Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

French Pastries

French Pastries

1

Croissant

France
4.5
Most iconic: Blé Sucré (Paris)

These flaky, golden-colored, crescent-shaped pastries are best made with pure butter and a slightly sweet yeast dough. If made properly, the yellow-white interior should be just the slightest bit elastic when pulled from the center, ready to be co... READ MORE

2

Éclair

France
4.2
Most iconic: Stohrer (Paris)

These elongated pastries with an appealing glaze, a crispy exterior, a soft doughy interior, and a sweet, creamy center originated in France at the turn of the 20th century. Most food historians believe they were invented by Marie-Antoine Car&ecir... READ MORE

3

Brioche

France
4.2
Most iconic: Ladurée (Paris)

This baked specialty is a French type of viennoiserie, a cross between a pastry and a bread, with a high butter, milk, and egg content that makes it rich, soft, and flaky. It has been enjoyed for centuries both as a delicacy and as a stat... READ MORE

4

Profiteroles

France
4.2
Most iconic: Le Relais de l'Entrecote (Paris)

These chocolate-covered puff pastries are filled with either whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream. Many theories exist about the origin of this dessert, but the most likely one traces it back to the 13th century, when the che... READ MORE

5

Beignets

France
4.2
Most iconic: Boulangerie Paul (Paris)

These squares of deep-fried pastry dough are sprinkled with powdered sugar and are traditionally served hot. The dish hails from France, and French settlers brought it to the Acadia region of Canada in the 17th century. Many of the Acadians later ... READ MORE

6

Paris-Brest

Paris
4.2
Most iconic: Bistrot Paul Bert (Paris)

Created in 1910 by chef Louis Durand to celebrate the famous Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, which led from the center of Paris past the door of his pastry shop in Maisons-Laffitte to Brittany and back, this decadent dessert is a true French class... READ MORE

7

Pain au chocolat

France
4.3
Most iconic: Du Pain et Des Idées (Paris)

Pain au chocolat is a French viennoiserie roll made with a combination of rectangular, yeast-leavened dough and a few chocolate sticks or chocolate ganache. The filled dough is rolled, baked, then served, ideally while still hot or warm. This flak... READ MORE

8

Mille-feuille

France
4.0
Most iconic: Pierre Hermé (Paris)

Creamy, flaky, and delicate, this French dessert can be literally translated as a thousand leaves. Mille-feuille consists of thin layers of pastry and fillings topped with cocoa, almond, or vanilla icing. Fillings may include jam, whipped... READ MORE

9

Chouquette

France
4.2
Most iconic: Chambelland (Paris)

Amazingly tender and extremely light, chouquettes are airy pâte à choux pastry puffs studded with the so-called sucre perlé (lit. pearl sugar); coarse sugar crystals which hold both their shape and crunch when... READ MORE

10

Canelé

Bordeaux
3.9
Most iconic: La Toque Cuivrée Gambetta (Bordeaux)

Canelé is a little cake with a rich, custardy interior, and a thin, caramelized exterior, invented by an anonymous cook from Bordeaux in France. There is a theory that the dessert originated in the convent of the Annunciation in Bordeaux, s... READ MORE

11

Kouign-amann

Douarnenez
4.3
Most iconic: Maison Georges Larnicol (Paris)

Kouign-amann is a cake that originated in the 1800s in the French region of Bretagne. Its name is derived from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The cake consists of layers of butter and sugar that are folded... READ MORE

12

Pain aux raisins

France
3.8
Most iconic: Du Pain et Des Idées (Paris)

Pain aux raisins or escargot (lit. snail) is a French spiral-shaped pastry made with a combination of leavened buttery dough or sweetened bread dough, raisins, and crème pâtissière. Once filled, this sweet treat is bak... READ MORE

13

Palmiers

France
3.6

Palmiers are a delectable snacks made from puff pastry that are sprinkled with sugar, rolled, and then cut into slices. Due to its shape, palmiers have been given a variety of nicknames; pig's ears, elephant ears, glassesREAD MORE

14

Croquembouche

France
3.9
Most iconic: Ladurée (Paris)

A true show-stopping centerpiece, croquembouche consists of choux pastry profiteroles which are filled with custard cream and assembled into a cone-shaped tower, glued together with caramel. The final dessert is elaborately decorated with spun sug... READ MORE

15

St. Honoré cake (Gateau Saint-Honore)

France
4.1
Most iconic: Ladurée (Paris)

Named after Saint Honoré, the French patron saint of bakers, this intricate dessert is a true representation of French confectionery art. Saint Honoré cake unites all of the fundamental components of French pastry making: puff pastry... READ MORE

16

Gougères

Yonne
4.2
Most iconic: La Bourse et La Vie (Paris)

Gougères are tiny, hollow pastry puffs made from choux dough and cheese, most commonly grated Comté, Emmentaler, or Gruyère. These cheese puffs are often served cold or at room temperature as an acco... READ MORE

17

Choux à la crème

France
4.3

Choux à la crème is a French pastry that consists of choux balls that are filled with either whipped cream or pastry cream and usually served dusted with powdered sugar. There are several ways of assembling choux à la cr&egrav... READ MORE

18

Chaussons aux pommes

Saint-Calais
3.9
Most iconic: Boulangerie Utopie (Paris)

Chaussons aux pommes are traditional French turnovers filled with a delectable apple compote filling. The turnovers are made with a combination of peeled and cored apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon, puff pastry, and beaten eggs. The apples are choppe... READ MORE

19

Religieuse

Paris
4.2

The intricate religieuse is a popular choux pastry dessert which has been a part of the French confectionery heritage since the 19th century. These tempting sweet treats are made with two spherical choux pastries, one bigger than the other one, ea... READ MORE

20

Tarte tropezienne

Saint-Tropez
3.8

Tarte tropézienne is a French dessert consisting of a brioche pastry, usually orange flavored, which is cut in half and filled with a creamy filling. Since the original recipe is a secret, fillings may vary, including pastry cream, buttercr... READ MORE

21

Rissole

France
n/a

Rissole is an interesting group of dishes with an intriguing history. The original French rissoles were prepared by enclosing the main ingredients in pastry dough and frying them, but over time the original recipe has evolved and changed. Today, a... READ MORE

22

Dariole

France
n/a

Dariole is a French dessert that dates back to medieval Europe. It's a small tart with a pastry shell and a filling of flavored milk and egg custard. Typical flavorings include sugar, butter, vanilla, rosewater, orange flower water, or cinnamon. B... READ MORE

23

Praluline

Roanne
3.9

Praluline is a delightful French culinary creation consisting of a brioche that is infused with the sweet flavor of pink, rose sugar-coated pralines. The pastry is typically characterized by an incredibly soft, rich, and buttery texture, while the... READ MORE

24

Pâté Lorrain

Baccarat
3.4

Pâté Lorrain is a French dish consisting of marinated meat that is wrapped in puff pastry. In traditional French cuisine, the meat needs to be a mixture of pork and veal, although modern recipes also suggest other varieties, such as r... READ MORE

25

Puits d'amour

Paris
n/a

Puits d'amour is a traditional pastry originating from Paris. It was first mentioned in Vincent De La Chapelle's book Le Cuisinier Moderne, and it consists of layers of puff pastry rings. The pastry has a hollow center that's filled with ... READ MORE

26

Oreillettes orovençales

Provence
n/a

Hailing from Provence, oreillettes are the thin, rectangular sheets of deep-fried dough. They are prepared with flour, eggs, and butter, and are usually enriched with citrus zest and orange flower water. Traditionally enjoyed during the Carnival s... READ MORE

27

Gibassier

Lourmarin
n/a

Gibassier is a French pastry consisting of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and olive oil. Orange peel, orange-flavored water, and anise seed are also often incorporated into the dough, giving it a unique flavor. The pastry is usually served for breakf... READ MORE

28

Pastis landais

Landes
n/a

Pastis landais is a traditional pastry. It's made with a combination of eggs, butter, flour, yeast, and powdered sugar. The pastry is typically flavored with vanilla, rum, and orange blossom water. Once baked, pastis landais is golden yellow in co... READ MORE

29

Niflette

Provins
n/a

Niflette is a traditional puff pastry tartlet originating from Provins in Seine et Marne. It is usually made with a combination of puff pastry and pastry cream consisting of egg yolks, flour, milk, sugar, and sometimes orange blossom water. The pu... READ MORE

30

Jalousies

France
n/a

Jalousies are simple sweet pastries originating from France. They consist of bands of puff pastry filled with either jam or apple purée. They can be large or small. Jalousies are slashed in order to resemble a window shutter or horizontal b... READ MORE

31

Brasillé

Calvados
n/a

Brasillé is a traditional pastry made with flaky, buttery puff pastry, lightly salted butter, sugar, and eggs. Puff pastry is rolled out and buttered, then shaped into its characteristic oval shape before it is brushed with beaten eggs, spr... READ MORE

32

Feuilletés au Munster

Alsace
n/a

Feuilletés au Munster is a traditional pastry originating from Alsace. This savory pastry is usually made with a combination of puff pastry, Munster cheese, crème fraîche, egg yolks, and water. The puff pastry is cut into quart... READ MORE