Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar Cart

Create a fun hot chocolate station for your holiday parties or family nights with this simple Christmas hot chocolate bar cart. Customize it with all of your favorite toppings!

Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I love putting together fun hot chocolate bars! I’ve been doing it for years now and usually have one up somewhere in the house throughout most of the year. Hot chocolate bars can really be as simple or as extravagant as you would like. From just a few bottles in a crate to a more elaborate set up on a side bar or buffet, there’s always room for a hot chocolate bar!!

Hot Chocolate Bar Cart

Usually I put a Christmas hot chocolate bar in our kitchen or dining room, but this year I decided to put it on a rolling cart for a little extra versatility. We can roll it into the kitchen if needed or bring it to the sofa for refills and top-ups on our movie nights. Using a cart for your hot chocolate bar is a great idea if you’re short on space or just like to keep your counters clear. It’s also lots of fun for parties or holiday gatherings.

What do I need for a hot chocolate bar cart?

Part of the fun with putting together a hot chocolate bar is choosing what to put on it! You can keep it simple with just the basics or add a wide variety of hot chocolate options and toppings to customize the perfect cup.

Here are some ideas to help get you started…

hot cocoa mix. This looks cute displayed in a mason jar or just get the packets {or hot chocolate bombs} for a quick and easy serving. Look for a couple of different flavors to mix things up and be sure to check if there are any special requirements for making it. Some mixes do require hot milk rather than water.
marshmallows. Mini, flavored, or regular size – anything goes! Seasonal Peeps marshmallows also make cute hot cocoa toppers. You can pretty much get them for any holiday! Store in a mason jar or place in a bowl.
whipped cream {obviously you’ll need to store this in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!}
flavored syrups. I have peppermint, vanilla, and caramel on ours.
candy canes. Use whole candy canes for stir sticks or crush them up for a peppermint flavored hot chocolate. You can also buy finely crushed candy canes that works great for sprinkling over the whipped cream!
chocolate, caramel, or strawberry sauce
caramels or little chopped caramel bits
sprinkles in seasonal colors or shapes
toffee bits
chopped nuts
cinnamon. I added cinnamon to the gnome salt and pepper shakers for easy serving.
Christmas colored M&Ms or other favorite Christmas chocolates
cookies. You can either get the wafers to use as a stir stick or just have regular cookies out for dipping. I love shortbread for this at Christmas time!
ADULTS ONLY – Bailey’s or Kahlua. 🙂

How do I decorate a hot chocolate bar cart?

Dressing up the cart with a few seasonal touches is my favorite part! Just a few little details can totally take it up a notch and I always love finding those perfect additions.

napkins in seasonal colors or patterns
seasonal mugs. You don’t have to spend a lot of money – my favorite Santa mugs were just from the dollar store and these cute gnome mugs were from Walmart. {I think they’re still in stock!}

stir sticks
little bowls or jars for candies {I used some Christmas measuring cups}

a cookie jar. Not only do cookie jars look cute, but they’re also very functional. Of course, they’re great for keeping cookies fresh, but they can also be used for storing other treats {I used one for holding popcorn in our movie night cart a couple of years ago}, hot chocolate packets, or other items like napkins or towels that you might not want to leave out.

cute hot chocolate bar labels. I have some free printable gnome hot chocolate bar labels that you can find HERE.

glass bottles for syrups. You don’t really need these but I do think they look cute! I just decanted my syrups into the bottles and add these free printable DIY coffee syrup labels.

various seasonal decor items. If you have any extra space, fill it in with fun seasonal decor items. I wanted a little more height on the top so I added the white tree {it also works to help hide the battery pack for the twinkle lights!}. I also added some sprigs of greenery, a few large jingle bells tied with ribbon and a cute little gnome.