap extras) if you don’t mind a bit of washing up.
• Slow Cooker: Make your hot chocolate warm in a slow cooker or a dedicated hot chocolate machine – this’ll keep it warm for hours.
• Serving Tools: Cocoa powder duster, glass jars for decorations, dispensers or bottles for syrups.
• Optional Extras: Labels, signs, and straws for that finishing touch.

 

Image credit: Daily Dose of Home on Pinterest

 

Hot Chocolate Essentials

To create your hot chocolate station, at a minimum, you’ll need these three things:

• Hot chocolate (or a selection, if you really want to go above and beyond – find our go-to recipe below!)
• Squirty cream – though this will need to be kept refrigerated between uses
• Mini marshmallows

If you want to go all-out for your DIY hot coco bar, I’d recommend offering both a plain hot chocolate and a white hot chocolate for guests to use as their base.

Plan for one and a half – 450ml of hot chocolate per person. Some people will have two, but some people will be more than happy with one mug. 

 

Flavourings & Syrups

This is where your hot chocolate station can really shine. A variety of flavourings lets your guests customise their drinks exactly how they like them. Choose 2-3 from the list below:

• Caramel
• Vanilla
• Orange
• Pepper mint
• Gingerbread
• Pumpkin spice
• Cinnamon
• Almond
• Butterscotch
• Hazelnut 
• Banana
• Maple

 

Alcoholic Add Ins

If you’ve got big kids (aka, us adults!) at your party, I’d recommend having a few cheeky liqueurs on hand to pimp up your hot chocs with. One shot per cup is the perfect amount to warm the belly without your head hurting the next day:

• Baileys
• Whiskey
• Cointreau (orange liqueur)
• Kalua (coffee liqueur)
• Peppermint Schnapps

 

Decorations / Extras 

It’s all in the zhuzhing… offer a few lovely decorations (ideally seasonal/themed) that guests can decorate their drinks with. I love:

• Edible glitter
• Mini gingerbread men
• Candy canes
• Fun-coloured sprinkles
• Chocolate flakes
• Cinnamon sticks
• Toasted coconut 
• Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments

 

 

The Best Ever Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Recipe

This may be the most calorific hot chocolate recipe to ever exist, but trust me, it is also the MOST delicious – so save it for those extra special occasions. Make sure you get the slow cooker hot chocolate going at least two hours before your guests arrive, that way, it’s one less thing to think about!

 

Ingredients:

• 500g hot chocolate powder of your choice (Cadbury’s classic or Whittard’s luxury milk chocolate powder both work beautifully)
• 1 × 300ml tub of single cream
• 1–2 dollops of Nutella 
• Milk to fill the rest of your slow cooker (roughly 1.5–2 litres depending on size)
• Pinch of sea salt

 

Method

Literally dump everything into the slow cooker – the hot chocolate powder, the cream, Nutella, milk, and sea salt – and whisk together until lump-free and combined. Turn your slow cooker to ‘low’ and stir every half an hour until ready to serve. It couldn’t be any easier!

 

Setting Up & Styling Your Hot Chocolate Station

Luckily, most of this can be done ahead of time, leaving you to sip a cheeky mulled wine while everything’s ready to go! Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up your hot cocoa station in under half an hour:

1. Cups & Mugs: Stack your paper cups or mugs neatly on one side. Think of it like a little hot chocolate assembly line – easy for everyone to grab and go.
2. Slow Cooker Placement: Pop your slow cooker or hot chocolate machine next to the cups.
3. Syrups & Flavours: Tip your caramel, hazelnut, peppermint – whatever you fancy – into matching bottles with a lovely label. Totally optional and extra but it looks lovely. Place next to your slow cooker.
4. Decant Your Decorations: Pop your mini marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate flakes, and all the good stuff into cute little jars. Add these to your table – if you have crates/stands to hand, use these to create some height.
5. Add Some Flair: Fairy lights, a mini garland, a cute sign, maybe even a cinnamon stick in a jar for stirrers – little touches make the whole thing feel extra special.

 

Easy Hosting Ideas From Savery Grazing

We hope you loved this simple guide on how to make a DIY hot chocolate bar – it’s simple, quick to set up, and incredibly cost-effective to throw together. Perfect for kids & adults alike!

For more hosting tips, recipes, and party inspiration, keep up to date with our blog. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

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