7 Best Cooking Classes in Edinburgh to Make You Healthier

If you're looking for ways to get healthy, we think cooking classes in Edinburgh are the ideal solution for 2024. You know there’s much more to cooking than microwaving that lasagne you bought from your favourite supermarket. Plus if you’re looking for fun things to do in Edinburgh or you’re a bit stuck for ideas about what to do in the rain, look no further!

Maybe you’re feeling a bit sluggish and you’re over the feeling of having no energy. Maybe you’re looking to take up a new hobby or maybe you just want to be more actively involved in your local area to make some new friends. Whatever the reason, cooking classes in Edinburgh have amazing mental and physical health benefits!

Led by an expert chef, you’ll learn to cook amazing meals from scratch so you know exactly what you’re eating, which will not only give you more energy, you’ll start to look younger too. Your skin will get clearer and to be honest, you’ll feel alive, like on a natural high. Learning how to make delicious dinners and decadent desserts is one of the best things to do in Edinburgh. 

When you cook more nutrient-dense ingredients at home, you can cook more than one meal than you would get out of one takeaway cost. You’ll also find you’re spending much less on food each week when you take the time to structure your cooking, so you’re not rushing out the door each morning with the mindset of grabbing breakfast from your local Pret or Tesco.

Then comes lunchtime when again you’re heading back into your go-to café or supermarket to grab something again on the go. By the time you head home, you find yourself popping into the supermarket again to pick up a ready-made meal, because who wants to spend the time actually slaving away in the kitchen? With this mindset, you’re literally taking zero time to look after your health and you probably feel pretty rubbish.

It’s amazing why we’ve all had the mindset that cooking in our own kitchens will take up too much or our time. In fact, you can whip up some incredible meals in 15 minutes - it’s actually true!

If cooking is a bit new for you and you’re not too sure where to start, we’re here to tell you about some of the best types of cookery classes in Edinburgh to keep you on the path to wellness which will also save you money as well! 

Whilst there are many evening classes in Edinburgh to go to, you’ll find a lot of cooking experiences are based in the areas of; New Town, Bruntsfield, Old Town and Haymarket!

1. Forget Domino’s and learn to make your own pizza

We all love pizza, but instead of ordering Domino’s - which is loaded with salt - learn to make your own pizza in Edinburgh. Making pizza is actually much easier than you think. We love the simplicity of being able to create your own pizza toppings because you can completely customise your pizza so it’s filled with your favourite things. 

In our pizza making lessons, you’ll learn how to stretch out the dough like a pro, and see your pizza being made in a proper pizza oven.

Pizza cooking classes in Edinburgh are a great way to get the family together. Once you’ve taken a class, make it a nightly activity in your own home to spend quality time together as a family.

2. Learn how to make pasta at home

Pasta is one of the carbs we all crave, so in our pasta making classes in Edinburgh you’ll be guided by expert pasta making chef to roll your own pasta dough to make fresh tagliatelle, ravioli, tortellini and much more.

3. Forget the local Chinese takeaway and learn to cook Asian cuisine

Friday or Saturday night generally means it’s Chinese takeaway night right? Ditch the takeaway and learn how to make your own Chinese food in a Chinese Cooking Class in Edinburgh.

Whether you love a sweet n’ sour chicken or an egg fried rice, you’ll be taught how to make it yourself, the proper way so you’ll never need to waste money on buying a takeaway ever again! Best of all, it will be a healthy version so your food won’t be loaded with oil!

4. Not forgetting the Indian Takeaway too

We all love a good korma or a vindaloo, or whatever your preference is, but instead of buying your takeaway loaded with salt and sugar, cook an even better version yourself.

If you’re not sure how to go about cooking your own Indian dish without buying a packet sauce, take an Indian cooking class in Edinburgh and you’ll learn all of the tips and tricks for creating the most amazing Indian food! And we’ll tell you what… it’s all about the spices and herbs you need to be acquainted with!

5. Learn how to use the BBQ

In the height of Summer when you think you can finally use your BBQ, you’re unsure how to actually use it properly. Might sound like news to you, but there’s much more to it than throwing a shrimp on the barbie. That’s right, if you take a BBQ cooking class, you’ll learn from our expert chefs on how to use charcoal to create amazing flavours you won’t have tasted anywhere else before.

BBQ cooking lessons also make a great gift idea for anyone who enjoys cooking al-fresco in the summer. Not only will they learn how to cook the tastiest, juiciest meats, they'll also be taught about vegetarian and vegan alternatives, and will pick up some tips on making truly tasty accompaniments!

6. Learn to cook food with more greens at vegetarian cooking classes

We’re all guilty of not getting our five a day so now is the time to learn how to cook vegetarian food. If you’re looking to add in more plants into your food or if you’re interested in ditching the meat for a vegetarian lifestyle but not sure where to start, then a vegetarian cooking class in Edinburgh is the best way to start.

When you’re used to cooking mainly meat dishes, it can be overwhelming in knowing what to cook and replace it with. Meat is generally really filling so you need to find a substitute to replace the protein.

Whilst the idea of eating salads might be a bit daunting, if you take a vegetarian cooking lesson, you’ll actually learn there’s way more to a vegetarian diet than you think. Learn to cook amazing curries, veggie lasagne, veggie pasta and so much more in our vegetarian cooking classes in Edinburgh.

7. Try cutting out the dairy and meat in our vegan cooking class

If you asked people about 10 years ago about going vegan, you might have had a few raised eyebrows. But in today’s climate, more and more people are going vegan. Not only are the supermarkets catching up too so you can get a huge range of vegan alternatives to most food.

If you’re a bit overwhelmed with how to get started with eating more of a vegan diet then we strongly recommend taking one of our vegan cooking classes in Edinburgh. You learn from our vegan experts who have been cooking vegan food for years. Expect to be taught everything from making salads which consist of so much more than lettuce, tomato and cucumber, to making vegan curries, including more lentils and tofu into your diet and educating yourself about the nutritional requirements when adopting a full vegan lifestyle. 

Looking for date night ideas? We've got 5 great couples cooking classes that will help to ignite that spark!