A Christmas Hot Chocolate Station is a must-have in our kitchen throughout December! Jars filled with marshmallows, chocolate, sprinkles and biscuits make it easy for everyone to create their own festive hot chocolate. It takes just 10 minutes to set up, looks lovely on the kitchen counter and is perfect for Christmas movie nights, parties and cosy evenings at home.
December is always busy enough without making everything complicated, which is why I love this DIY hot chocolate station so much.
Once it's set up, all we need to do is make the hot chocolate and choose our toppings. The kids love making their own combinations, and it's lovely to have everything ready when friends and family pop round.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 25 November 2023 and was fully updated in November 2026 to check the ingredient quantities and expand the instructions, tips and FAQs.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love It
- What You Need For A Christmas Hot Chocolate Station
- How to Make a Hot Chocolate Station
- Hot Chocolate Station Topping Ideas
- Best Hot Chocolate for a Your Station
- Hot Chocolate Station Jars, Stands and Mugs
- How to Make a Hot Chocolate Station on a Budget
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage and Gifting
- Dannii's Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Christmas Party Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love It
- Ready in 10 minutes - A really quick and easy Christmas setup.
- Budget-friendly - Use jars, mugs and toppings you already have.
- Perfect for small kitchens - All you need is a little space on your worktop.
- Ready all December - Keep the jars stocked for festive hot chocolates whenever you fancy one.
What You Need For A Christmas Hot Chocolate Station
You can make your Christmas hot chocolate bar as simple or elaborate as you like. I like to have a mixture of everyday favourites and a few festive extras, but you certainly don't need to buy everything listed here.
- Hot chocolate - Use your favourite shop-bought hot chocolate powder, homemade cocoa mix or grated chocolate melted into hot milk. You could even offer a couple of different flavours.
- Marshmallows - Mini marshmallows are perfect for adding to hot chocolate. We also love the festive-shaped ones you can find in supermarkets at Christmas.
- Chocolate - Milk, dark or white chocolate chips, chocolate buttons, chocolate flakes or grated chocolate all work well.
- Biscuits and cookies - Mini Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and little gingerbread men are brilliant for dipping into hot chocolate or balancing on top of the cream.
- Sprinkles - Red, green and gold Christmas sprinkles make everything look festive without much effort.
- Cream - Squirty cream is convenient, especially when everyone is making their own drinks. Keep it refrigerated until needed.
- Syrups and sauces - Caramel, vanilla or hazelnut coffee syrups are lovely stirred into hot chocolate, with chocolate or caramel sauce drizzled over the top.
- Candy canes and cinnamon - Candy canes make festive stirrers and add a peppermint flavour. Cinnamon sticks are great for stirring, and ground cinnamon can be sprinkled on top.
Equipment and Decorations
You don't need a dedicated hot chocolate station stand, although a few simple accessories can make everything look extra special.
- Jars and containers - Glass jars, mason jars, spice jars or small pots for storing your toppings.
- A tray or stand - A serving tray, wooden board or two-tier stand keeps everything together.
- Mugs - Get your Christmas mugs out! A mixture of shapes and sizes looks lovely.
- Spoons and scoops - Small spoons or scoops make it easy to serve the toppings without everyone putting their hands into the jars.
- Labels - Chalkboard stickers or handwritten gift tags help everyone find what they want.
- Decorations - A little Christmas tree, a small sign or some battery-operated fairy lights are all you need.
How to Make a Hot Chocolate Station
- Choose a space on your kitchen counter or sideboard. Gather your jars, mugs, toppings and decorations.
- Fill clean, completely dry jars with hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, chocolate chips, mini cookies and sprinkles. Put smaller toppings into little pots or spice jars.
- Arrange everything on a tray or stand, with taller jars at the back and smaller containers at the front. Add mugs, teaspoons, scoops and any festive decorations.
- Make your favourite hot chocolate, add cream if you like, and let everyone choose their own toppings!
Keep any milk, whipped cream or other chilled ingredients in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Hot Chocolate Station Topping Ideas
The toppings are definitely the best part! We like to change ours throughout December, depending on what we already have in the cupboard.
You don't need dozens of different options. Around five or six favourites will give everyone plenty of choice.
Our Favourite Hot Chocolate Toppings
Chocolate toppings: Chocolate chips, chocolate buttons, grated chocolate, chocolate flakes, crushed Maltesers or broken-up chocolate bars.
Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows, festive marshmallows or our homemade chocolate covered marshmallows, which are lovely for dipping.
Biscuits and cookies: Mini Oreos, mini chocolate chip cookies, gingernut biscuits, gingerbread men and crushed Biscoff biscuits.
Festive toppings: Candy canes, crushed peppermint sweets, Christmas sprinkles, cinnamon, chocolate stars and a little orange zest.
Sauces and syrups: Chocolate sauce, salted caramel sauce, vanilla syrup, hazelnut syrup or a small drizzle of melted chocolate.
Extra treats: Mini fudge pieces, toffee bits or a scoop of vanilla ice cream added just before serving.
My tip is to include different textures rather than filling several jars with similar things. A jar of marshmallows, one of biscuits, a couple of chocolate options and something festive is a great starting point.
Best Hot Chocolate for a Your Station
You can use any hot chocolate you like, but the best option depends on whether you're making drinks for your family or serving a crowd.
For everyday hot chocolates: A jar of your favourite hot chocolate powder or our homemade hot chocolate mix is the easiest option. Just heat some milk and make the drinks as needed. Our easy microwave hot chocolate is ideal when you only want one or two mugs.
For Christmas parties: Our slow cooker hot chocolate is a lovely way to make a larger batch. It uses real chocolate, is rich and creamy, and means you don't have to make every drink individually.
For something a little different: Try our easy hot chocolate spoons. You simply stir them into hot milk, and they look really pretty displayed alongside the jars.
For a dairy-free option: Our oat milk hot chocolate is creamy and easy to make. Pair it with dairy-free chocolate, plant-based cream and suitable marshmallows.
And if you're making hot chocolate for the grown-ups, our Baileys hot chocolate is a lovely festive treat. Keep any alcohol separate from the main family station.
Hot Chocolate Station Jars, Stands and Mugs
One of the things I love about a DIY hot chocolate station is that you can use things you already have at home.
Jars: We use a mixture of glass jars in different sizes. Large jars are good for marshmallows and biscuits, while smaller spice jars are perfect for sprinkles and chocolate chips. Make sure they have airtight lids to keep everything fresh.
530ml/18 fl oz Jars with Airtight Lids
120ml/4 fl oz Spice Jars
Stands and trays: A wooden serving board or tray is perfect for keeping everything in one place. If you have limited worktop space, a two-tier or three-tier stand is a good option as it gives you extra height without taking up too much room.
Labels: I like using chalkboard stickers because you can change the contents of the jars without needing new labels. You can also tie little gift tags around the jars with string.
Mugs and spoons: Christmas mugs are a must for us! Arrange them next to the jars, along with teaspoons or little scoops for the toppings.
To finish everything off, add a small Christmas tree, a festive sign or some fairy lights. Just keep decorations and electrical items away from hot drinks and open food.
How to Make a Hot Chocolate Station on a Budget
You really don't need to spend a fortune on this. Save clean jam jars, reuse empty coffee jars or use small bowls you already own. A chopping board can replace an expensive serving tray, and handwritten labels work just as well as bought ones.
Supermarket own-brand marshmallows, chocolate chips and biscuits are absolutely fine, too.
If you have a small kitchen, keep it simple with a tray holding three jars: hot chocolate powder, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Add two mugs and a couple of teaspoons, and you've got everything you need without losing half your worktop!
Serving Suggestions
A hot chocolate station is perfect for a Christmas movie night or an afternoon of festive baking. We love having a plate of biscuits nearby so everyone has something to dunk into their drink.
Our Christmas star biscuits are a lovely choice, with hints of cinnamon and orange. You could also make some cinnamon biscuits or our healthy Christmas cookies for a fun baking activity before the hot chocolates.
For Christmas Eve, you could make our Christmas snowman hot chocolate using the toppings from your station.
Storage and Gifting
Store: Keep dry ingredients such as hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, chocolate chips and sprinkles in clean, dry, airtight containers at room temperature, following their packaging instructions. Biscuits can go stale more quickly, so I prefer to add a few at a time rather than filling a large jar for the whole month.
Refrigerate: Milk, squirty cream, fresh whipped cream and other chilled toppings must stay in the fridge until needed. Don't leave them sitting on the counter as part of your everyday display.
Leftover hot chocolate: If you have made hot chocolate with milk, cool it promptly and refrigerate it within two hours. Use it within 48 hours, reheating only once until steaming hot throughout. Don't keep drinks that have already been topped with cream or marshmallows.
Make ahead: You can prepare the jars, labels and decorations several days before you want to use the station. For parties, prepare everything the day before and add fresh or refrigerated ingredients just before serving.
Gift: A mini hot chocolate kit makes a lovely homemade Christmas gift. Fill a small jar with hot chocolate powder, then add a little bag of marshmallows and chocolate chips. Tie everything together with ribbon and include instructions for making the hot chocolate as well as any allergens.
Dannii's Top Tip
- Don't overfill the biscuit jars. Biscuits can lose their crunch, so add small amounts and top them up regularly.
- Put a scoop in each jar. It makes serving easier and helps stop sticky fingers going into the toppings.
- Offer different milk options. Dairy and plant-based milk give everyone a choice. Check the ingredients in the toppings as well if catering for allergies.
- Keep the toppings separate. This makes it easier for guests to choose what they like and helps avoid mixing different ingredients.
- Let the kids help decorate. Filling the jars, choosing the sprinkles and arranging the mugs is all part of the fun. An adult should handle the hot milk and drinks, and hard sweets should be kept away from younger children.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! We usually keep ours on the kitchen counter throughout the Christmas season. Just stick to shelf-stable ingredients in airtight jars and keep milk, cream and other refrigerated ingredients in the fridge. Top up biscuits and marshmallows as needed to keep everything fresh.
A slow cooker or suitable hot-drink dispenser can work well when you're serving lots of people. Prepare the hot chocolate according to the recipe and use equipment that can safely maintain the required hot-holding temperature. Our slow cooker hot chocolate is ideal for a larger gathering. Stir occasionally and check that it is staying safely hot. Don't leave milk-based hot chocolate lukewarm for hours.
For a small family station, four to six toppings are plenty. For a party, you could offer six to eight options, including marshmallows, chocolate, biscuits, sprinkles and sauces. You don't need huge amounts of everything. It's much easier to start with smaller jars and refill them as needed.
Absolutely. Use a dairy-free hot chocolate mix or our oat milk hot chocolate, along with vegan marshmallows, dairy-free chocolate and plant-based whipped cream. Remember that regular marshmallows often contain gelatine, so check the labels.
A kitchen counter or sideboard works really well, especially somewhere close to where you normally make hot drinks. If you're using a slow cooker or hot water dispenser, make sure there is a safe power point nearby and enough space for guests to serve themselves without reaching across hot equipment. For small kitchens, a compact tray or two-tier stand is ideal.
More Christmas Party Recipes
If you make your own Christmas hot chocolate station, I'd love to hear what toppings you include! Leave a comment below and let me know your favourite festive hot chocolate combination.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Christmas Hot Chocolate Station
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 400 g (3 ⅓ cups) of Hot Chocolate powder
- 2.5 litres (5 ⅓ pt) Milk
Toppings (as much as you like)
- 1 can of Squirty cream (250g)
- 200 ml (6 ¾ floz) of Flavoured syrup
- 250 g (3 ⅓ cups) of Marshmallows
- 250 g (1 ½ cups) of Chocolate chips
- 10 Gingerbread people
- 20 Mini cookies
- 40 g (¼ cup) of Sprinkles
- 10 Candy canes
- 4 tablespoons of Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Choose a space on your kitchen counter or sideboard. Gather your jars, mugs, toppings and decorations.
- Fill clean, completely dry jars with hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, chocolate chips, mini cookies and sprinkles. Put smaller toppings into little pots or spice jars.
- Arrange everything on a tray or stand, with taller jars at the back and smaller containers at the front. Add mugs, teaspoons, scoops and any festive decorations.
- Make your favourite hot chocolate, add cream if you like, and let everyone choose their own toppings!
- Keep any milk, whipped cream or other chilled ingredients in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- Keep it manageable. You don't need 15 jars of toppings. Start with five or six favourites and add more if you have the space.
- Use different-sized jars. Taller jars at the back and smaller pots at the front make everything easier to see and reach.
- Don't overfill the biscuit jars. Biscuits can lose their crunch, so add small amounts and top them up regularly.
- Use a tray. Keeping everything on a tray makes the station easy to move when you need the worktop space for cooking.
- Put a scoop in each jar. It makes serving easier and helps stop sticky fingers going into the toppings.
- Keep the hot chocolate simple. You don't need to make an elaborate homemade drink every time. A good-quality hot chocolate powder works perfectly.
- Offer different milk options. Dairy and plant-based milk give everyone a choice. Check the ingredients in the toppings as well if catering for allergies.
- Keep the toppings separate. This makes it easier for guests to choose what they like and helps avoid mixing different ingredients.
- Use what you already have. Recycled jars, ordinary mugs and supermarket ingredients can look just as festive as expensive accessories.
- Let the kids help decorate. Filling the jars, choosing the sprinkles and arranging the mugs is all part of the fun. An adult should handle the hot milk and drinks, and hard sweets should be kept away from younger children.
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Sharon says
What a wonderful idea! I know the kids would love to wake up to this on Christmas morning and have a hot cup of cocoa while opening presents.
Elisa says
Wow, love this Hot Chocolate Station idea, such a cute way to make it all handy and look pretty. Thanks for sharing :)
Justine says
I love this so much! Such a great idea, and you included a lot of things I wouldn't have ever thought of, like the cookies and sprinkles. Can't wait to do this!
Ashley says
What a cute idea! I'll definitely do this for my Christmas movie night.
Renee says
My hubs and I are planning to open a traditional Bed & Breakfast in the near future, and one of the things we want to offer is an expanded coffee and hot cocoa bar. You share so many great ideas here - I love the seasonal sprinkles. Pinning for future reference!