Mary Beth Johnson is a writer based in Atlanta, GA.

She is currently writing her first book in between school drop off and laundry piles. She can be found every day on Instagram and at the local coffee shop.

Feel the warmth of the holidays with these fluffy, hot chocolate marshmallow snowmen. Whether you’re getting a white Christmas in your neck of the woods, or throwing ornaments on a palm tree, nothing will get you in the holiday spirit like these cute little toppers. Feeling extra festive? Pair these drinks with a slice of peppermint chocolate cake from the archives or some Christmas pajamas.

Ready to make some hot chocolate marshmallow snowmen? Ok, let’s get started!

Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Snowmen

What you’ll need:

• One bag of jumbo-sized marshmallows
• Orange candy melting dots
• Chocolate candy melts
• 2 ziplock bags
• Scissors
• Packets of hot chocolate mix
• Milk

Step One: Cut each jumbo marshmallow into three discs.

Each disc should measure about an inch in thickness. They will melt slightly into the hot chocolate, so you want them to have some substance.

Step Two: Melt the chocolate candy melts.

Learn from my mistakes and don’t bother melting the chocolate directly over the stove or microwave. For one, it’s a giant mess. Second, it’s easy to accidentally burn the chocolate, making it almost impossible to work with. Instead, heat up a bowl of water either in the microwave or over the stove. Put the chocolate candy melts into a ziplock bag and place the bag of chocolate into the hot water, massaging it slightly till all the chunks are completely melted through. I used a snack sized bag and it was plenty large enough to make about ten of the hot chocolate marshmallow snowmen. A little chocolate goes a long way with these fluffy critters. Once the candy is all melted, smoosh the chocolate to one corner of the ziplock bag.

Step Three: Cut a tiny snip in the corner of the ziplock bag and decorate the snowmen.

When I say to cut a tiny snip in the corner, I mean the tiniest snip! You can always add more chocolate, but it’s hard to remove it if you cut the hole too large and apply too much. The candy melts also tend to harden rather quickly, which is great when you accidentally bump into an eyeball and it doesn’t smudge. Just don’t plan on removing the chocolate after you’ve applied it if you want to change it up.

Step four: Melt the orange candy melts and repeat step three.

Just as you did in steps two and three, you’ll heat a bowl of water and in the second ziplock bag you’ll add the orange melts. After the candy is melted, cut a small snip to one corner and apply carrot noses to each of the marshmallows. These hot chocolate marshmallow snowmen are quite forgiving. Once they’re placed in the steaming mugs of hot cocoa, the edges will melt down a little. The facial features will begin to muddle into place and cover any mistakes you’ve made.

If you make the hot chocolate marshmallow snowmen and decide later on that you want to make more, simply reheat your ziplock bag of leftover chocolate. Place the bag into a bowl of hot water, taking care to leave the snipped end above the water. Once it is reheated, the chocolate will be ready for use all over again.

Step five: Mix your mugs and top with hot chocolate marshmallow snowmen.

The packages of hot chocolate mix will often say to mix the contents with hot water, but have you ever tried mixing with hot milk instead? It makes a world of difference! If you’re dairy free, simply use your favorite milk blend (my favorite is oat milk by Oatley or use Minimalist Baker’s recipe to make your own.) If you want to spice things up with even more holiday cheer, try making this delectable peppermint hot chocolate drink from our archives.