These classes fall into two buckets: live and pre-recorded. But what makes or breaks them is the instructor, as engaging and connecting with students online is not the same as doing it in person. Continue reading to learn about the best online baking classes available today.

Best Online Baking Classes of 2022

Best Overall: King Arthur Flour Best for Beginners: America’s Test Kitchen Best Free Class: Baker Bettie Best for Bread: MasterClass: Apollonia Poilâne Teaches Bread Baking Best for Pastries: Zingerman’s Bakehouse Best for Vegans: Rouxbe Best for Cakes: Craftsy Best for Couples: Cozymeal Best for Kids: The Dynamite Shop

ProsExcellent variety of classesSmall, interactive class groups ConsNo evening classes for West CoastFew classes for kids King Arthur Flour is not just a mill. It publishes a user-friendly baking magazine and blog and has taught hands-on classes in Washington and Vermont for years. Its online classes are for home bakers and cover a range of popular baking classics as well as contemporary favorites. Bake along with seasoned instructors who know King Arthur’s rock-solid techniques in and out. The class size is limited to keep things customized and interactive. There’s not only an on-screen instructor leading the class, but an off-screen one as well to address questions in the chat and emphasize key points. Class topics include bread, varies kinds of pies, pizza, and more. Classes run for 90 minutes and range in price from $45 to $65. There are no evening classes on the West Coast, but there are plenty of weekend classes. ProsWide selection of basic classesOver 90 baking and dessert lessonsGluten-free class optionsSort by type, ingredient, and level of difficulty ConsFew opportunities for community interaction No option to sign up for one-off classes If you’re already an ATK fan, you know you can count on it to get you on your feet in the baking world. If you’re not, rest assured you’ll be in good hands. America’s Test Kitchen specializes in making no assumptions about kitchen literacy. Its recipes are picked apart and then rebuilt from scratch to give you the best results possible. Instructors may be familiar faces to you from America’s Test Kitchen’s TV show or Cook’s Illustrated magazine’s masthead: Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, and Elle Simone. What makes these on-demand classes well-suited for beginners are the options, with 90 baking classes to choose from. You can start with basics like biscuits, pie dough, and yellow cake. Stick with that or work your way up to notoriously challenging dishes like the pastry kougin-amann. After the class, you can share a photo of your creation on the ATK online class gallery. The drawback? Access to ATK is a subscription model, so if you just want a few one-off classes, it’s perhaps not the best fit. Cooking school membership is $19.95 per month without instructor access and $39.95 per month with instructor access and feedback. There is a three-week free trial. ProsSelf-pacedCovers baking fundamentalsMore classes at Bettie’s Better Baking School ConsLittle person-to-person engagement Baker Bettie has built an online, retro-tastic cottage baking education industry. Before she was Baker Bettie, with her eye-catching vintage Pyrex bowl collection and trademark red lipstick, she was Kristin Hoffman, a chef and baking fanatic. While her YouTube channel offers plenty of personable guidance through baking basics, those who prefer a more structured approach will love her free online baking course. Follow through the 12 lessons and videos at the rate you feel comfortable. Simply watching the videos will take three hours, but if you follow the curriculum, you’ll have hours of accumulated real-time baking. If you really like Baker Bettie, know that she also runs an online baking school, Better Baking School, that charges for classes. If that’s not in the cards, she has online recipes and YouTube videos galore, so either route will enrich your baking. ProsDownloadable classes17 lessons availableComprehensive intro to artisan French bread baking ConsFew opportunities for community interactionNo classes on making basic American loaves While we highly recommend King Arthur Flour and Zingerman’s Bakeshop for live online bread classes, scheduled events don’t always fit neatly into your life. The solution? This intensive, on-demand course from MasterClass. Led by third-generation baker Apollonia Poilâne, the 17 lessons in this pre-recorded course total about 3 1/2 hours, and there’s a class workbook to go along with it. You’ll learn bread baking in the French tradition, from rustic loaves to brioche to pain de mie. Poilâne’s manner onscreen is assured and calm, yet not dull or disengaged. This course does cover sourdough, though that’s not its focus. If you’re more interested in homestyle American loaves, a one-off class from another site would be a better fit. MasterClass is an annual subscription service that bills $15 per month. That’ll get you unlimited access to all classes, only a small handful of which are baking-centric. ProsIn-depth live classes on individual topicsChef-instructors and assistants leading classesPlentiful weekend offeringsAccess to classic Zingerman’s Bakeshop recipes ConsNo evening classes for the West coastClasses are long Zingerman’s Bakehouse, the baking wing of Ann Arbor, Michigan’s legendary Zingerman’s Deli, bakes a lot more than pastries. But its pastries are so good that it’s impossible not to get enticed scrolling through the online class schedule. Cinnamon rolls, Dobos torta, croissants…you’ll learn how to make treats at home that are worthy of a real pastry case. Zingerman’s used to only hold baking classes in-person at its Michigan facility, but it now offers live classes on Zoom as well. The bakehouse takes baking and pastry seriously: Its website says “we highly, highly, highly recommend that you use a scale to ensure the best results and accuracy.” Want to make the experience deluxe? Order “basic” or “everything” pastry kits beforehand to get the equipment you need to get started. Classes cost around $85 and run three hours or more. ProsLive online seminars and extensive chef supportChef-graded assignmentsComprehensive curriculumExperienced instructor ConsClass offerings not suited to casual bakersThe course runs 90 days and costs $499 Veterans of brick-and-mortar cooking schools established Rouxbe in 2005, and it’s been exclusively online since its inception. They’ve had years to work out the kinks, and they’ve built a strong vegan component in their offerings. Classes are geared toward serious enthusiasts, aspiring professionals, and existing pros who want to add to their skill sets. You’ll be in good hands: chef-instructor Fran Constigan is Rouxbe’s director of vegan pastry, a veteran of in-person teaching, and author of two vegan baking cookbooks. Her recipes appeal to vegans and omnivores alike. The drawbacks? Sticker shock and time commitment: At 90 days and $499 for enrollment, this is for committed vegan bakers, not you folks who just want to get better at making banana bread. What you get is unmatched classroom community and chef support because your class cohort has live online seminars and chef-graded assignments. ProsClasses from multiple expertsOn-demand class optionsBusiness-focused courses offered ConsMinimal opportunities for community engagementNo option to sign up for a single class series Craftsy isn’t just for crafts. This popular on-demand video learning platform has built extensive cake decorating classes into its core offerings. Their production values are solid, and their seasoned chef-instructors are camera-savvy—no amateurish snoozefest videos here. Another distinguishing factor with Craftsy is the number of chef-instructors, allowing you to glean tons of perspectives and try lots of cake decorating styles. Plus, if you’re more into dessert baking than cake decorating, they’ve got you covered, too. Extras include dozens of free, highly informative articles on the Craftsy site. Premium members have access to class discussion areas where they can post questions, though answers won’t necessarily be from the chef-expert in the video. One-time classes range from $9.99 to $69.99. ProsSmall class sizes for live classesAffordable priceBig selection of chefs, topics, and class times ConsWebsite navigation is clunky Cozymeal specializes in curating culinary experiences with working chefs and experts across the United States. Its virtual classes are always live, a crucial element that transforms a couple’s onscreen class from blasé to memorable. Classes range from $29 to $169, depending on the subject and length. Miss your pals? Invite your friends in multiple households to sign up and make it a party. For an especially memorable experience, you can spring for a custom online cooking class. ProsVariety of pricing optionsClasses call for real ingredientsGroups can take a class on one device ConsNot suited for kids under age 7 This Brooklyn-based “culinary social club” was founded by longtime food writer Dana Bowen and Kitchn founder Sara Kate Gillingham. Now with an online culinary club, they have a robust selection of weekly baking classes you can sign up for individually or as a block. Don’t expect classes that are just mashing together sprinkles with frosting from a tub. With The Dynamite Shop, kids actually bake. Gillingham and Bowen have decades of combined experience developing terrific recipes for beloved publications and websites. Choose from tres leches cake, rhubarb crisp, no-wait cinnamon buns, and other full-fledged recipes. Before class, you get a packet with shopping and equipment lists, recipes, and tip sheets. If you’re looking to keep kids’ connectivity levels up, you’ll find it here with spontaneity, interaction, and community. These are live classes with real instructors and other kids. Bonus: Siblings and good friends can participate together in the same kitchen for the price of one enrollment. Drop-in classes are $25 to $50 per device, with discounts for camp and semester enrollments.

How Do Online Baking Classes Work? 

Live baking classes (usually held on Zoom) are meant for baking along with the chef. You measure, mix, and knead as your instructor and classmates do. For the best experience, shop, prep ingredients, and set up your kitchen with your laptop and workspace well before the class begins. It can take longer than you think. On-demand classes may or may not be designed for baking along. Some are edited to make a smoother viewing experience; in that case, just pause or rewind the video. Baking takes time, and your cake, bread, or pastries might not be fully baked by the time the on-screen portion of the class is over. Some classes break work into sessions on multiple days to allow for chilling or rising time. Most live classes will give you a recording of the Zoom class to download after. Many pre-recorded streaming classes let you watch the class unlimited times. If you plan to re-watch classes, check before signing up.

What Do You Learn in an Online Baking Class?

Do you want to take a class just for fun, or do you want to learn nitty-gritty skills? There’s no wrong way to do it. Think about your learning objective, and that will help you select the class that’s right for you. In a good class, you don’t just learn to make one recipe; you pick up valuable expert tips you’ll use often while baking. Some classes focus more on single recipes, while others are a multi-class course that examines fundamental techniques.

How Much Do Online Baking Classes Cost?

Pricing all depends on the length of the class and the platform. On-demand classes typically cost less, but they lack the personalized attention you get from class via Zoom with a live instructor. Many subscription-based learning services such as Craftsy offer free trials, so you can see if how you like the service before committing. Most live online baking classes charge you per device, so you can have multiple people baking in your kitchen at once for a fun family or couple’s experience. Some subscription-based services also offer a “classroom” where you can share ideas with classmates and enjoy post-class access to the instructor. Take the time to see what you’re getting before you sign up and consider whether you mainly want access to videos or resources after the class.

Methodology

We looked at class variety, the expertise of chef-instructors, class cost and length, availability, customer reviews, and value. We strived to include classes for all baking levels, from beginners to more experienced home bakers, along with options for kids. Our roundup has both live and on-demand options.