Small Christmas Coffee and Hot Cocoa Bar for Small Spaces

It doesn’t seem to matter how large a kitchen I have; when Christmas rolls around, there is never enough counter space. Even less when you loathe counter clutter as much as this woman does. That can make finding extra room on the counter for a Christmas coffee and hot cocoa bar a bit of a challenge.

I wanted the station to feel festive and inviting without taking over the kitchen. So I put together this small coffee and hot cocoa bar that keeps everything contained in one little area.

Starting with a Small Coffee and Cocoa Bar Space

The little coffee area I use is only about two feet of counter space beside the coffee maker. It works well most of the year, but at Christmas I want to make room for a fun hot cocoa station without losing the space we need for everyday coffee.

How to Maximize a Small Coffee and Hot Cocoa Bar Space

Because the area is so small, everything I add needs to earn its place. I use compact containers, raised storage, and decorations that don’t spread across the counter.

I don’t know how I’d set up a hot cocoa station in a small space without some sort of tiered tray or raised storage. Adding height gives you another surface to work with and keeps the counter from becoming crowded with mugs, jars, and toppings.

For this coffee bar, I used a little thrift store wooden caddy that I found for just $1. It holds three mugs inside and leaves room on top for a few jars or Christmas decorations.

To match the kitchen, I painted the caddy white and glued small wooden blocks to the bottom to raise it slightly. That little bit of extra height makes the mugs easier to slide in and out.

Small Coffee and Hot Cocoa Bar Video Tutorial

I made a short video showing how I put this little coffee and hot cocoa bar together, including the wooden caddy, jars, and Christmas decorations.

Supplies for a Small Coffee and Hot Cocoa Bar

Don’t spend a bunch of money putting together a small Christmas coffee and hot cocoa bar. Start with what you already have, and try to keep the look cohesive by using similar pieces. I especially like white mugs and dishes because they create an easy neutral base for adding greenery, lights, jars, and Christmas decorations.

Decorating the Hot Cocoa Station

Once the practical pieces are in place, decorating is the fun part. Because the mugs and dishes are mostly white, it is easy to change the look from year to year with a few Christmas decorations, greenery, lights, and small seasonal details.

Add Simple Gingerbread Christmas Decor

My kitchen Christmas theme is gingerbread, so I use plain white mugs and add gingerbread designs with my Cricut. I cannot find gingerbread-themed mugs locally, so making my own lets me keep the colors and style exactly how I want them.

I found a little gingerbread ornament, changed some of the red details to pink, and added a bit of glitter for some extra Christmas sparkle.

Add Small Lights and Labels for Easy Self-Serve

A short strand of battery-operated lights keeps the little station sparkly and bright without taking up any extra counter space. I tuck the lights around the jars and caddy to add some Christmas sparkle.

Labels make the self-serve area easier for my granddaughters to use too. Everything they need is right there, so they can see what is in each jar and easily find what they want.

You can download my free hot cocoa bar labels and print them at home. Open the label folder, choose the designs you want, and download the files to your computer. Print them at actual size or 100 percent, cut out the labels, and attach them to the front of your jars with double-sided tape.

As my granddaughters get older, I like to give them a little area of their own where they can make their hot chocolate fantasies come alive. I get everything ready ahead of time, and then it becomes a self-serve spot where they can make cocoa for themselves or have fun prepping and serving everyone else.

Use Small Jars to Save Counter Space

For a small hot cocoa bar, I like to use little jars instead of full-size canisters. If possible, I especially like to use vintage jars. They take up less room, seal very well, and keep the toppings fresh while still leaving space for several different choices.

Of course, plain jars would be a little boring for Christmas, so I add a few simple embellishments to give them some sparkle and help them match the rest of the station.

Hot Cocoa Bar Toppings for a Small Space

You will want to offer as much variety as you can while keeping your time, budget, available space, and number of guests in mind. My hot cocoa bar is quite small because I only have a little counter space and usually have just two or three people enjoying it at a time. Hubs will be using it most of all, so of course I make sure there is plenty of chocolate.

There are lots of easy ways to add variety without filling the counter. I like to choose a few toppings from different groups so there is a little something for everyone.

I also set out a small plate of gingerbread, shortbread cookies, or biscotti when company is coming.

I create some sort of coffee and hot chocolate bar every year for the holidays. They are not only a special part of Christmas, but they also make serving much easier. Even in a small kitchen, a tiered tray or little caddy, a few jars, and things you already have can create a festive self-serve spot without taking over the counter.

Pin this small Christmas coffee and hot cocoa bar for later. It is an easy way to create a festive self-serve station using very little counter space, a few small jars, and a simple tiered tray or caddy.

More Christmas Coffee and Hot Cocoa Bar Ideas