These Christmas coffee bar ideas begin with a few familiar things: a stack of Santa mugs, a jar of marshmallows, candy canes for stirring and a coffee maker that already lives on the counter. For December, that corner becomes a cocoa station family and guests help themselves from, morning coffee to movie night.
Each of the eighteen was set up by the person who wrote about it, from one tiered tray in a small kitchen to a plaid-covered table on a snowy cabin porch.
1. A Tiered Tray Cocoa Station Filled With Dollar Store Finds
Best for: Christmas movie nights in a small space
Sits on: One white three-tier tray
Drink source: Hot cocoa, with chocolate Santas for cocoa from Walmart
Difficulty: Beginner
Kim Pepper sets up this hot cocoa bar every year for Christmas movie nights, and most of it comes from the dollar store or her own easy DIYs. The gnomes, a peace sign and the little trees are from Dollar Tree, the cookie mug huggers and chocolate Pocky sticks from Aldi, and the mugs from HomeGoods.
Her plaid fabric trees are homemade, and the page comes with a free printable Christmas movie list.
2. A Woodland Cocoa Tray With Latch Jars And Fairy Lights
Best for: A rustic or woodland Christmas
Sits on: One large wooden tray with handles
Drink source: Cocoa made ahead and kept warm in a crock pot for a group
Difficulty: Beginner
Everything for this hot chocolate bar lives in one wooden tray with handles, so it can be moved around easily. Mason and latch jars in different sizes hold the toppings, with wide mouths for easy scooping and small wooden ornaments as labels. Bottle brush trees, reindeer, pinecones and battery fairy lights fill the gaps between them.
A little mounting putty under the trees, reindeer and candy-cane jar keeps them upright.
3. A Coffee Station Turned Cocoa Bar With A Framed Printable Sign
Best for: Turning the everyday coffee corner into a cocoa bar
Sits on: A short run of kitchen counter beside the coffee maker
Drink source: The Keurig, with cocoa K-cups
Cost: Holiday mugs at $5 each from Target
Difficulty: Beginner, and kids can set it up
An 11-year-old set up this cocoa bar, and her 13-year-old sister designed the pink-and-red “Warm Up With A Cup of Cocoa” sign in Canva. It sits in a Dollar Tree frame dressed with greenery, stuck to the backsplash with Command strips.
Mason jars of crushed peppermint and marshmallows wait on a small buffalo plaid tray, and a two-tier wood platter, short enough to fit under the upper cabinets, holds the mugs.
4. A Keurig Cocoa Corner Under A Berry Wreath
Best for: A yearly tradition the kids ask for
Sits on: A short stretch of kitchen counter
Drink source: A Keurig brought out of the pantry
Difficulty: Beginner
Courtney keeps this one simple but festive. The Keurig moves onto the counter under a red berry wreath and twinkle lights, white mugs sit on a wooden cutting board, and the crushed peppermint, chocolate chips and marshmallows line up in a condiment server on a bamboo tray. One bag of each topping lasts her the whole season. The post was made in partnership with Walmart.
5. A Corner Cocoa Nook With A Mini Tree And A Chalkboard Sign
Best for: A corner of counter with a small shelf above
Sits on: A tray of jars on the counter
Drink source: Hot cocoa sachets in several flavors
Difficulty: Beginner, with a cutting machine for the vinyl lettering
Red striped baker’s twine circles the rim of every jar on this tray: marshmallows, milk, dark and white chocolate chips, candy canes and mint sticks, wafers, striped straws and cinnamon sticks tied in bundles. A small decorated tree stands beside it, and the black “HOT COCOA” sign is lettered in vinyl cut on a Silhouette machine.
Her Christmas comes in a Perth summer, so the air conditioning goes up for cocoa.
6. A Peppermint Coffee And Cocoa Bar In A Butler’s Pantry
Best for: Showing off a red and white collection
Sits on: One counter run with built-in open shelves above
Drink source: A Ninja coffee maker with a milk frother
Difficulty: Beginner
Jennifer Fancher’s butler’s pantry used to be a desk area. For December it turns red and white peppermint, with a ticking stripe rag garland across the shelves, her milk glass collection and vintage Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers.
There is a cocoa side and a simpler coffee side, and a fan-shaped milk glass vase holds the coffee filters. She pulled everything red and white from her own Christmas boxes.
7. A Festive Coffee Bar With Garland, A Mini Tree And Peppermint Treats
Best for: Guests who like to make their own drinks
Sits on: A stretch of counter under an open shelf
Drink source: A Nespresso machine
Difficulty: Beginner
Garland hangs along the open shelf above this coffee bar, with a small tree and a pedestal bowl of peppermint treats on the marble counter. A recipe box of drink ideas sits out for guests to flip through, beside cinnamon, whipped cream, syrups and caffeine-free and dairy-free options.
Liz Marie’s Peppermint Affogato is a shot of espresso over vanilla or peppermint ice cream with peppermint bark. She made the post with Nespresso and Williams Sonoma.
8. A Rolling Cart Cocoa Bar With Gnome Mugs
Best for: Small kitchens, clear counters and movie-night refills
Sits on: A white three-tier rolling cart
Drink source: Cocoa mix in a mason jar, packets or cocoa bombs
Cost: Santa mugs from the dollar store
Difficulty: Beginner
On wheels, this cocoa bar goes to the kitchen or right up to the sofa. Peppermint, vanilla and caramel syrups are decanted into glass bottles with her free printable labels, cinnamon sits in gnome salt and pepper shakers, and Christmas measuring cups hold candy. A white tree on the top tier adds height and hides the battery pack for the twinkle lights.
9. A Gold Bar Cart Turned Hot Chocolate And Coffee Bar
Best for: A kid-friendly hot chocolate and coffee bar
Sits on: A two-tier gold and marble bar cart
Drink source: Coffee plus two or three hot chocolate flavors
Difficulty: Beginner
Louise Roe’s everyday bar cart gets a holiday turn by the window, with a rosemary tree, a red kettle, bowls of marshmallows and peppermints, and shortbread. Her one styling rule is to pack the surface full, which is why it looks so cozy.
The red candle among the bowls is pretty, and a battery candle gives the same glow without a flame beside paper and greenery.
10. A Console Table With Floating Shelves And Copper Mugs
Best for: A corner of wall with room for shelves above
Sits on: A console table with two floating shelves overhead
Drink source: A family cocoa recipe, kept warm in a slow cooker
Difficulty: Beginner
A two-tier metal stand holds marshmallows, biscotti and crushed peppermint between copper mugs for the adults and elf, Santa and snowman mugs for the kids. Rustic wood shelves above carry wooden houses, bottle brush trees and a “let’s get cozy” plaid sign.
Jenna Shaughnessy’s cocoa takes five minutes, and her page also packs the whole bar into a gift box.
11. A Garland-Framed Hutch Coffee Station
Best for: A permanent coffee bar that dresses up for a party
Sits on: One hutch with a stone top added
Drink source: A Nespresso machine and a Smeg kettle
Difficulty: Beginner, with a glue gun for the garland and wreath
Annie Diamond framed her hutch in fresh garland borrowed from the front door, then hung a second garland of cinnamon-stick stars, dried orange slices and frayed ribbon. Clear jars of Trader Joe’s treats fill the top shelf, cappuccino and espresso cups the next, with pods in a silver footed bowl and tea in a vintage McCoy planter.
The same coffee bar later appeared in a 10-page spread in Better Homes & Gardens’ December issue.
12. Vintage Santa Mugs On A White Dresser Coffee Station
Best for: A Santa mug collection
Sits on: A long white painted dresser under an old window
Cost: Thrifted restaurant mugs at $1 each
Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate, with decoupage and salt dough
Santa mugs, some vintage and most new, gather on a tiered shelf, with the everyday mugs on the bottom tier. Across the chippy white window above hang a wood slice decoupage Santa garland and a string of cinnamon salt dough gingerbread men.
Target dollar spot houses were “gingerbread-ified” with white puffy paint, and a little tree in a basket glows with clip-on candle lights on a timer.
13. A Dining Room Sideboard Cocoa Bar With A Vintage Percolator
Best for: More room than the kitchen coffee bar
Sits on: A dining room sideboard with a corbel shelf above
Drink source: A vintage party percolator from Facebook Marketplace
Cost: A thrifted wooden box on wheels for $5
Difficulty: Beginner
The chrome percolator pours the cocoa here, raised on the bottom of a tiered tray and wrapped in a small cut wreath.
Old and new Santa mugs line the corbel shelf above an “Old-fashioned Hot Cocoa” canvas sign made to look like a rustic old one. More Santa mugs stand on the weathered wooden box, and jars hold dehydrated mini marshmallows and peppermint dust from TJMaxx.
14. A Wine Cabinet Turned Countdown-To-Christmas Cocoa Station
Best for: An entryway or foyer
Sits on: A black wine cabinet that is usually a sofa table
Drink source: Hot chocolate made with hot milk or water
Difficulty: Beginner
HomeGoods challenged Jessica Bruno to make a countdown-to-Christmas station, so the black wine cabinet from her living room moved to the foyer as a hot chocolate bar. A red tablecloth goes down first, then red gnomes, red tabletop trees and a wooden red and green sign. Above it, a white fluffy wreath is tied onto an arched mirror with craft wire.
15. A Neutral Cocoa Bar With A Wall Of Santa Mugs
Best for: A party or a family Christmas around the kitchen island
Sits on: A long marble-topped kitchen island
Main pieces: Cream Santa mugs, the same set for three Christmases
Difficulty: Beginner
Cream Santa mugs form the backdrop, a few of them holding candy canes. Chocolate-covered pretzels, cookies and peppermint sticks are grouped in the middle, with clear glass holders for the marshmallows and mini chocolate chips. Small Christmas houses and red and white linens finish it. In Liz Marie’s view, red and green both become neutrals at Christmas.
16. A Pinterest Challenge Party Bar With A Cricut Banner
Best for: A holiday party with a homemade look
Sits on: A table in front of a large mirror
Drink source: Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate mixed with milk
Difficulty: Beginner, with a cutting machine or hand lettering for the banner
Crissy made this bar for a Pinterest Challenge hosted by County Road 407. The “HOT COCOA BAR” pennant banner and the jar labels are cut on a Cricut in a free chalkboard font, a Target dollar spot wrap serves as the tablecloth, and two cake stands are stacked for height.
Homemade white chocolate nutcrackers stand upright in pie weights beside yogurt-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered almonds.
17. A DIY Hot Cocoa Stand Built Over A Sofa Table
Best for: A caroling party, with a cup before heading out to sing
Sits on: A sofa table with a built pallet stand on top
Drink source: A coffee urn
Difficulty: Intermediate, with simple carpentry
Aspen Jay’s sofa table became a hot cocoa stand: a wood pallet stained dark brown to match the top, zip-tied on so it comes apart, with two 2x2s and a 1×6 for the overhang. Her husband added the sign across the top.
The urn is her favorite way to keep cocoa hot, cleaner than a ladle, with a bowl under the spigot for drips. A red Flexible Flyer sled gives it a lodge feel.
18. A Cabin Cocoa Bar On A Snowy Porch
Best for: An outdoor Christmas party
Sits on: A vintage red work table on a covered porch
Main pieces: Vintage thermoses, plaid tins and jars of toppings
Difficulty: Beginner, styling collected vintage pieces
Tartan plaid is draped over a vintage red work table on a cabin porch, with plaid thermoses and tins stacked at the back and jars of marshmallows, cocoa powder, peppermint sticks and sprinkles in front. A red lantern hangs under the string lights.
Next to it sits a party table with holly and Dollar Tree tree-motif plates, and decorating gingerbread cookies is the suggested activity. Battery candles suit all that plaid and pine better than real tapers.
Keeping Cocoa Hot And The Station Safe
A self-serve station keeps a hot drink out for hours, often next to children, paper, pine and candles. Four things matter more than any of the styling.
Keeping The Cocoa Hot
The drink sources in this list run from a Keurig (ideas 3 and 4), a Ninja drip machine (idea 6) and Nespresso (ideas 7 and 11) to a crock pot or slow cooker (ideas 2 and 10), a coffee urn (idea 17) and a vintage party percolator that still works (idea 13). Single-cup machines make each drink fresh. For a crowd, the cocoa is made ahead and held.
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says hot food should stay at 140°F or above in a warming tray, chafing dish or slow cooker, and a slow cooker on low or keep warm can hold it for hours. Between 40 and 140°F is the danger zone, where perishable food left more than two hours can grow bacteria to dangerous levels. Milk-based cocoa that is not held at 140°F comes off the station within two hours, and whipped cream and milk go back in the fridge between refills.
