New Orleans Baking Retreat 2026

January 26–30, 2026

Single: $6,000 (1 baker/1 hotel room)

Double: $5,000 each (2 bakers in 1 shared hotel room)

Baking participant plus non-baking guest: $7,500 (1 baker/1 non-baking guest/1 hotel room)

Discover the art of New Orleans baking while savoring the city’s charm and sophistication. Your stay at The Windsor Court, the city’s premier luxury hotel, sets the stage for hands-on baking classes at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, where you’ll master pralines, bread pudding, and king cakes. Highlights include a private tour and mask-making workshop at Mardi Gras World, a tasting journey through the city’s finest bakeries, and an intimate cocktail reception in a historic Garden District home. The retreat concludes with an iconic farewell brunch at Brennan’s, leaving you with lasting memories of indulgence, culture, and gracious hospitality in America’s most spirited city.

This retreat is limited to just 20 guests and offers a rare opportunity to experience New Orleans through the lens of baking, culture, and connection.

Each registered baking attendee will receive a one-year subscription to Bake from Scratch and Louisiana Cookin’. If you’re already a subscriber, you have the option of extending your subscription or gifting it to someone who loves baking and Louisiana food and culture.

Single

What’s Included

4 nights in a suite at The Windsor Court luxury hotel
2 hands-on baking classes at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute as well as a chef demonstration with wine lunch
Bakery tour and mask-making workshop at Mardi Gras World
Welcome reception, breakfast daily, cocktail reception, and farewell brunch
Transportation to and from scheduled retreat events
Roundtrip airport transportation or a credit equal to the airport transportation cost applied toward parking at The Windsor Court Hotel
One-year subscription to Bake from Scratch and Louisiana Cookin’
Gift bag with some of our favorite things

What’s Not Included

Airfare/travel to and from New Orleans
Some meals

Double

What’s Included

4 nights in a suite at The Windsor Court luxury hotel
2 hands-on baking classes at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute as well as a chef demonstration with wine lunch
Bakery tour and mask-making workshop at Mardi Gras World
Welcome reception, breakfast daily, cocktail reception, and farewell brunch
Transportation to and from scheduled retreat events
Roundtrip airport transportation or a credit equal to the airport transportation cost applied toward parking at The Windsor Court Hotel
One-year subscription to Bake from Scratch and Louisiana Cookin’
Gift bag with some of our favorite things

What’s Not Included

Airfare/travel to and from New Orleans
Some meals

Baking Participant Plus Non-Baking Guest

What’s Included for Non-Baking Guest

4 nights in a suite at The Windsor Court luxury hotel
Mask-making workshop at Mardi Gras World
Welcome reception, breakfast daily, cocktail reception, and farewell brunch
Transportation to and from scheduled retreat events
Roundtrip airport transportation

What’s Not Included for Non-Baking Guest

2 hands-on baking classes at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute as well as a chef demonstration with wine lunch
Bakery tour
One-year subscription to Bake from Scratch and Louisiana Cookin’
Gift bag with some of our favorite things

Want to join the waitlist or have a question about this baking retreat? Contact us.

January 26–30, 2026

Monday, January 26

Arrive in New Orleans and get settled into The Windsor Court, where you’ll experience timeless luxury just steps from the French Quarter. In the early evening, we’ll gather for a Champagne welcome in the hotel so you can meet our team and your fellow bakers.

Tuesday, January 27

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head to the baking lab at NOCHI, the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, a non-profit organization focused on culinary and hospitality education. Here, we’ll bake two New Orleans icons: pralines and bread pudding before enjoying a chef-led jambalaya demonstration and seated wine lunch. The afternoon and evening are on your own to explore New Orleans. The renowned National WWII Museum is not far from NOCHI, and world-class shopping is abundant on Magazine Street in the Garden District.

Wednesday, January 28

Enjoy the morning on your own before we get back into the baking lab at NOCHI, this time to make our very own king cakes from start to finish. We couldn’t visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras without baking this Carnival season classic. In the late afternoon, we’ll head to Mardi Gras World, a working studio and museum in New Orleans where the famous Mardi Gras floats are designed and built. Unleash your inner creativity as we try our hands at mask making, and walk away with a special “made by you” souvenir. The evening will be on your own, and, of course, we will equip you with our list of favorite Crescent City restaurants.

Thursday, January 29

Get ready for a fabulous morning as we embark on a bakery tour to taste the creations of some of New Orleans’ best bakeries. There will be king cakes, beignets, and so much more! You’ll have some time on your own before a very special cocktail reception at the historic Garden District home of Eric Hoffman, Brian’s twin brother who lives with his family in The Big Easy.

Friday, January 30

No visit to New Orleans is complete without brunch at the iconic Brennan’s restaurant. We’ll indulge in signature brunch specialties, including Bananas Foster. After a farewell toast, depart with delicious memories of an incredible week spent in one of the country’s most colorfully unique cities.

Details

Where We’ll Stay

All guests will enjoy suite accommodations at The Windsor Court hotel, a luxury property that highlights the elegance of New Orleans just steps from the French Quarter.

Travel to and from New Orleans

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is located about 15 miles from the Central Business District, making it a quick drive into the city. Round-trip airport transportation will be provided for each guest. Guests arriving by car will receive a parking credit equal to the airport transportation cost at The Windsor Court.

The Bake from Scratch team is at your disposal to help you navigate travel. Email events@bakefromscratch.com for assistance.

Booking

Half of the retreat cost (50%) is due within 48 hours along with a signed travel waiver and cancellation policy acknowledgment to secure your reservation. The second half of the retreat cost (50%) is due October 1, 2025. We accept payment by American Express, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Amazon Pay. Trip prices are in U.S. dollars.

Costs

The price of the trip includes all hotel accommodations, all baking classes, some meals, all scheduled retreat activities, transit to/from scheduled retreat activities, and airport transfers or hotel parking credit. Single-occupancy, double-occupancy, and baking participant plus non-baking guest rates are available.

A 3% discount is included for payments taken via secure bank transfer (ACH). If you’d like to pay for the entire retreat in full at booking, a 1% discount will be applied.

Your credit card will be charged by Hoffman Media, the parent company of Bake from Scratch.

Cancellation

Because the trip is nonrefundable, we strongly suggest buying trip insurance.

If you don’t purchase travel insurance, you agree to indemnify us against any charges that might otherwise be covered by your insurance. You further agree that we are not responsible for any costs of cancellation or costs related to travel interruptions or COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, there may be limitations relating to activities. Certain services and amenities may be reduced or unavailable as a result of changing circumstances. Please know that we are working closely with our partners to plan and execute a safe baking retreat for our guests, but there is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 when traveling. By booking this baking retreat, you acknowledge and assume these risks associated with travel.

We reserve the right to cancel this retreat if fewer than 20 participants have signed up by January 1, 2026. We will send an email confirmation to all participants when this number has been met. If Bake from Scratch initiates the cancellation, we will refund all payments.

Have a question about this baking retreat? Email events@bakefromscratch.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I extend my stay at the hotel? If you’d like to inquire about additional nights in New Orleans, email events@bakefromscratch.com. Plan ahead to ensure availability.

Is breakfast included? Daily breakfast is included.

Are children able to attend this retreat? All participants must be at least 18 years old to attend this baking retreat.

What should I plan to wear during baking classes and on the retreat? For baking classes and most activities, the dress is smart casual. The attire for the cocktail reception and farewell brunch is business attire.

Are the baking classes hands-on? Yes, all baking classes are hands-on.

Is this retreat better suited for professionals or home bakers? Our retreats are geared toward passionate home bakers, but professionals are always welcome. Whether you’re a beginning baker or someone who’s been baking for years, our baking classes and culinary experiences offer immersion into local baking cultures, so there’s always something everyone can learn.

Will we have any free time? You will have some free time to explore on your own. We will equip you with our list of favorite restaurants and activities.

I want to bring my travel companion, but they don’t want to participate in the baking classes. What can they do?

We offer a baking participant plus non-baking guest package for this very reason! This package allows you to bake and participate in all retreat activities while your travel companion explores on their own. As a part of this package, hotel accommodations, daily breakfast, welcome reception, Mardi Gras World visit, cocktail party, farewell brunch, and airport transportation are included for your travel companion.

To reserve your space, email events@bakefromscratch.com. You will be required to pay your deposit within 48 hours and sign a travel waiver and acknowledgment of cancellation policy via AdobeSign. Reservations will be taken in the order in which we receive emails.