I had the most AMAZING experience at SoChatti with my kids and I just have to share it with you! This chocolate factory and tasting room in Indianapolis offers a kids chocolate tasting and making class. We didn’t know what to expect when we signed up, but ended up having so much fun. I cannot recommend it enough! This educational experience included chocolate tasting, a factory tour, making chocolate from scratch, and even decorating your own chocolate treats with sprinkles and pretzels to take home!
Step Inside a Real Chocolate Factory
Located in Indianapolis in the Circle City Industrial Complex, SoChatti’s building does have a factory feel to it when you pull up. Tell your kids you are visiting a chocolate factory and if they picture Willy Wonka’s residence, they won’t be too far off! Inside, however, is a completely modern and welcoming environment. There is ample parking in the lot across the street.
Sign Up for the Sweetest Kids Class
SoChatti offers several different types of classes and tasting experiences, but the Kids Class is available every Wednesday and Saturday from 10am-11am. Cost is currently $15 per child. The class size is limited to 12 children and it always sells out. Make your reservation early! The recommended age range is 4-10 and my 4 year old had a blast!
Chocolate Tasting
The class started with all of the children at their tasting tables with four different types of chocolate in front of them. The instructor went over where their cacao beans come from and how the beans are grown and sourced. The kids tasted their first four chocolates and then they could mix two extra flavorings into their favorites. The chocolates we sampled were from Peru, Tanzania, Colombia, and Honduras.
Factory Tour
Next, we toured the factory and saw how beans arrive at SoChatti, how they conduct quality control, how beans are separated from their shells, and how they mix and store the product. There are chocolate makers in action in the back, giving it all a sense of a real working factory. The instructors were extremely engaging and excellent with children of all ages.
Candy Decorating
The children then headed back to the tasting room to an elaborate set up with their favorite chocolate type in a squeeze pouch. The kids used the chocolate to form drop candies, chocolate covered pretzels, or even edible versions of their names. They then decorated their creations with sprinkles, graham crackers, pretzel sticks, and strawberry powder. There was lots of taste testing going on during this process! Leftover chocolate is yours to bring home and save for up to two years. The value of that pouch itself pays for the class!
Chocolate Making From Scratch
After kids finished their creations, they went to the front of the room to help make chocolate from scratch. They all took turns pounding cacao nibs with a mortar and pestle, adding in organic cane sugar and cacao butter until they were happy with the taste. It was the perfect way to end the class!
SoChatti’s Ingredients
SoChatti dark chocolate is 68% – 72% cacao and made from only 3 simple, all natural ingredients: cacao nibs, organic cane sugar, and organic cacao butter. It is dairy free, soy free, gluten free, nut free, vegan, kosher pareve, and halal. SoChatti chocolate contains no additives, emulsifiers or preservatives.
Planning Ahead
The suggested age for the class is 4-10 years old. I’d make reservations well in advance as they only offer the Kids Class on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting chocolate all over! Also, you will be leaving with lots of chocolate. If you are not going straight home, you might want to bring a cooler. We followed the class up with a nice lunch on Monument Circle, but I was worried about the chocolate melting in the car!
Other Experiences at SoChatti
In addition to the Kids Class, SoChatti offers several fun adult experiences. There is a Bean to Bag Chocolate Making Class where you will touch, smell, and taste chocolates while learning about the wonderful world of chocolate making. The class includes a factory tour and culminates with everyone creating drop chocolates. In the Chocolate and Wine Class, pair SoChatti chocolates with a variety of wines, take a factory tour, and create drop chocolates while enjoying charcuterie. There are seasonal activities like pretzel decorating or marshmallow pop making, which you can register for online. You can always just stop into the shop to buy chocolates or try a quick flight with a glass of wine.
Address and Hours
SoChatti is sometimes closed for private events, but is generally open Wednesday and Thursday from 10am-4pm, Friday 10am-7pm, and Saturday from 10am-5pm. It is located in the Circle City Industrial Complex at 1125 E Brookside Ave Gate D2, Indianapolis, IN. Check out their website at www.sochatti.com, email tastingexperience@sochatti.com, or call (317) 600-3776 for more information.
