Macaron-Making Class in Los Angeles: Inside My Petit Chou Experience

Q: Is the Petit Chou Macaron Class Beginner-Friendly?

1,000% yes. I am proof. You don't need previous baking experience, you don't need to understand French pastry techniques, and you definitely don't need to have attempted macarons before. Marie-Anne demonstrates and explains the process as you go, and you're able to ask for help throughout the entire class.

Q: Would I Take Another Petit Chou Class?

1,000,000%. My favorite part of the experience was probably piping my macarons using the template and watching them slowly start to look like the little French pastries I'd normally buy from a bakery. The thing that surprised me most was how precise the mixing process is. There's a real technique to getting the texture right, and I'm so glad I learned it in person rather than trying to decipher whether my mixture "looked right" from a recipe online.

23 hours ago

9 min read

Some experiences in Los Angeles are made for taking cute photos, while others actually teach you something new. Every once in a while, though, you find one that does both. That was exactly how I felt about taking a macaron-making class with Petit Chou in Culver City.

I had never, ever made a macaron before, which was honestly part of the reason I wanted to try it! Macarons have always felt like one of those desserts that are almost too pretty and precise to attempt at home. They're colorful, delicate, notoriously finicky and, of course, delicious. I mean, who doesn't love a good macaron? When I had the opportunity to join Petit Chou for a macaron-making experience, I was immediately excited to finally try my hand at making them myself.

I went to the class solo, and from the moment I arrived, I knew this was going to be such a cute experience. The space was charming, with a great outdoor area as well, and everything for the class had already been laid out and organized for us. By the end of the next two and a half hours, I had somehow turned bowls of ingredients into eight actual macarons filled with vanilla and chocolate ganache — and they were pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

Disclaimer: This was a hosted experience in collaboration with Petit Chou, meaning my macaron-making class was complimentary in exchange for editorial coverage on Holding Onto Wanderland. As always, all opinions, experiences, and recommendations shared in this article are entirely my own.

What Is Petit Chou?

Petit Chou is a French baking experience located in Culver City, Los Angeles, where you can learn how to make some of those beautiful French pastries that might otherwise feel a little intimidating to tackle on your own. Their classes include macarons, éclairs and choux pastries, along with the CUTEST character macaron classes — which I already have my eye on for next time.

What really made the experience for me, though, was the hands-on instruction from Marie-Anne. She was an absolute delight and made the entire process feel so approachable. Rather than simply demonstrating everything and then leaving you to figure it out, she works alongside you throughout the process, checking your mixtures, answering questions, demonstrating techniques and helping make sure you're on the right track. For someone walking into the class with exactly zero macaron-making experience, that made such a difference.

My Petit Chou Macaron-Making Experience

Arriving at the Class

One of my first impressions when I arrived was just how organized everything was. Our workstations were already prepared, the ingredients and equipment we needed were ready to go, and the whole setup immediately felt welcoming rather than intimidating. And that definitely matters when you're about to attempt a dessert famous for being a little... temperamental.

There was no expectation that you needed to arrive knowing what you were doing. The experience is designed to walk you through the entire process from beginning to end, which meant I could simply show up, put on my apron and get ready to learn. As someone who had never attempted macarons before, I appreciated that the class felt beginner-friendly right from the start.

Learning How to Make French Macarons

I knew macarons required precision before taking the class, but I didn't realize just how much precision was involved. Throughout the experience, Marie-Anne walked us through each step of making the macaron shells, from whipping our meringue and combining the mixture to choosing our colors, piping the shells and eventually filling our finished macarons.

I learned very quickly that macarons are not the kind of dessert where you casually stir everything together and hope for the best. There is a technique behind practically every step, which made having Marie-Anne there to guide us even more helpful.

Making the Macaron Mixture

First of all: the arm workout?! I genuinely wasn't expecting how much mixing goes into getting macaron batter to exactly the right consistency. It wasn't necessarily difficult, but there is definitely a technique to it, and knowing when to stop is incredibly important. This was probably the hardest part for me because you're trying to figure out when the mixture has reached that perfect consistency without going too far.

Thankfully, Marie-Anne is right there to help you recognize exactly what you're looking for rather than leaving you to guess. I also learned a little trick for knowing when your meringue is ready to go, which is something I definitely wouldn't have known walking into the class. But you'll have to take the class to find that one out. Shhh.

Choosing Our Macaron Colors

Choosing our colors was easily one of my favorite parts of the entire experience. We were able to decide what color we wanted our macarons to be and then add the coloring to our mixtures ourselves. There's something so satisfying about watching plain macaron batter suddenly turn into the exact color you envisioned.

This was also one of the moments when the experience started feeling especially creative rather than simply following baking instructions. You get to make little choices along the way that make your finished macarons feel like your own, and seeing everyone's different colors start coming together was so cute.

Piping the Macaron Shells

Then came another one of my favorite parts: piping! Petit Chou provides a template to help you create that classic, perfectly round macaron shape, and I LOVED filling in each little circle. There was something weirdly satisfying about piping them one by one and watching my tray slowly fill up with what were finally starting to look like actual macarons.

Were mine immediately professional French bakery-level perfect? Maybe not. But between the template and Marie-Anne being there to guide me, I was honestly surprised by how quickly I started getting the hang of it. This ended up being one of my favorite parts of the class because it was the first moment where I could really see everything coming together.

Making the Fillings

While our shells were baking, we moved on to our fillings. We made both vanilla filling and chocolate ganache, which meant we could create two different versions of our finished macarons. The vanilla ended up being my personal favorite, but the chocolate ganache was amazing as well.

Marie-Anne also explained how we could take what we were learning and adapt it to create other flavors at home, including coffee, pistachio, strawberry and more. That was one of my favorite things about the class because you're not simply making something to eat that afternoon. You're actually learning techniques that you can take home with you and use again.

The Finished Macarons

And then came the moment of truth: they actually looked like macarons! By the end of class, I had made eight macarons filled with a combination of vanilla and chocolate ganache, and they turned out SO cute. More importantly, they tasted amazing. The vanilla filling was my absolute favorite, although I definitely wasn't complaining about the chocolate ones either.

I was honestly a little surprised by how well they turned out considering I had never attempted macarons before, but that's also a huge testament to how hands-on Marie-Anne is throughout the experience. She's there every step of the way, so even during the parts where precision really matters, you're not left wondering whether you've completely messed something up. She makes something that initially seems complicated feel completely manageable.

At the end of the class, Petit Chou provides boxes so you can package up your finished macarons and take them home. You also receive the recipe in advance, so once you've learned all of the techniques in person, you have everything you need to try making them again at home. I loved that because it made the class feel like I was actually learning a new skill rather than simply following along for one afternoon.

What I Wish I Knew Before Taking a Petit Chou Macaron Class

If you're thinking about booking a Petit Chou macaron-making class in Los Angeles, the biggest thing I would tell you is that you genuinely do not need to know what you're doing. I went into the class having never made a macaron in my life, and that wasn't a problem at all. Everything is explained as you go, and Marie-Anne is there to help whenever you need it.

Everything you need for the experience is also provided, including the ingredients, baking equipment, apron and the box you'll use to take your macarons home. The class lasts approximately 2½ hours, so I would plan for this to be the main activity of your morning or afternoon rather than trying to squeeze it between a bunch of other plans. We even had a little baking break with snacks provided, which was such a nice touch.

As for what to wear, I'd recommend something comfortable enough to bake in, but you don't need anything special. If you have long hair, I'd probably bring a hair tie just to make things easier while you're working. Other than that, you really don't need to bring anything with you.

Mostly, though, I wish I'd known just how approachable the experience would feel. You hear about macarons being notoriously difficult to make, and I think I had built them up in my head as something I'd probably mess up immediately. Having someone there who knows exactly what the mixture should look and feel like changes everything.

Is the Petit Chou Macaron Class Beginner-Friendly?

1,000% yes. I am proof. You don't need previous baking experience, you don't need to understand French pastry techniques, and you definitely don't need to have attempted macarons before. Marie-Anne demonstrates and explains the process as you go, and you're able to ask for help throughout the entire class.

This was especially helpful during the more precise parts of macaron making. Instead of standing there wondering, Is this right? Did I mix this enough? Did I mix this TOO much?, you have someone who can actually look at what you're doing and guide you. It makes it pretty hard to go completely off track.

By the end of the class, I genuinely felt confident about the process. Would my first completely unsupervised batch at home be perfect? We shall see. But I left feeling like I actually understood how to make macarons rather than simply having followed instructions for two and a half hours.

Who Is the Petit Chou Macaron Class Perfect For?

Honestly, I think this experience could work for so many different occasions. I went solo and had such a fun time, so don't feel like you need someone else to book the experience with you. If you're looking for a cute solo activity in Los Angeles where you can actually learn something and leave with something you made yourself, this is such a fun option.

That being said, I could absolutely see myself coming back with Will for a date. It would be equally adorable for a girls' day, birthday activity, mother-daughter outing, family activity, or something different to do when you have friends visiting Los Angeles. It's especially perfect if you're someone who loves baking — or simply loves eating baked goods — but doesn't necessarily consider yourself an expert.

I personally love experiences where you have something to actually do together because there's never that awkward feeling of wondering what comes next. You're mixing, piping, decorating, laughing at your slightly questionable first attempt and eventually getting to eat the results. For a date or girls' day, I think that makes it especially fun.

How Much Does a Petit Chou Macaron Class Cost?

At the time of writing, Petit Chou lists its public classes at approximately $85–$90 per person. An early-bird price of $85 applies when booking into a public session at least 15 days in advance. Otherwise, the listed price is $90 when booking for one guest or $85 per guest when booking for two or more people. Private classes have an additional $65 per-class surcharge.

As mentioned above, my class was complimentary as part of my hosted collaboration with Petit Chou, so I did not personally pay the regular class price. However, based on my experience and everything that's included, I do think the regular price provides a lot of value. The class lasts approximately two and a half hours, and essentially everything you need is included: your ingredients, baking equipment, apron, hands-on instruction, take-home box, your finished macarons and even some snacks during our little baking break.

More importantly, you're learning the actual techniques behind making macarons, so you leave with more than a box of treats. You leave knowing how to make them again, which I think adds a lot to the value of the experience.

Pricing can change, so I recommend confirming the current class price directly with Petit Chou before booking.

Would I Take Another Petit Chou Class?

1,000,000%. My favorite part of the experience was probably piping my macarons using the template and watching them slowly start to look like the little French pastries I'd normally buy from a bakery. The thing that surprised me most was how precise the mixing process is. There's a real technique to getting the texture right, and I'm so glad I learned it in person rather than trying to decipher whether my mixture "looked right" from a recipe online.

And I already know which class I want to try next: the Cute Character Macaron Class. I mean... come on. How could I not?

Some of my favorite things to do in Los Angeles are the ones that let you actually learn or make something rather than simply show up, take a photo and leave, and Petit Chou was exactly that kind of experience. I walked in having never made a macaron before, spent the next couple of hours learning an entirely new skill and walked out carrying a box of eight adorable little macarons that I had somehow made myself.

And yes, several were eaten very shortly afterward. No regrets.