Best kids’ cooking classes in NYC

Working in groups of ten, kids prepare foods like sweet potato fries, brownie bites, deep-dish pizza and gooey butter cookies. They'll also learn mixing and measuring techniques, kitchen etiquette and the proper way to use kitchen tools. Check out one-hour workshops where they'll make cute treats like rainbow cupcakes, snow princess cupcakes or "Around the World" fare like lasagna...there's even a New York Pizza-making workshop! Ages 2 and up.

If you are looking for an easy, accessible cooking class for children as young as 4, you may want to enroll them in one of NY Cake Academy’s kids baking and decorating classes. These events, which tend to be themed to a holiday or a general creative idea will give kids the chance to get hands-on experience decorating cookies, cakes and other fun treats. Everyone will get their own desserts to color and decorate and they will get to take their treats home with them to share with family and show-off. This is a great way for kids to express their creativity in new and fun ways and it is a good chance for them to learn all of the ways in which working in the kitchen can be fun.

If you want to give your kids a chance to explore all the different approaches they can take towards culinary creativity, consider enrolling them in this multi-week Junior Chefs Semester course. They will learn foundational cooking skills, including kitchen safety and how to utilize tools. Each week, students will learn new kitchen skills, ranging from knife skills to proper portioning and measuring to ingredient identification and kitchen independence. Each lesson will be paired with practical cooking exercises and students will learn their way around a real test kitchen and prepare their own meals during the course. The program lasts for an entire school year, so students will have plenty of time to develop their cooking skills.

If you have a younger child who is interested in learning how to cook like a grown-up, you can enroll them in the ages 4-8 version of the Junior Chef Semester course. In this course, which takes place one week over an entire school year, your child will get expert instruction from culinary teachers who are used to working with kids and guiding them around a kitchen. Participants will prepare a different meal every week and they will learn practical skills like food preparation safety, how to use kitchen tools and ovens and how to keep their kitchen stations clean and organized. This is a great class for anyone looking to teach their children practical skills and instill a love of cooking in them that can last a lifetime.

It’s no secret that kids love chocolate (like many adults). In this cooking camp, children will have the chance to become chocolatiers and make their own delicious chocolate desserts. In this hands-on class, students will learn how to make a wide menu, including Tiramisu Cups, Mini Swiss Roll Campfires, Chocolate Babka, Tahini Swirl Brownie Bites, Chocolate Monster Cookies, Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Hummus, Chocolate Madeleine Cookies, Red Velvet Whoopee Pies, Chocolate Pizza, Chocolate Biscotti and Chocolate Donut Holes (it is seriously, a lot of chocolate that the kids will be making). Kids will also learn their way around a kitchen, basic knife and burner safety skills and how to keep their workstations neat and orderly. If you want to introduce your child to the many different options they have for making chocolate, consider this course.

Offered for older students, this version of the chocolate factory camp gives students more freedom and control over their exploration of chocolatiering. Students will learn kitchen independence, how to work with kitchen tools and how to work with a host of different kinds of chocolates (learning that it is far more versatile than just milk chocolate bars, cakes and ice cream). By the end of this class, your child will be confident in their ability to create delicious desserts and work by themselves in a kitchen.

Cooking can be artistic as well as nutritious and this cooking decorating camp demonstrates that perfectly. In this course, students between 9-13 will be able to learn the process of baking delicious cookies in a variety of styles and then handcrafting artistic decorations using frosting and buttercream. All participants will get to work with their hands and express themselves creatively as they combine art and baking in this delicious cookie decorating bootcamp.

America is a land of diverse and unique cuisines, but there are some baked goods that are quintessentially American. In this kids cooking camp, your child will learn the art of baking and unlock their inner pastry chef as they create patriotic-themed takes on classic American baking recipes. Students will learn how to bake and decorate cake pops, hand-roll and color tie-dye bagels, and even make their very own good old-fashioned apple pie. This course is a great entry to the world of baking and an opportunity for younger chefs to experiment with a host of classic recipes.

Kids love noodles. Whether it is macaroni and cheese, spaghetti or Chef Boyardee, there is something enticing about noodles and the myriad of ways you can eat them. In this course, young chefs will learn how to take a step up from boxed noodles as they start to create their handmade noodles in a variety of shapes. Kids will make their own dough and prepare the noodles to create a range of dishes, including fresh fettuccine pasta and roasted butternut squash ravioli. By the end of this class, your child will have a fuller understanding of the art of pasta making and will be ready to start expanding.