Oaxacan mole cooking class in Oaxaca City: Learn seven recipes

The seven Oaxacan moles are built from techniques passed down through generations, and you learn them in a single morning.

A traditional cooking class in Oaxaca City where you prepare breakfast, one of seven seasonal moles, and dessert in a smoke kitchen using clay pots and family recipes. You make memelitas and sauces by hand, harvest ingredients from the instructor's garden, and finish with a mezcal made by her family for generations. The class runs nearly five hours and includes all meals, transportation and coffee or tea.

The experience

How do you actually learn to cook Oaxacan mole? Not from a recipe card, but by standing in a smoke kitchen with someone whose family has been making it the same way for generations, selecting the ingredients that gave the dish its reputation, and understanding why each one matters. This class starts with hot chocolate and moves straight into the work: you make memelitas with your own hands, rolling dough and preparing a molcajete sauce to go with them. The instructor guides you at every step, teaching you the recipes in a way you can repeat at home.

After breakfast comes one of the seven Oaxacan moles, which one depends on the season and what's fresh. You'll also make a dessert, roasted in firewood. The ingredients come from local producers and from the instructor's own garden, so you're working with what's actually in season. Everything cooks in clay pots the traditional way, and when the meal is ready, you eat it with a mezcal her family has been producing for several generations. The whole class takes nearly five hours.

Transportation is included, so you don't arrange your own way there. The instructor speaks English and Spanish, and children are welcome from age 13. If you have dietary restrictions, let her know in advance and she'll adjust the menu so you can still fully enjoy the experience.

What’s included

• Seasonal mole.
• breakfast.
• lunch.
• coffee and tea.
• mezcal.
• private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Before you book

Lasts 4h 45m, runs every day at 10:00, from US$ 81 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, in groups of up to 10 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 68 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Under 13: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Operated by Gueta Oaxaca

Is this one for you?Book this if you have a full morning free and want to cook hands-on from start to finish. Choose a shorter class or demonstration format if you prefer watching or have limited time.

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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). Children under 13 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I make during the class?

You prepare memelitas from scratch, rolling the dough by hand and making a molcajete sauce; you cook one of the seven seasonal Oaxacan moles; and you make a dessert roasted in firewood. Breakfast, the mole and dessert are all part of the class and you eat them when they're done.

Where does the cooking happen?

You cook in a traditional smoke kitchen using clay pots and utensils the instructor's family has used for generations. Some ingredients come from her own garden, which you harvest during the class.

Is transportation included?

Yes, private transportation to and from the kitchen is included, along with an air-conditioned vehicle. You don't need to arrange your own way there.

What's included in the price besides the cooking?

Breakfast, lunch (the mole and dessert you cook), coffee or tea, and a drink made with mezcal produced by the instructor's family are all included. Transportation is also part of the booking.