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Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks
These festive hot chocolate stir sticks are a fun holiday treat and gift idea! Made with almond bark, peppermint, and marshmallows, they melt into hot milk or cocoa for a rich, cozy drink.
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These cute, fun, festive hot chocolate stir sticks are the perfect sweet treat for the holiday season.
Homemade, delicious hot chocolate stir sticks are the best dessert idea to enjoy for Christmas. They're a great handmade gift idea or an excellent treat to serve your family and friends at a holiday party.
You can mix and match flavors to create a hot chocolate that’s both unique and delicious. Some of our favorites include dark, milk, or white chocolate, paired with caramels, crushed peppermint, and fluffy marshmallows for the perfect blend of taste and texture.
For this tutorial, we've kept it simple, with melting chocolate, mini dehydrated marshmallows (like the ones in your hot chocolate mix container), and crushed peppermint.
Simply add these flavors to a stick or plastic spoon, then stir them into your hot chocolate for a treat that’s just as fun to look at as it is to drink!
What are Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks?
Hot chocolate stir sticks are chocolate-coated sticks loaded with toppings like crushed peppermint and mini marshmallows. Simply stir them into hot cocoa or warm milk for a rich, creamy, and festive flavor boost.
Ingredients To Make Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks
We'll give you the basic idea today, and then you can add on with other toppings and experiment. For these hot cocoa stir sticks, we used the following:
- 1 package white almond bark
- 1 package chocolate flavored almond bark
- 2 cups Peppermint chips
- 1 jar dehydrated mini marshmallows
- 50 six-inch cake pop sticks (you can also use popsicle sticks or disposable spoons)
Tips for Making This Recipe
For the peppermint chips, we found pre-crushed peppermint chips, but you can also crush starlight mints or candy canes, and use them instead.
We used mini dehydrated marshmallows, the same kind you might find in your container of hot chocolate mix. You can usually find them at the grocery store in a jar, near where they sell hot chocolate mix. In a pinch, you could also try mini marshmallows.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks
Now that you've got all your goodies, let's get started on the deliciousness!
FIRST STEP: Place almond bark in separate 16-ounce mason jars (white in one, chocolate in another).
Melt in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Continue microwaving until completely melted.
SECOND STEP: On a piece of parchment paper, spread a layer of the peppermint chips and marshmallows. (You can mix them or keep them separate if you want to do stir sticks that just have marshmallows).
THIRD STEP: Dip the sticks into the melted almond bark and place on top of the layer of peppermint chips and marshmallows. Then, sprinkle more on top and let sit until the coating firms.
FOURTH STEP: Repeat until all the sticks are done, then allow them to sit until fully hardened.
Serve with your favorite hot chocolate.
This simple treat is a breeze to put together! They're wonderful to have on hand for company or quick winter treats.
You can also package some up in holiday tins or cellophane bags to gift.
More Topping Ideas
Here are more ideas you might like. You may have to chop some things up smaller to make them stick!
- Toffee bits or caramel bits (like Skor)
- Shaved dark or white chocolate
- Sea salt flakes
- Sprinkles or other decorations
- Crushed Oreo cookies
- Coconut flakes
- Crushed nuts
Looking for more holiday gifts you can make in your kitchen? Try some of our favorites (always a hit for teacher gifts!):
Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks FAQ
How long do the stir sticks take to harden, and do I need to refrigerate them?
Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks usually take about 30–45 minutes to harden at room temperature. If you want to speed things up, you can place the parchment-lined tray of sticks in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes until the chocolate is firm. Refrigeration isn’t required, but it does help the chocolate set more quickly and evenly, if you're in a hurry.
Can I use regular marshmallows, or do I need dehydrated mini marshmallows?
Dehydrated mini marshmallows work best because they hold their shape, stay light and fluffy, and don’t get sticky in storage.
However, you can use regular mini marshmallows if that’s what you have on hand. They’ll taste great, but may get softer or stickier when stored for longer periods.
How far in advance can I make them, and how should I store them?
You can make Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks up to 2–3 weeks in advance. For best results, store them in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
If you’re gifting them, you can also wrap each stir stick individually in clear treat bags tied with ribbon to keep them fresh and festive.
Will the peppermint or marshmallows get sticky if I make them too early?
Yes, peppermint pieces and regular marshmallows can sometimes get sticky when exposed to moisture or if stored in a warm kitchen.
To prevent this, keep your stir sticks sealed tightly in an airtight container, or individually wrap them to block humidity and air.
How do I keep the toppings from falling off once the chocolate sets?
The key is to dip the stick in the toppings while the almond bark is still warm, and then press the toppings gently into the melted coating.
Sprinkling extra peppermint or marshmallows over the top before the chocolate firms will help everything stick. Let the coated sticks rest on parchment paper until fully hardened before moving or packaging them.
Do these work better stirred into hot milk or into already-made hot cocoa?
Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks shine best when stirred into already-made hot chocolate. The melted chocolate combines with with the cocoa to create a rich, creamy drink, while the peppermint and marshmallows add flavor and sweetness.
Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks
These festive hot chocolate stir sticks are a fun holiday treat and gift idea! Made with almond bark, peppermint, and marshmallows, they melt into hot milk or cocoa for a rich, cozy drink.
Did you try this recipe?Let our readers know how it turned out by Leaving a Review!
Ingredients
- 1 package white almond bark
- 1 package chocolate flavored almond bark
- 2 cups Peppermint chips*
- 1 jar dehydrated mini marshmallows**
- 50 6 inch cake pop sticks
- parchment paper
DIRECTIONS
- Place almond bark in separate 16-ounce mason jars (white in one, chocolate in another).
- Melt in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Continue microwaving until completely melted.
- On a piece of parchment paper, spread a layer of the peppermint chips and marshmallows. (You can mix them or keep them separate if you want to do stir sticks that just have marshmallows).
- Dip the sticks into the melted almond bark and place on top of the layer of peppermint chips and marshmallows. Then, sprinkle more on top and let sit until the coating firms.
- Repeat until all the sticks are done.
- Serve with your favorite hot chocolate.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal
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Comments
Debbie Myers says
How long do you think these are good for?