A hot cocoa bar is one of the easiest ways to make December feel like December, and it doesn’t need a big kitchen. It needs one flat surface, something that keeps cocoa hot, and a few jars of things to put on top.
Where to put it
Not on the kitchen counter you cook on. A bar cart, a sideboard, the end of a console or even a cleared shelf of a bookcase works. You need about two feet of surface: one foot for the cocoa and mugs, one foot for toppings.
If space is really tight, put everything on a single large tray (on Amazon). It can live on the coffee table when people are over and go back into the kitchen afterward in one trip.
Keep it hot without the stove
Make the cocoa on the stove, then pour it into a thermal carafe (on Amazon). A 68-ounce one holds enough for eight mugs and keeps it hot for hours, with nothing plugged in and no pot on a burner while you’re in the other room. A slow cooker on the warm setting is the other option if you have outlet space, though it takes up more room.
Label it. A little card that says “cocoa” saves you from someone pouring it into their coffee.
Mugs
A mug tree (on Amazon) holds six mugs in the space of one plate, which matters on a small surface. Mismatched mugs are fine and look friendlier than a matching set. If you’re expecting more people than you have mugs, put out sturdy paper cups in a plain color rather than anything with a cartoon on it.
Toppings
This is where a cocoa bar becomes fun. Put toppings in clear jars (on Amazon) so people can see what’s there:
- Marshmallows, regular and mini
- Crushed candy canes
- Chocolate chips or shavings
- Cinnamon sticks for stirring
- Caramel sauce in a small jug
- Whipped cream, brought out from the fridge in a bowl when people arrive
Three or four toppings is plenty. Small scoops or spoons in each jar keep fingers out.
Decorating it
The jars and mugs do most of the work. Add one or two things:
- A few small trees at the back corner: three bottle-brush trees (on Amazon) in different heights.
- A string of lights along the back edge. A battery strand with a timer (on Amazon) means no cord to trip over.
- A small chalkboard or card with a name for it, if you like that sort of thing.
That’s enough. Anything more and there’s nowhere to set a mug down.
For kids
If kids are coming, make one batch less hot and put it at their height, on the coffee table or a low stool. Their own cocoa spot keeps small hands away from the hot carafe and gives them something to look forward to.
Putting it away
The carafe and jars go back into the kitchen. The trees and lights fit in a shoebox. If you set it up on a tray, the whole thing packs away in about two minutes.