17 Best French Desserts That You Should Try

Are you looking for the best French desserts?

More than the wine, cheese, and savory dishes, French desserts are well known worldwide. With their unique flavors and pretty appearance, one can not say no to these sweet treats.

The French introduced the art of making chocolate, and it is no wonder that France is home to some of the world’s most decadent desserts.

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17 Best French Desserts That You Should Try

Whether you’re going to France soon or you wanted to look for them in your local French bakeries and cafes, here are some of the best French desserts to try.

1. Crème Brûlée

A coating of crunchy caramel is layered on top of this custard-based treat. With a crunchy, burnt toffee crust, this traditional delicacy is made of egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla.

The dish’s origins are a mystery, with England, Spain, and France claiming to be the inventors. Custards, however, were famous as far back as the Middle Ages.

According to most food historians, custard recipes traveled throughout Europe for centuries.

2. Profiteroles

Profiteroles are flaky pastry balls usually filled with whipped cream, custard, or ice cream. They’re often served with chocolate ganache in restaurants. 

Many claims abound regarding the origins of this dish.

Still, the most plausible one dates back to the 13th century, when chefs in France and southern Germany who invented puff pastry began stuffing it with savory cheese mixes and herbs.

3. Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is a typical upside-down fruit tart prepared with caramelized apples and puff pastry.

Tarte Tatin is a rich form of apple pie made with sliced apples seasoned with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then topped with a buttery pie crust dough and baked until the apples are golden and sticky.

This delicacy is named after the Tatin sisters, who devised the recipe in the early 1900s while running a restaurant in Orléans.

4. Éclair au Chocolat

These oblong dough pastries are excellent when filled with a chocolate custard filling and topped with a thick chocolate frosting.

They’re ten times better than the doughnut varieties that have become famous in other parts of the world.  These treats are available all over France, so there’s ample opportunity to try them when you visit!.

5. L’escargot Chocolat pistache

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Try a L’escargot Chocolat pistachio pastry if you’re not bold enough to try the traditional French escargot.

The snail-shaped desserts don’t include snails, but they have layers of pistachio, lemon, nougat, or berry and chocolate in between the puff pastry, making them even more delightful.

6. Paris-Brest

This dish, shaped like a bicycle wheel, was designed to celebrate the 1910 Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race.

A ring of pâte à choux — a fluffy hollow pastry usually flavored with fleur de sel is used to make the Paris-Brest.

The light pastry ring is then sliced horizontally and filled with a rich hazelnut and almond mousseline praliné cream, with the upper crust, sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar.

7. Petit fours

Petit fours are little confections that are frequently purchased or offered in a variety. These mini pastries are ideal for sampling.

One of the most well-known French delicacies, these bite-sized baked goodies with a stylish and attractive appearance come in various flavors, shapes, and decorations.

8. Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a traditional, crustless French flan, tart, or thick pancake that originated in the Limousin region of France.

This French dessert dates back to at least the mid-1800s and got its name from the French term clafir, which means “to fill.”

It’s usually served warm, coated with powdered sugar and a dollop of cream on the side.

9. Kouign-amann

The Kouign-amann is a sweet, crispy cake consisting of bread dough, sugar, and butter. A popular dessert in Brittany, these puffy confections have a caramelized croissant flavor and are missed.

The name Kouign-amann comes from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann) (amann).

10. Canelés

Canelés are a small cake with a thick, custardy middle and a thin, caramelized shell.  It was an original recipe made by an unknown cook in Bordeaux, France.

The dish is said to have originated in the Annunciation convent in Bordeaux, which specialized in the manufacturing of candied almonds and sweet sticks known as canelets.

11. Mont Blanc 

The dessert Montebianco or Mont Blanc is made with puréed, sweetened chestnuts and delicately beaten cream.

This dessert was named after Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, shared by Italy and France due to its resemblance to a snow-capped mountain.

France is known for this dessert’s sweet variant, although its origin is still contested between the two countries. 

12. Crème Caramel 

This French dessert is similar to a crème brûlée in that it has a creamy custard base and a layer of caramel on top.

However, instead of the crunchy, caramelized top on crème brûlée, this custard dish features a soft caramel top.

The origins of crème caramel are unknown and disputed, as the French, English, and Spaniards all claim to be the dish’s creators.

Although the term is French, some argue that it was inspired by English custard.

13. Mousse au Chocolat

Dark chocolate, eggs, butter, sugar, and salt are used to make this traditional French treat. It has a foamy, buoyant texture and a deep chocolate flavor.

Mousse au chocolat is often topped with chocolate flakes or chunks to contrast the flavor and silky texture of the mousse.

14. Meringues

Meringues are formed from a stiff and thick mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar.

Traditionally, small blobs of meringue batter are piped onto a prepared cookie sheet and baked until puffy and crispy.

These light and airy meringue cookies are frequently flavored with flavor extracts, food colorings, nuts, or fruit.

Depending on their shape, they are sometimes called meringue drops or meringue kisses.

15. Flottante

Île flottante, or floating island, is a classic French dessert made of meringues poached in vanilla custard and topped with caramel sauce and toasted almonds.

Whipped egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract are used to make meringues in this dessert.

This classic sweet treat is a mainstay of French comfort cuisine, but it’s also popular in countries like Austria, Hungary, and Croatia.

16. Mendiants

A dried fig, a hazelnut, a raisin, and an almond are customarily placed on top of these delicate chocolate disks. They’re also available with pistachios, various dried fruits and peels, and seeds on top.

The four mendicant or monastic orders are represented by the nuts and fruits in this traditional French dessert. These toppings are said to symbolize the colors of monastic robes.

17. Macarons

The most popular French dessert, Macarons were imported from Italy to France during the 16th century by Catherine de Médici.

These little round almond cakes may have different versions in many countries, but the French ones are said to be the best and most popular.

Made with almond flour and a variety of fillings, the modern macarons come in different flavors.

If you’re in Paris, indulge in this decadent treat at either Pierre Hermé or Maison Ladurée (14 Rue de Castiglione), said to be rivals when it comes to macarons.