Empanadas get serious in Medellín. This class is all about hands-on cooking in a real Antioquia home, where you share the work and the laughs with the people running the experience. I love the warm, welcoming vibe that makes it feel less like a workshop and more like being fed into a family routine.

You also get to build your own plate, with choices ranging from meat and chicken to a rotating special filling, plus vegan and vegetarian options. The one drawback is simple: this is a hands-on home kitchen experience, not a traditional sightseeing tour, so you should be ready to get involved and focus on cooking for the full 150 minutes.

Key takeaways before you cook

• Small group, family-kitchen feel: Limited to 9 participants, so you are not stuck watching from the sidelines.
• Pick your filling, including vegan: Choose meat, chicken, and a special filling that changes every month, plus plant-based options.
• You make them yourself: You handle the prep and cooking, then enjoy what you made.
• English instruction with friendly language support: The class is guided in English, and the hosts also speak some Portuguese.
• You eat with the team: There is a second drink included so the meal feels like part of the experience, not the end of it.

Medellín Empanadas From Scratch, in a Real Antioquia Home Kitchen

If you like your travel experiences practical, this one fits perfectly. You are in Medellín, in Antioquia, and the whole point is to learn Colombian empanadas in a place that feels like a home, not a staged restaurant demo. That matters more than it sounds, because the pace is slower and the teaching is more personal. You are not rushing through steps you never repeat. You actually practice.

I like how the warmth shows up quickly. The welcome drink helps, but it is really the tone. You are encouraged to bring a good disposition, a smile, and a good appetite, and the whole session runs like people genuinely want you to succeed. If you have ever left a cooking class thinking you paid for watching, this is the opposite. You will be standing at the counter, working the dough, and shaping empanadas with your own hands.

Another reason this experience works is that it is social in a friendly way. You are sharing ingredients, choices, and results with others in a small group. The idea is culture through conversation, not culture through a lecture. When the hosts speak English and some Portuguese, it makes the room feel less like a classroom and more like an exchange.

Price and What You Really Get for $56 in 150 Minutes

At $56 per person for 150 minutes, this class is priced like a real guided activity with food included, not like a cheap snack-and-chat. The value is in what is bundled: a local welcome drink, a brief history of empanadas, guided prep and cooking, multiple filling options based on your preference, and another drink to enjoy with the empanadas.

You also get a small group setting, limited to 9 people. That matters for quality. With fewer people, you tend to get more attention during the hands-on parts, and it is easier to ask questions when you are working with dough and filling.

If you are comparing it to doing this on your own, the math favors the class. Buying ingredients and figuring out the right process is not hard, but getting the technique right on the first try is. Here, you are paying for guidance, structure, and a menu of filling choices, including vegetarian and vegan-friendly combinations.

One practical note: the experience is called Medellín: Learn to make Colombian empanadas from scratch, and the expectation is exactly that. You are not just eating. You are learning enough to walk away with confidence, which is why the session length holds together.

The Welcome Drink and the Brief Empanada Backstory

The first moment you sit down, you get a local welcome drink. It is simple, but it sets the tone, and it also gives you something to do besides trying to figure out the layout of a home kitchen.

Then you get the brief history of empanadas. The goal is not to overwhelm you with facts. It is to give you context for why empanadas are such a big part of everyday food culture, and why different regions and households end up with different filling styles. Even if you have eaten empanadas before, that quick background helps you notice the differences when you choose your fillings later.

This early part is also useful because it gets everyone on the same page. You will soon be preparing dough and working with fillings. Knowing the basics first helps you focus on technique instead of constantly asking, what are we doing and why.

Choosing Your Fillings, Meat, Chicken, Monthly Special, and Vegan

This class is built around customization, and that is one of the main reasons it scores so well. You do not just get a single filling and a take-it-or-leave-it option. Ingredients are selected according to your preference.

Here is what you should expect for filling choices:

• Meat, chicken, and a special filling that changes every month
• For vegetarians: mushrooms, corn, cheese, and potato with hogao
• For vegans: ingredients are offered in line with the same preference system, so you can keep your meal plant-based

The monthly special is a smart touch. It means you are not just buying repetition. You might learn a filling style that you would not easily find on your own, and it keeps the menu feeling alive rather than fixed.

I also like that this is not a separate system for vegetarians and vegans. The class treats dietary preference as part of the normal flow. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you are still cooking as a participant, not trading down for a different plate of food.

And if you are not vegan or vegetarian, you still benefit from the range. It helps you understand how filling choice changes the experience. Different fillings lead to different textures and flavors, which teaches you that empanadas are more flexible than people assume.

Dough Prep and Hands-On Shaping in a Small Group

Once the filling options are sorted, you move into the practical work: preparation and cooking. This is where you should settle in mentally. The most memorable part is not watching. It is doing.

With small-group size limited to 9, you are less likely to feel lost. You can ask questions while your hands are already working, and you can get help in real time. That makes a difference with empanadas, because the process has a rhythm. If you get one step wrong, it can show later in the shape or how it cooks.

Also, the hosts are doing this because cooking is part of their life. You can feel it in the teaching style. The guidance focuses on what you need for success in the moment, not on a long speech about ingredients. And when you are working in a home kitchen, the environment tends to be more forgiving. People want you to do it well, but they also want you to have fun with it.

If you want this experience to go smoothly, come with a good appetite. The session is structured to build toward tasting what you made, and you will likely want to take your time without rushing through steps. If you rush, the dough and filling process can feel harder than it needs to.

Cooking Your Empanadas and Getting the Technique Right

Cooking is the second half of the learning curve. You will shape, fill, and then cook the empanadas, and the guide stays involved so you can see what success looks like.

Here is what makes this part valuable: you do not just learn a recipe. You learn how to correct mistakes. If a filling leaks, if the shape looks off, or if you are unsure about timing, you can adjust with guidance. That is the real gift of a guided class in a real kitchen.

The fact that the session lasts 150 minutes helps too. You get time to practice and improve rather than doing a quick trial run and hoping for the best. With a short class, beginners often feel like they are stuck repeating one step. Here, you can move through the full cycle, from preparation to the finished empanadas.

Also, you will have multiple flavors. That makes the cooking lesson more interesting. Even if the dough technique is similar, different fillings can change how you feel about the final bite. You start to understand why people talk about empanadas as comfort food with personality.

Sharing the Table, Enjoying Your Empanadas, and the Included Drink

When it is time to eat, you enjoy the empanadas with another drink. This is a small detail, but I like it because it turns the meal into a shared moment rather than a quick handoff.

Eating in the same place you cooked also gives you a clean feedback loop. You can compare your batch to the next one, note what changes you like, and think about what you would do differently if you cooked again at home. That is how you turn a one-time experience into a skill.

There is also a cultural payoff. Part of the warmth in Medellín shows up when you sit down and share food with locals. This class is designed for that kind of exchange, not just a photo moment and out the door.

If you are traveling solo, it is a comfortable way to meet people without awkward small talk. If you are traveling with friends or family, it is easy to make it interactive, because everyone is touching the process and you end up with shared results on your plate.

Who Should Book This Empanada-Making Class in Medellín?

This experience is a great fit if you want your Medellín trip to include something practical and local. It is especially good for people who like learning through doing. If you enjoy food culture and you are tired of tours that just point out where to eat, this gives you a new kind of souvenir: the ability to make empanadas yourself.

It also fits well for families. You are in a small group with guided instruction in English, and the activity is structured so people can participate actively. The home setup can feel more personal than a big cooking studio, and that tends to make kids and adults alike more comfortable.

If you have dietary restrictions, it is one of the better options based on the information you get before you go. You can choose ingredients for meat, chicken, a monthly special filling, and you can also pick vegetarian or vegan-friendly combinations.

The only group of people I would warn are those who hate hands-on activities or want a mostly sightseeing schedule. This class is about cooking and eating in one continuous block. You will not be hopping between multiple landmarks.

Also remember: the class is in English. The hosts speak some Portuguese, and translations support the experience, but your main instruction language is English.

Should You Book This Empanada-Making Class?

I would book it if you want a genuine Medellín food experience that feels personal. For $56, you are getting a full 150-minute guided session, small group attention, ingredient choice including vegan and vegetarian options, plus two included drinks and the chance to cook and eat what you made. That is strong value for a skill-based activity.

If you are on the fence because you think cooking classes might feel awkward, this one is designed to avoid that. The structure, the small size, and the welcoming hosts make it easier to relax and learn. You will leave with a better understanding of how empanadas work, and you will have the confidence to repeat the process later.

One last practical tip: go hungry, go smiling, and pick your filling preferences ahead of time. It makes the whole experience smoother and helps you get the most enjoyment from every step.

FAQ

How long is the empanada-making experience in Medellín?

The class lasts 150 minutes.

What is the price per person?

The price is $56 per person.

Is this a small group?

Yes. It is limited to 9 participants.

What languages are used during the class?

The instructor teaches in English, and the hosts speak some English and Portuguese.

Do they offer vegetarian or vegan fillings?

Yes. Vegetarian options include mushrooms, corn, cheese, and potato with hogao. Vegan options are also available, with ingredients chosen based on your preference.

Where do I meet for the tour?

The meeting point is Casa 201.

What should I bring?

You only need a good disposition, a smile, and a good appetite.