15 Delicious French Desserts To Indulge On In France
One of the best parts of traveling in France is, undoubtedly, the food. Even before I touch down in the country, I’m already dreaming about a crusty baguette, a flaky breakfast pastry, or settling into a cozy corner bistro.
And of course, I’m never one to deny myself a little treat, and France has endless delicious, unique, and high-quality desserts just waiting to be sampled.
You can find these confections in the typical corner boulangerie (bakery) or on restaurant menus, creating plenty of opportunities to satisfy your sweet tooth. From the delicate crunch of a millefeuille to the light airiness of an île flottante, there’s an endless variety of desserts to try.
Each pastry has a unique history, often tied to local traditions or even happy accidents in the kitchen. What makes French desserts particularly interesting is how many of them have evolved, incorporating new techniques and flavors over time while still staying true to their roots.
Note that the pastries we’re discussing in this article are true desserts, in contrast to Viennoiserie pastries, which are more like breakfast pastries. Viennoiseries are more bready and flaky, and include things like croissants or pain au chocolat. You can read all about Viennoiserie pastries here.
Without further ado, these are 15 of the most delicious, common, and traditional desserts you’ll find in France!
15 Incredible French Pastries and Desserts
1. Millefeuille
Millefeuille, which translates to “a thousand sheets,” is a classic French dessert known for its delicate layers of puff pastry and pastry cream.
The history of millefeuille dates back to 1651 when chef François Pierre de la Varenne published the first known recipe in his cookbook Le Cuisinier François. Later, the dessert was modified and refined into what we recognize today.
Millefeuille is created by layering three sheets of puff pastry with two layers of pastry cream and finishing with a dusting of powdered sugar or a glossy coat of white fondant icing. Sometimes other fruits, chocolate, or caramel are added as variations.
Millefeuille is all about the contrast of textures – the crisp flaky pastry layers contrasting the smooth, creamy filling. You can find millefeuille in just about any boulangerie or patisserie, and sometimes on the dessert menu of restaurants.
2. Ile Flottante
Ile Flottante, or “Floating Island,” is a classic French dessert that dates back to the late 19th century. It was popularized by Auguste Escoffier, a pioneer in French gastronomy.
Ile Flottante involves two main components: meringue and crème anglaise. The meringue is made by beating egg whites with sugar until stiff, then poaching them in simmering milk. The crème anglaise is a rich vanilla custard made from egg yolks, sugar, and hot milk.
The poached meringue is then floated on top of the custard and typically drizzled with caramel sauce or sprinkled with nuts for added texture.
Ile Flottante is light and refreshing, with the airy meringue mixing beautifully with the smooth, creamy custard, creating a delightful balance of textures and flavors.
This dessert is available in many French restaurants and is definitely one to try in France.
3. Soufflé
The soufflé, a hallmark of French cuisine, was first documented in the 18th century by Vincent La Chapelle and later popularized by the renowned chef Marie-Antoine Carême. Soufflés can be savory or sweet, but the dessert version has become particularly celebrated.
Making a soufflé involves a base mixture of egg yolks and flavorings that is folded in the beaten egg whites – this mixture allows the soufflé to rise dramatically.
When baked, the soufflé puffs up beautifully, presenting a slightly crisp exterior and a soft, flavorful interior.
A popular variation is the Grand Marnier soufflé, which incorporates the famous orange liqueur into the base. This adds a distinct citrus flavor, elevating the traditional dessert to a sophisticated treat.
Soufflés are light and fluffy, and the airy texture melts in your mouth. This dessert is only found in restaurants – and can be a tricky dessert to get right!
4. Paris-Brest
The Paris-Brest is a relatively modern pastry, developed in 1910 by chef Louis Durand as a way to commemorate the Paris-Brest bike race. This race is 1200km round trip between Paris and Brest, a city in Brittany on the far western coast of France.
The pastry, developed for his shop, became an instant hit, and is now widely available around France.
Designed to look like a bike wheel, the treat is made of choux pastry dough (the same dough used for eclairs, profiteroles, and chouquettes), and the high water content makes the dough become light and airy. The dough is piped into an open circle shape, baked, sliced horizontally, and filled with a hazelnut cream.
This delightful dessert is available in many boulangeries and is often on the dessert menu at restaurants.
5. Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée is practically an icon of French desserts and is possibly the most famous dessert on this list.
However, this dessert, which means “burned cream” may not have originated in France, as there are reports of similar dishes being prepared in France, Spain, and England in the Middle Ages.
By the 19th century, though, the French name of crème brûlée had stuck and become globalized, and you can find this dessert served throughout the world.
Crème brûlée is an egg custard served in an individual ramekin, with a crackly, crunchy sugar topping that has been “burned” or caramelized either with a torch or under a broiler.
It’s a delicious combination of rich and light at the same time, and the caramelized sugar adds the perfect crunch. You can find it served on many restaurant menus.
6. Moelleux au Chocolat
A moelleux au chocolat is the French version of a chocolate cake – but with a bit of a twist. Instead of being a cake with a fluffy crumb, it’s a dense, fudgy cake almost reminiscent of a brownie.
Some moelleux au chocolat are served as a slice of an 8″ cake, and tend to be smooth and fudgy. Others are essentially molten chocolate cakes, or chocolate fondant cakes, served as an individual, single serving, round cake, that has a runny, pudding-like interior.
These half-baked moelleux au chocolat cakes are pretty recent inventions and were developed in the 1980’s, quickly gaining popularity around the world.
While the creation of the cake is sometimes attributed to a New York baker, supposedly a Michellin-starred French baker named Michel Bras had been making a version of this cake (called coulants au chocolat, or running chocolate) for several years prior.
Either way, a moelleux au chocolat, dusted with powdered sugar and maybe accompanied by a scoop of cream, is a sinfully delicious way to end a meal.
7. Tarte Tatin
Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert, which is essentially apple upside-down cake.
Apples are cooked in butter and sugar until caramelized, then topped with pastry dough and baked. Once pulled out of the oven, the cake is flipped over to display the layer of caramelized apples on top.
Tarte Tatin was created in the late 1800’s through a happy accident by the Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline, who ran the Hotel Tatin in the Loire Valley of France.
While the exact origin story is a little unclear, it seems that Stéphanie accidentally overcooked apples for a traditional apple pie. In an attempt to salvage the dessert, she placed a pastry crust over the caramelized apples and baked the pie upside down.
Once baked, she flipped it over, revealing a beautifully caramelized tart, and the resulting dish became an immediate hit.
The popularity of the Tarte Tatin has spread far beyond France, becoming a staple in many French restaurants worldwide. Diners love the rustic appearance and the contrast between the tender apples and crisp pastry. Look for it on the menu of restaurants throughout France!
8. Fruit Tarts (Tarte aux Framboises or Tarte aux Fraises)
Almost any boulangerie shop will have a row of vibrant fruit tarts lined up perfectly in a row.
I have to admit, I have a bit of a weakness for the ubiquitous tarte aux framboises (raspberry tart) or tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart), but this blackberry tart (above) was to die for as well!
The exact origins of these tarts are unclear, but are believed to date back to the Middle Ages.
They are typically made with a buttery shortbread crust, vanilla pastry cream, fresh fruit, and a light glaze, and are absolutely delicious.
9. Eclairs
The éclair as we know it today has gone through several iterations over the centuries. The shell of the éclair is made with the same pâte à choux dough used for profiteroles or cream puffs.
Eclairs were first called “pain à la duchesse,” and were rolled in almonds. Then in the 1850s, Marie-Antoine Carême, a master French baker decided to omit the almonds, fill the shell with a pastry cream, and top it with a rich ganache or fondant, creating the quintessential dessert we know and love today.
While the most common flavors of éclairs are chocolate and coffee, you can find all sorts of interesting and unique variations (like matcha, pistachio, or apricot).
You can find this very traditional dessert in most bakeries throughout France, sitting on display just waiting to be chosen for your mid-afternoon snack or evening dessert!
10. Macarons
Macarons, the delicate meringue-based cookies, have a long history dating back to Venice in the 8th century.
They were introduced to France in the 1500’s by Italian pastry chefs brought by Catherine de Medici when she married Henry II of France, and were popularized by nuns in Nantes in the late 1700’s. These early versions were simple almond cookies without fillings.
The macaron that we know and love today emerged in the early 1900s, when the practice of sandwiching two macaron shells together with a filling of buttercream, ganache, or jam began to be popularized.
Macarons are made by creating a meringue of egg whites and then carefully folding it with almond flour and powdered sugar before being piped into small circles and baked.
Known for their smooth tops, ruffled “feet,” and a variety of vibrant colors and flavors, macarons offer a pleasant texture that is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, and can be found in boulangeries and patisseries throughout France and the world.
Read More: Where to find the best macarons in Paris
11. Clafoutis
Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert that originated in the Limousin region of central France, and is known for its known for its simplicity and rustic charm.
While any type of fruit can be used in this “cake,” tradition dictates that fresh cherries be used. It is, after all, how the clafoutis has been made for years.
Clafoutis is made by filling the bottom of a pie pan with fruit, pouring a sweet, custard-like batter around the fruit, and baking until set.
The dish dates back to at least the mid-19th century, with its name derived from the Occitan word “clafir,” meaning “to fill” — a reference to the way the batter fills the dish and surrounds the fruit.
Traditionally, clafoutis is made with whole, unpitted cherries, which are believed to give the cake an almond-like flavor. Some modern versions opt to pit the cherries for convenience, but purists maintain that leaving the pits in is the authentic way to experience the dish.
Clafoutis is less commonly found than many of the desserts on this list, but if you happen to see it in a bakery or on a restaurant menu, it’s definitely worth ordering!
12. Madeleines
The madeleine is a small sponge cake from the Lorraine region in northeastern France, known for its distinctive shell-like shape, created by baking in specially designed pans.
While its origins are unclear, the most popular story credits Madeleine Paulmier, a servant in the 18th century, with first baking these cakes for the exiled King of Poland, Stanisław Leszczyński. He shared them with his son-in-law, King Louis XV, and they quickly gained popularity at the French court.
Madeleines are typically made from a simple batter of equal portions of flour and butter, plus eggs and sugar and any flavorings. One key feature of a madeleine is its slightly domed top, achieved by chilling the batter before baking.
In Paris, one of the most famous spots for delicious madeleines is the Patisserie Gilles Maréchal, found in Montmartre.
13. Canelé
The canelé is a small French pastry with a distinctive dark, caramelized crust and a soft, custardy interior. It hails from the Bordeaux region of France and has a history that traces back to the 1600s.
Tradition states that nuns from a convent in Bordeaux used leftover egg yolks donated by winemakers, who only needed the egg whites to clarify their wine. The nuns mixed the yolks with sugar and flour, creating small cakes known as “canelas,” which were cooked in small molds.
The recipe and method evolved over time, and by the 1700s, the canelé was a popular treat in Bordeaux.
The modern version, however, became more refined in the early 20th century, and vanilla or rum are usually added. The batter is baked in a special copper mold that gives the pastry its signature crispy, caramelized shell.
The texture of a canelé is what sets it apart from other pastries. The outer crust is dark, almost burnt-looking, yet perfectly caramelized, while the inside remains soft and custard-like.
The contrast of textures and the flavors of vanilla and rum make canelés a beloved delicacy, particularly in Bordeaux, canelé shops dot the city.
14. Crêpes
Crêpes have a long history that dates back to the 12th century in Brittany, a region in the northwest of France.
One legend surrounding the creation of crêpes claims that a housewife in Bretagne (Brittany) accidentally dripped some thin porridge onto a hot, flat cooking surface, resulting in the first crêpe.
The original crêpes were made from buckwheat flour, a grain that thrives in Brittany and were known as galettes. Over time, the introduction of white flour led to the development of sweet crêpes, which spread throughout France and eventually gained global popularity.
Crêpes are made by spreading a thin layer of thin batter over a hot griddle or pan, cooking quickly to form a delicate, paper-thin pancake. They can be served with a wide range of fillings, both sweet and savory.
Savory crêpes, traditionally made from buckwheat, often include fillings like ham, cheese, or eggs.
Sweet crêpes, on the other hand, are frequently served with sugar, Nutella, fruit, or even flambéed with orange liqueur in the classic Crêpe Suzette.
Crepes are a beloved street food found throughout Paris, folded into triangles (never rolled) for easy eating on the go. You can also get sweet or savory crepes in a variety of sit-down restaurants throughout France.
A note about pronunciation: English speakers like to pronounce this dessert as “crAYpe”, but the correct pronunciation is actually “crEHpe”, with a soft e.
15. Crème Caramel
Crème caramel is a classic French dessert featuring a smooth, custard base topped with a layer of caramel. While its exact origins are a bit unclear, the dish became popular in France during the 19th century, likely influenced by both Spanish and French cuisine.
In Spain, a similar dessert known as flan has been around for centuries, and the techniques for making these custard-based dishes have been shared and adapted across Europe.
A similar type of flan or custard-like dish is popular around the world, and goes by a variety of names. In Mexico and Spain, where flan is particularly mainstream, the dish is made with sweetened condensed milk, whereas in France, it is made with milk or cream.
Crème caramel is made by first creating a layer of caramel at the bottom of a ramekin. Then, a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla is poured over the caramel.
The dessert is baked in a water bath until the custard sets, resulting in a rich, creamy texture. Once cooled, it is flipped over onto a plate, allowing the caramel to drizzle down the sides of the custard.
Crème caramel is loved for its silky texture and the contrast between the sweet custard and the slightly bitter caramel.
The Wrap Up
While there are many more desserts to try in France (and chefs are always coming up with new and inventive creations) these are some of the most classic, common, and delicious desserts found throughout the country.
Which one will you be trying first?
