How to Host a Hot Chocolate Bar Party

Although summer may be the season that first comes to mind when we think about enjoying time outside, winter outdoor activities certainly have their appeal. Who doesn’t love an afternoon romping through freshly fallen powder, sledding down glistening white slopes, pelting friends with hastily constructed slush balls, and building Frankensteinian snow creations? But once the snowmen have been toppled and the activities have wound themselves down, a day of open-air winter recreation has the tendency to leave participants tired, hungry, and cold.

Which is the perfect excuse for throwing a hot chocolate bar party! A hot chocolate bar party offers a fun celebration that’s perfect for kids and adults, and is a great way to get into the spirit of the season. And while there are a lot of different ways to go about doing it, we’d like to share a few of our own tips on how to set up a hot chocolate bar to help you get started. Here are some ideas for a hot chocolate bar party that will have your friends and family dancing for joy at the first sign of snow.

Setting up your Hot Chocolate Bar

While the foundation of any hot chocolate bar is, of course, the hot chocolate, make sure that you don’t overlook the importance of ambiance. Set up a few decorations - Christmas trees, wreaths, wrapped boxes, poinsettias, pine cones, garland and ornaments are the perfect festive decor and are likely things you already have in your home. You can also add some beauty with your ingredients, like the marshmallow stirrers in the picture above. Simply dip a large marshmallow in melted chocolate, top it off with some sprinkles and place it on a stick. We used lollipop sticks but you can also use popsicle sticks, candy canes or straws!

A good hot chocolate bar is one that features a variety of snacks, ingredients, and additives to help create the perfect cup of winter delight. Of course, if you want to keep everything running smoothly, it’s always nice to give your guests a bit of a head’s up in regard to what you’re serving. This can be done with hot chocolate bar signs and tags. By incorporating hot chocolate bar labels into your setup, you won’t have to worry about anyone mixing up the peppermint powder with the peanut butter powder, or any one unknowingly consuming something that they may be allergic to. A framed sign with the phrase “Hot Chocolate Party” (or some other festive slogan) can then tie it all together.

We have created some free Hot Chocolate Bar printables for you to use or you can create your own! "Hot Chocolate Bar" Sign Hot Chocolate Bar Tags

Also, don't forget to make sure you have enough mugs for everyone! The mugs can really pull together the look you're going for. You can go with fun, colorful mugs, classic white ones, or even chalkboard mugs that everyone can write their name on. There are many looks you can go with here - have fun with it!

Hot Chocolate Recipe & Add-ins

Now that you’ve you’ve got your hot chocolate bar party decorated the way you want it to be, now it’s time to focus on the most important part: the hot chocolate. The key to a great hot chocolate party is in providing a variety of fun hot chocolate bar ingredients. And don’t forget about your base. If these factors aren’t addressed before you start setting up for the arrival of your guests, then you can bet that you’ll end up throwing a sub-par celebration.

Consider these tips to ensure that your hot chocolate party keeps flowing. The hot chocolate base that you provide will be the backbone of the entire hot chocolate bar experience. Without a good hot chocolate bar recipe, it won’t much matter what other additive you provide, because you’re guests will be so turned off by the steaming cup of disappointment sitting in their mugs, that they’ll be heading straight for the door. Here's our Blendtec original favorite:

Best Blender Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Make a few batches with different chocolate chips to give your guests variety and use the milk of your choice. Once you’ve got your hot chocolate base (or several bases), now is the time to concentrate on the additives. Provide your guests with a variety of fun and delicious ingredients that they can drop into their mugs, and they’ll have a blast mixing and matching different flavors. And while you are certainly welcome to use any additives you want, we’ve got a list of the ingredients that we think best suit the spirit of the hot chocolate bar:

Each ingredient should be in its own decoratively labeled bowl or container, and allow free access for guests who want to create their own hot chocolate taste sensations. Don't forget - we have these free printable tags you can use!  Hot chocolate may be the most important part of your hot chocolate bar party, but it’s not the only part. Including other treats and snack items will help round out your offerings, and provide the perfect finishing touches to your celebration. Cookies, cakes, donuts, and sliced fruit are all appropriate sides, and can ensure that your guests will have something solid and delicious to wash down once they’ve discovered a hot chocolate blend that tickles their fancy.

Winter might be cold be and dark, but you can introduce a warm ray of sunshine by throwing a hot chocolate bar party for those you care about. We'd love to hear how your Hot Chocolate Bar turns out, please share your experience in the comments below!