French cooking is among the most popular in the world. People all around the world enjoy French cuisine, from cheese, bread, and Haute dishes to delicious desserts. However, French pastries are a must-try if you are interested in French cuisine.
12 Most popular French desserts and pastries
In this article, we try to briefly introduce some of the most popular French pastries and desserts.
- Macaron
- Profiterole
- Religieuse
- Pain Au Chocolat
- Mille Feuille
- Éclair
- Madeleine
- Cannele
- French Toast
- Crepe
- Crème Brûlée
- Paris-Brest
Macaron
This popular tasty pastry is made of two round meringue-based cookies filled with jam, buttercream, or ganache. Macarons are crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, you can find macarons in almost all pastry shops around the world in various colors, sizes, and flavors, but still, the best quality Macarons are found in France. Some of the most famous Macaron shops in France are Saint-Emilion and Ladurée in Paris.
Profiterole
Profiterole is a round Italian and French pastry usually filled with a sweet, creamy filling like whipped cream, custard, ice cream, or pastry cream. The puffs may be plain or decorated with chocolate sauce or powdered sugar. You can find Profiteroles in most big cities around the world, like Istanbul and Rome, but some of the best places to buy Profiteroles are found in France, like the Profiterole Cherie in Paris.
Religieuse
Religieuse is an Italian-French pastry made of two Choux pastry cakes on top of one another, the bottom cake is larger, and they are both filled with sweet cream, custard, or chocolate. It is covered with ganache of the same flavor as the filling. Sometimes Religieuse can be decorated with nuts, coffee, or roses.
Pain Au Chocolat
Pain Au Chocolat translates to ‘chocolate bread’ and is a pastry very similar to croissants, and it is made of layered dough like a croissant and filled with sweet creams, mostly chocolate. Pain Au Chocolat is usually sold warm or hot straight from the oven.
Mille Feuille
Mille Feuille translates to a thousand sheets in French, also known as Napoleon, and vanilla slice is a layered puff pastry usually filled with pastry cream. It usually consists of a dozen thin layers of pastry. Mille Feuille is made of crispy pastry and sweet soft creams. It can also be topped with fruits, custard, or chocolate.
Éclair
Éclair is an oblong-shaped popular French pastry made with Choux dough, which is the same dough used in making Profiterole, filled with chocolate or sweet cream and topped with chocolate or icing. Éclair has been a popular French pastry since the 19th century.
Madeleine
Madeleines are traditional shell-shaped small cakes usually flavored with lemon zest. These cakes can be eaten plain or topped with chocolate or jam and enjoyed with tea.
Cannele
These soft sweets, with a custard center and a caramelized crust, are one of the most important traditional French desserts. They are made with very simple ingredients and have a hint of vanilla and rum in them. Canneles can be found in cafes, bakeries, and pastry shops all around France, but the best place to try them might be their origin, the Bordeaux region, where they are an important part of the regional history and culture.
French Toast
French Toast, or as called in French, pain perdu, is one of the most popular and simple French desserts known and enjoyed all around the world. French Toast is usually eaten for breakfast and is made of sliced bread soaked in egg and milk and then pan-fried to look golden brown. You can also add sugar and cinnamon before frying and top French Toast with powdered sugar, fruit, or syrup.
Crepe
Crepe is a very popular traditional French pastry. Crepes are very similar to pancakes, they can be eaten sweet or savory, and you can eat them with various toppings such as chocolate, syrup, cheese, meats, or fruit.
Crème Brûlée
Crème Brulee is one of the most popular French desserts known and loved all around the world, and it is made of a soft layer of vanilla cream topped with a crunchy layer of caramelized sugar.
Paris-Brest
Paris-Brest is one of the most popular traditional French desserts that has been around since 1910, when it was created to celebrate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race. Paris-Brest is made of a crispy choux dough filled with praline-flavored cream and can be topped with various toppings such as chocolate or fruits.
