When cold weather sets in, there's nothing quite like a steaming cup of hot cocoa to warm the soul. Heighten this cozy experience for your guests by creating a hot cocoa buffet board. It's a fun and interactive way to serve dessert or a special sweet treat.

1. Start With the Main Ingredient

Begin by placing a bowl of your favorite powdered hot cocoa mix on the board, ensuring a quick and convenient start to the indulgence. Hot cocoa bombs are another instant treat that will set your board apart from all others. Find these ready-made at discount stores and online. Keep hot water and hot milk (dairy or plant-based) in an Airpot coffee carafe or on the stovetop, allowing guests to easily pour and enjoy their preferred base for the cocoa.

2. Add Sides for Dunking

Arrange or tile cookies around the bowl of instant cocoa and plate of hot cocoa bombs. Dunkable treats such as shortbread, butter cookies and mini stroopwafels are wonderful additions to the arrangement and taste fantastic with a mug of hot chocolate. You can bake a batch of your favorite homemade cookies, but if you have time constraints, there’s nothing wrong with ready-made treats.

3. Decorate With Colorful Candies

Add a burst of color and flavor to the board with vibrant mint candies and chocolate sweets. These candies can be stirred into cups of cocoa, creating an additional layer of flavor. Place them in mini mugs to corral them and to complement the theme of the hot cocoa board.

4. Pour on Sweet Syrups

Include small pitchers of chocolate syrup and caramel sauce for drizzling. Beverage syrups — found in the coffee aisle at grocery stores — are also appropriate additions. This coffee house-inspired touch allows guests to personalize their cups with an extra touch of sweetness and flavor.

5. Include Stirring Sticks

Provide a variety of stirring options. Offer teaspoons or wooden coffee stirrers. Or go the extra mile with candy stirrers. Chocolate-dipped sugar wands and chocolate stirring spoons can be found for purchase at stores and online. These certainly add a touch of charm to the hot cocoa ritual.

6. Add Other Edible Stirrers

Rolled wafer cookies, pretzel rods and other long stick-shaped snacks can also be used as stirrers. These not only serve a practical purpose, but they’re also delicious for dunking in hot cocoa.

7. Don’t Forget the Marshmallows

No hot cocoa experience is complete without marshmallows. Be sure to include them on the board in a variety of shapes and sizes. Dehydrated tiny marshmallows and standard mini marshmallows can be arranged in small bowls on the board. Jumbo marshmallows can be arranged directly on the board or nearby on a plate.

8. Pile On the Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is another non-negotiable essential. Include a generous bowl of homemade whipped cream, made by beating heavy whipping cream with a hint of sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. For convenience, aerosol cans of whipped cream can also be strategically placed on or near the board.

9. Include Other Toppings

Offer chocolate and caramel chips, sprinkles, crushed cookies and even toasted nuts as delicious additions for a whipped cream-topped mug of cocoa. Visit the ice cream toppings aisle at the grocery store for inspiration. Almost anything that can be used to top ice cream can also be used to top a mug of hot cocoa.

10. Everyone Makes the Perfect Cup

Guests will love curating their perfect mug of hot chocolate. Whether they prefer a mountain of marshmallows, a drizzle of syrup or a sprinkle of toppings, the hot cocoa board ensures that every cup is a tailored treat.