Even more overwhelming is the sheer number of tutorials, classes, and websites that give instructions on how to decorate cookies. We sifted through the options to find the best online cookie decorating classes for you.

Best Overall: Arty McGoo Best for Beginners: Paper Street Parlour Best Free Class: The Bearfoot Baker Best for Those With Basic Skills: SweetAmbs Cookies Best for Virtual Events: Edible Impressions Best Live Class: Arlos Cookies Best Class With a Kit: The Flour Box

ProsAt least 5 new videos added monthlyGuest instructors give a different perspectiveCommunity of other cookie decoratorsReasonable monthly fee ConsTeaching style is very personality-drivenSome videos are entertainment, not educational With over 400 videos on how to make various different cookie decorations, Arty McGoo is our pick for the best overall online cookie decorating classes. Arty McGoo is the alter ego of Liz Adams, the creator of McGoo U, an online school for learning cookie decorating since 2014. Available for free on her website are basic tutorials on topics such as making a no-fail sugar cookie, making royal icing, the standard equipment and tools needed, and basic techniques on how to decorate cookies. However, if you sign up for the monthly subscription, you get access to 400-plus videos, which include in-depth instructions on making different decorative cookies such as poinsettias and butterflies to magical fairies and even more fantastical creations. Videos and tutorial instructions range from Arty McGoo herself to a mix of expert cookie decorators from all over, many of whom have written books, won awards, or taught at cookie conventions like CookieCon. You’ll learn advanced techniques like stamping, piping, wafer paper, airbrushing, and more. Each cookie tutorial has a list of the various techniques they employ, so you know exactly what you’ll learn from watching the video. Also included in the membership is access to a private Facebook group where you can meet other cookie decorating students of McGoo U and support each other. You can even create private “study groups” for local membership, which give you more discounts and added bonuses. Membership is $9.99 a month or $105 a year. Pros3 courses to teach you the foundationsAccess to a teacher to ask questionsStraightforward, sequential courses ConsMore expensive than other coursesLimited specific cookie instructions Paper Street Parlour is run by Tyler April Townley, a professional pastry chef who teaches cookie decorating classes in her home studio in Irvine, California. She also has a series of three foundational courses on how to decorate cookies. Each module focuses on a different aspect of the cookie decorating process, from making the cookie to making the royal icing and the various foundation techniques you need to decorate each cookie. Individual modules are priced at $29 and $39 each; you can buy all three masterclasses for a discounted $99. The gingerbread house and Christmas cookie videos are $19 each. ProsExperienced teacherVideo and written instructions with process photos ConsNavigating website can be a bit difficultOlder posts are hard to findBlog isn’t strictly about cookies If you’re completely new to cookie decorating and don’t want to invest a huge amount of money upfront in courses, Lisa at The Bearfoot Baker is the one to show you the way. As an experienced cookie decorator, she’s taught a class about cookie fundamentals at CookieCon. The Bearfoot Baker is her blog, which has hundreds of posts with cookie recipes and techniques. Even better, her posts are free to read and peruse. As with all blogs, navigating to find the appropriate posts can sometimes be challenging, but the tab at the top of the site with “Bearfoot Basics” will lead you in the right direction. Learn about the basics of sugar cookie making (broken into three parts) as well as how to make the proper royal icing consistency. From there, you can learn how to make specific decorated cookies like Santa Claus, furry bears, or ice cream cones. Most tutorials are geared toward beginner to intermediate decorators and most include a video as well as written instructions with process photos. Since The Barefoot Baker is a blog, all posts are free to view and supported by ads. Each post also includes a list of equipment necessary to make the cookie, with outbound links to purchase items you might need. ProsWide range of videosGreat for folks who know the basicsFree ConsNavigating and finding videos can be challengingAll YouTube videos have ads If you are looking for a set of cookie decorating tutorials that skips the basics, the SweetAmbs YouTube channel is a great resource. Amber Spiegel’s channel has over 800,000 subscribers, with some videos garnering more than six million views. Though there are a few basic technique videos, including how to flood a cookie with royal icing, most of the videos do assume that you have a basic understanding of standard techniques like piping, flooding, and wet-on-wet royal icing. Videos are no-frills, with Spiegel showing you how she makes gorgeous cookies with stock music playing; there is often no voice-over. But for folks who are familiar with decorating, watching her create the cookies is enough to be able to replicate the technique and cookie itself. All videos on the channel are free and supported by ads. You can subscribe to Spiegel’s Patreon to get access to ad-free tutorials, recipes, more detailed instructions, as well as subscriber-only content. But there is plenty to explore on her YouTube channel, and her website has a blog that also supports her YouTube channel videos, including short written instructions on how to make each cookie. ProsCustomizable virtual event experienceAccessible for all skill setsEvents come with kitsNo baking or icing making, strictly decorating ConsEvents require cookie kit purchase Edible Impressions’ virtual events require you to purchase a cookie decorating kit that is completely customizable. You can pick from ready-made theme sets like “Happy Hour” or “Coffee Break” or make your own custom kit. Kits include four cookie shapes and three frosting colors. All kits come with “blank” pre-baked cookies and frostings so you are ready to decorate right out of the box. During the virtual event, instructor Annette Conrad will teach you a variety of decorating techniques, a tabletop view demonstration, and a live question-and-answer session. Because there’s no baking or icing making, you can concentrate strictly on decorating, making this an accessible course or event for everyone—regardless of their cookie decorating skills. Events vary on how many participants and kits are purchased, with a starting price of $320 per hour if you buy zero to four kits. Discounts are available if you buy five to 19 kits and 20 or more kits. Kits start at $45 each. ProsSophisticated designs and techniquesDetailed cookies are unique and beautiful ConsAll classes are intermediate to advancedDesigns and colors might not suit all tastes With a large following on Instagram, Luna Ellis’ sophisticated and detailed cookie designs stand out from a crowded field of cookie decorators. Now, you can learn how she decorates her cookies by purchasing her classes. A mix of pre-recorded instructions and a live Q&A (which is broadcast on her private Facebook group) means you get the best of both worlds, with the ability to re-watch and learn the techniques at your own pace and ask her questions directly. All live videos are also archived so if you can’t join the live broadcast, you can still watch it. Arlos Cookies is known for Ellis’ signature color palette of muted colors and intricate, detailed designs. All classes come with instructions on how to do her signature detailed work, as well as how to mix the colors she creates. Classes are seasonal or holiday-focused, with previous classes on summer, Valentine’s Day, and holidays. Classes start at $30, which includes the pre-recorded instruction and access to live video content. Specially designed cookie cutters can be purchased separately from the class. ProsTheme kits come with all the equipmentTutorial video is comprehensive with voice-overCustomizable kits available ConsRequires you to bake cookiesYou need to make royal icingYou must purchase coloringsAssumes basic decorating skills If cookie decorating kits are your thing, The Flour Box is a great option. It sells all the equipment for cookie decorating, including tips, tubes, and cookie cutters. The site also sells theme box kits that include most of the equipment you need to decorate the cookies and a comprehensive tutorial on how to do that. You do need to bake your own cookies as well as make your own royal icing. This also means you have to buy the food coloring gels for each of the projects. But each kit comes with explicit instructions and directions, including the colors needed for each project. It even gives an estimated timeline, broken down into individual days. Kits average around $30. However, all video tutorials are free to watch on the kit purchasing page. You can even pick and choose specific cookie cutters and equipment to buy if you don’t wish to buy the whole kit or if you already own some of the items.

Online cookie decorating classes range in price from free to $49 per class, though most courses average somewhere between $25 and $30. Some sites offer a monthly or annual subscription as well.

There are a number of free options online that are great resources on how to decorate cookies. But if you are serious about learning how to decorate cookies, want to take your cookie decorating skills to the next level, or want to connect with other passionate cookie decorators, paying for an online class might be worth it.

You can learn everything from basic foundational skills like baking no-spread sugar cookies, making and coloring royal icing, and basic decorating techniques to more advanced techniques and how to decorate themed cookies.

Methodology

We researched numerous articles, reviews, and select companies across the internet, as well as consulted with professional cookie decorators in the industry to find the best online cookie decorating classes. A number of criteria came into play when creating our list, including the broad range of techniques and tutorials available, the depth of knowledge of the instructors, and the comments and community support around the program.