Le Cordon Bleu Announces New Plant-Based Pastry Course

This week, one of the world’s most renowned culinary schools, Le Cordon Bleu, founded in Paris but now global with 35 institutes around the world, announced that it will start offering a plant-based Patisserie certificate. The special course will teach students the science and art of pastry making sans animal products, such as butter, eggs, and milk, giving chefs expertise in creating traditionally dairy-inclusive dishes and baked goods but for fully plant-based menus.

“The certificate is based on the fundamental techniques and classical pâtisserie tradition, only using plant-based ingredients, which are evolving rapidly in the industry,” Deputy Head of Patisserie Nicolas Houchet said. “Following customer interest in nutrition and healthy diets, the course aims to provide a new approach to the art of pâtisserie.”

Spanning 10 weeks, the online course will focus primarily on teaching culinary students how to prepare traditional foods in the patisserie arts with dairy and egg alternatives. The school aims to give students a chance to learn about the practical use of several plant-based ingredients and explain how they can be applied to this internationally recognized style of baking.

Alongside the general knowledge of the plant-based ingredients, the course will also revisit classic techniques associated with patisserie arts, ensuring that all students understand how to apply the same techniques to the reinvented plant-based recipes. Following the 10 week intensive plant-based course, students will receive a Certificate in Plant-Based Patisseries, proving their mastery of plant-based ingredients.

The course will be a close study of several other allergens as well, highlighting the need for substitution and adaptation in cooking. The class outline explains that students will learn to use necessary techniques including aerations, thickening, setting, and emulsifications throughout the course with an emphasis on adapting to plant-based ingredients in the foreground.

The course will run from November 1, 2021, to February 4, 2022, requiring a six-hour-per-week time commitment. Students will attend live classes with Le Cordon Bleu Master Patisserie Chefs with ranging expertise. The Patisserie course will encompass a wide array of topics to give students a general understanding of how plant-based cooking can be applied in nearly all traditional cooking.

“The most innovative, on-trend developments in the culinary world is the move towards sustainable diets and plant-based ingredients,” the course description reads. “The perception of luxury food items being highly calorific, high in sugar and saturated fats can be transformed to becoming light and healthy while maintaining their superior quality, texture flavor and taste.”

The plant-based Patisserie certificate follows Le Cordon Bleu’s groundbreaking decision to introduce its Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts. The acclaimed culinary school announced the 3-month diploma starting in January 2020 after recognizing the increased interest in plant-based foods across all levels of dining and baking. The course – designed to meet the growing demand for plant-based alternatives and cuisines – will focus on how to cook with plant-based ingredients, use alternatives to animal products, and explore a diverse array of techniques.

“Combining the growing demand for plant-based cooking with the culinary techniques that Le Cordon Bleu is renowned for, our chefs explore the different uses for plant-based ingredients, perfect for anyone who is interested in creating dishes from fresh produce and whole-foods,” Culinary Arts Director Chef Emil Minev said when introducing the diploma.

When the world’s top culinary school recognizes the need for animal product-free cooking, it shows the significant impacts that plant-based dining and cuisine have had in the world. Fine dining is increasingly accepting of plant-based cuisine as more plant-based restaurants receive highly-reserved decorations worldwide. Over the last year, Michelin awarded 81 vegan and vegetarian restaurants its coveted Michelin Star. The entire food world – from culinary schools to the most established restaurants – is shifting towards placing plant-based alternatives in the spotlight.