For those with a sweet tooth, San Francisco is a dessert paradise.
Want something boozy? Humphrey Slocombe has Breakfast Cereal ice cream with bourbon. Need the best chocolate mousse tart right now? b. Patisserie has it on deck.
But some confectioners have gone beyond selling sweet treats to offering hands-on workshops that turn sugar into an event perfect for date nights, girls’ nights, and even holiday gifts for foodie friends.
We’ve rounded up six destinations that turn dessert into a whole new experience, from learning to make Sicilian gelato to brushing up on your cake decorating skills.
Learn to make Sicilian gelato at Hila Gelato.(Courtesy of @hilagelato)
Sicilian Gelato at Hila Gelato
Learn how to make Sicilian gelato from scratch at Hila Gelato on Valencia Street. They provide all ingredients and show you how to weigh, mix, and pour them with various flavors and stir-ins like fruit, nuts, and creams. You’ll get the 101 on industrial versus artisanal gelato and go home with a gelato-making bag, recipe booklet, and a new favorite flavor. The workshop is $150 for two hours. // 951 Valencia St. (Mission), hilagelato.com
Let Them Eat Cake at Olesia Cake Studio
Olesia Cake Studio is a sweet experience from start to finish. Step inside the warm and welcoming studio and be greeted with lemonade, mimosas, and appetizers before your cake-decorating workshop begins. Choose between making cupcakes or a small cake, then get the inside scoop on piping techniques to bring your own design to life. At the end of class, you can snap a picture of your creation in the flower photo zone. The class is $169 and lasts about two hours. // 2940 16th St. (Mission), olesiacake.com
Learn to make chocolate truffles at Dandelion Chocolate.(Courtesy of Dandelion Chocolate)
Chocolate Truffles at Dandelion Chocolate
Popular chocolatier Dandelion Chocolate offers factory tours, chocolate-101 workshops, and a variety of hands-on classes for learning to make treats like single-origin brownies and caramel bonbons. The truffle-making class is super fun and great for all ages: They set up the premium cacao and organic sugar so you can blend creamy ganache and hand-roll your own truffles. The class is an hour long and $100 per person. // 2600 16th St. (Mission), dandelionchocolate.com
Latte Art at Aura Tea and Coffee
A workshop that doubles as a caffeine buzz, Aura Tea and Coffee will teach you the art of crafting the perfect latte. Start with a strong espresso shot, pour that velvety steamed milk, and unleash your inner artist as you learn to draw hearts, tulips, and other beautiful decorations that may just be too pretty to drink. The workshop is about an hour long and priced at $80.// 101 Spear St. (FiDi), aurateacoffee.com
Take a holiday pie-making class at Civic Kitchen.(Courtesy of Civic Kitchen)
Holiday Pie at Civic Kitchen
Civic Kitchen has a Learn to Bake Wednesdays class, but for the holidays, how about making a pie for all those Friendsgiving, Christmas, and potluck parties you’re sure to be invited to? You’ll learn to make an excellent pie crust, then fill it with popular fall flavors including pumpkin, pecan, chocolate cream, and apple. The four-hour class is $195 per person. // 2961 Mission St. (Mission), civickitchensf.com
Rosca de Reyes and Pan Dulce at 18 Reasons
If you’ve ever wanted to make pan dulce or test your baking skills at Rosca de Reyes cake, look no farther than nonprofit cooking school 18 Reasons. Baker and owner of Norte54, Raquel Goldman, will take you through the process of making brioche dough and frangipane filling, then show you how to roll, fill, and shape the loaves to take home and share (or not). The 2.5-hour class is $185 for nonmembers. // 3674 18th St. (Mission), 18reasons.org