Bean to Bar Chocolate Making in Cartagena: Make Your Own Bars
You roast, crack, grind and temper the cacao yourself, then pour and decorate bars to take home.
A hands-on chocolate-making class in Cartagena where you transform raw Colombian cacao beans into finished bars under the guidance of a local chocolatier. You'll learn each step of the bean-to-bar process (roasting, cracking, winnowing, grinding and tempering), then taste single-origin chocolates paired with red and white wines. The experience runs about two and a half hours and ends with the chocolate bars you made.
What’s included
- Guided instruction in chocolate-making from roasting through tempering.
- single-origin Colombian chocolate tasting.
- wine pairing with red and white wines.
- the chocolate bars you make during the class.
Times
- Friday 14:00
Last departure this season: 27 Nov
Another time? ›Before you book
Operated by Lunático Experience
Prices and times updated 2 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
If you have a free afternoon in Cartagena and want to do something with your hands instead of just walking around, this class gives you a reason to stay put. You start by learning where the cacao comes from, how it's harvested and fermented at the farm, and why those steps shape what you'll taste later. Then a local chocolatier walks you through the full process: you roast the beans, crack open the shells, winnow away the husks, and grind what's left into a paste. The grinding takes time and effort, and that's the point. You see why chocolate costs what it does.
Once the paste is ready, you learn to refine the mixture and temper it, which is the step that gives chocolate its snap and shine. You pour your batch into molds, choose toppings, and decorate. The bars cool while you move into the tasting part: a guided run through single-origin Colombian chocolates at different cacao percentages, paired with red and white wines to bring out the flavor notes you wouldn't catch on your own. By the end, you leave with the bars you made, still warm enough to feel like they're yours.
The class runs in English or Spanish with a live guide, and children from age six can join. A pram or stroller works if you have an infant along, and service animals are welcome. Public transit gets you there, so you don't need a car or a transfer booked separately.
Is this one for you?Small groups work best here if you want hands-on time at the table and real attention from the chocolatier. The class suits an afternoon when you want to learn something and leave with something tangible, not just a memory of a place.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (6 to 12 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What exactly do I learn to do with the cacao beans?
You roast the raw beans, crack open the shells to remove them, winnow away the husks, then grind what remains into a smooth cacao paste. After that, you refine the mixture, learn to temper it for the right texture and shine, pour it into molds, and decorate your finished bars with toppings of your choice.
Do I get to taste the chocolate I make, or just take it home?
You take home the bars you made, but before that, you taste a selection of single-origin Colombian chocolates at different cacao percentages. Those tastings are paired with red and white wines to help you understand how the flavors work, so you're tasting chocolate made by the chocolatier alongside your own creation.
How long does the whole thing take?
The class runs about two and a half hours from start to finish, including the hands-on making, the guided tasting, and the wine pairing.
Bean to Bar Chocolate Making in Cartagena: Make Your Own Bars
2h 30m · EN · ES
from US$ 89 per person
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