Want the real Willy Wonka experience? Try these best chocolate making classes

From learning the craft of bonbon making from the country's best chocolatiers, to wandering through the Aztec jungles at Cadbury World, these days out are sure to put a smile on your face and a sweet taste in your mouth.

In fact, we can safely say these sugar-packed experiences will get you bouncing off the walls in no time, with courses on how to make chocolate truffles, desserts, cocktails and so much more.

Of course, it's not all about stuffing your face with chocolate (although that's really very important), you'll also come away with a brand-new skill to wow your friends and family with. You could use it for dinner parties or your next Timothée Chalamet movie night.

Now, it's crunch time, here's the best chocolate making experiences.

Shop chocolate making experiences at Virgin Experience Days

Shop chocolate making experiences at Indytute

For more fabulous days out, here's the best London walking tours, the best steam train experiences, plus the best kids theatre shows.

Best chocolate making experiences at a glance

• Cadbury World, from £18.95
• The Chocolate Street Challenge, £30
• The Chocolate House Tour, £33
• York Cocoa Works Chocolate Bar Making Workshop for Two, £46
• Learn the Art of the Chocolatier with Chocolate Craft, £70
• Children’s Chocolate Lollipop Course for Two, £71
• Truffle making workshop for two, £78
• MyChocolate Original Chocolate Making Workshop for Two, £109.90 £82.43
• MyChocolate Choc-tail Workshop for Two, £88
• The Chocolatier Workshop for Two with DrChoc’s Windsor Chocolate Factory, £96
• Chocolate Desserts Cooking Class at the Gordon Ramsay Academy, £110
• Mini Chocolat Class and Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at Cake Boy, £190 £150

Best chocolate making experiences to try in 2024

Chocolate Making Workshop for two

There are endless chocolate making workshops in the UK, where you can learn the craft of the chocolatier from experts at the top of their field.

Our favourite of these is the MyChocolate experience in London and Manchester. Over the course of the day, you'll learn professional chocolate making and decorating techniques including how to cut, dip and decorate your own chocolate creations.

You'll be taught how to make decadent chocolate shapes, before learning how to make fresh cream and dark chocolate ganache truffles. Best of all, you'll get to take your tasty hand-made treats home, although let's be honest they'll probably be gone by the time you get in the car.

Buy MyChocolate Original Chocolate Making Workshop for Two for £109.90 £82.43 (save £27.47) at Virgin Experience Days

Or, if you're looking outside of London and Manchester, there's plenty of other introductory workshops in York, Windsor, Hampshire and more.

• Windsor | Buy The Chocolatier Workshop for Two with DrChoc’s Windsor Chocolate Factory for £96 at Virgin Experience Days
• Alresford | Buy Learn the Art of the Chocolatier with Chocolate Craft for £70 at Virgin Experience Days
• York | Buy York Cocoa Works Chocolate Bar Making Workshop for Two for £46 at Virgin Experience Days

MyChocolate Choc-tail Workshop for two

If, like Augustus Gloop, you prefer your chocolate to come in liquid form, try this choc-tail experience. You and a friend will start the session off with a pair of chocolate martinis before learning to make dark chocolate ganache truffles and their original chocolate cocktail 'Lady Marmalade'. You’ll have the guidance of expert Chocolatiers and mixologists throughout, who will be on hand to help with your delicious creations.

Buy MyChocolate Choc-tail Workshop for £88 at Buyagift

Truffle making workshop for two

At this Brixton workshop, you'll spend the afternoon crafting a selection of luxurious truffles. Lessons will include shaping the filling, tempering either milk, white or dark chocolate, dipping and decorating, and wrapping your chocolate up at the end, in short, the perfect way to spend a Saturday.

Buy Truffle making workshop for £78 at Buyagift

Children's Chocolate Lollipop Course for two

If you're looking to treat your children with some sugary fun, take a look at this chocolate lollipop making course in Notting Hill. You’ll get the chance to make your own milk or dark chocolate lollipop, and personalise it exactly as you want it with a mix of piping, painting and decorating.

Buy Children's Chocolate Lollipop Course for £71 at Virgin Experience Days

Chocolate Desserts Cooking Class at the Gordon Ramsay Academy

The patissiers among you will enjoy this special chocolate desserts cooking class, courtesy of the Gordon Ramsey Academy in Surrey. The course will go over the recipes for a number of crowd-pleasing desserts such as flourless chocolate cakes, mousses and custards, and pavlovas and meringues.

Chocolate Desserts Cooking Class at the Gordon Ramsay Academy for £110 at Virgin Experience Days

Mini Chocolat Class and Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at Cake Boy

Make sure you're ready for some serious eating with this one. At the famous Cake Boy boutique in Battersea, you'll start off learning how to make a sumptuous chocolate and raspberry Torte and a dozen hazelnut truffles, all before tucking into an afternoon tea of mini pastries, French macaroons, fruit tarts and more. Plus, a glass of bubbly to wash it down.

Buy Mini Chocolat Class and Champagne Afternoon Tea for £190 £150 (save £40 or 21%) at Virgin Experience Days

We think this would be the ideal Mother's Day gift, but if you want more ideas check out our full list of Mother's Day experiences.

A visit to Cadbury World

Cadbury World is a great day out for family groups or just on your own. Found on the outskirts of Birmingham, this fun filled attraction has a ton of immersive chocolate-themed experiences including the 4D Chocolate Adventure, the Bourneville Experience and the journey of chocolate from Mexico to Europe.

Plus, there'll be plenty of chances to sample and make your own chocolate creations along the way.

Buy Cadbury World tickets from £18.95 at Cadbury World

Cadbury World is part of Merlin attractions, to find out more check out what is the Merlin Pass?

The Chocolate Street Challenge

Explore the streets of Spitalfields, Shoreditch and Hoxton with this chocolate themed scavenger hunt. You and a group of friends will need to be quick on your feet as you try to solve clues, puzzles and riddles, all the while using chocolate coins to bribe and barter the answers out of people. Your mission is to try and solve final clue first, but don't worry, whether you do well or not, you'll still get a bag of Belgian goodies to take home after.

Buy The Chocolate Street Challenge for £30 at Indytute

The Chocolate House Tour

Finally, you can learn all the secrets and surprises of the chocolate industry in this London walking tour. With guidance from an expert historian, you'll hear stories of cacao pods and chilli, conquistadors, and gamblers and just how London became so obsessed with chocolate. Plus, there's free servings of Baroque hot chocolate to drink along the way.

Buy The Chocolate House Tour for £33 at Indytute

For more days out and experiences, here's the best F1 experience days and best golf gift experiences.