These small, round, sweet meringue-based cookie sandwiches with filling in the middle are light and crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Macarons, which first appeared in Italy in 1533 (albeit without the filling), got their name from the Italian word maccherone, which means fine dough.
They were originally made for the marriage of the Duke of Orléans, who later became King Henry II of France. Food historians credit Pierre Desfontaines as the inventor of the macaron. He was the first to fill the cookies with a creamy ganache and stick them together, turning the humble almond cookie into the versatile treat we know today.
MOST ICONIC Macarons
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This classic Breton cookie is characterized by its sandy (sablé in French) texture, which is a result of large quantities of butter and egg yolks used to make them. The cookies were first produced in 1670 in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, when the steward of Prince Condé made him some shortbreads for a party.
According to the story, he named them sablé in honor of the Marquise de Sablé, who was also present at the party. The cookies can be flavored with a wide variety of ingredients, such as lemon or orange zest, almonds, green peppers, or cheese.
MOST ICONIC Sablé
View moreBredele are small biscuits that are traditionally prepared during the festive Christmas season in the French region of Alsace. The biscuits come in many shapes and flavors such as lemon, honey, and almond. Although the first known recipes for bredele date back to the 14th century, they rose in popularity around the 18th and the early 19th century, when cookie-cutters were introduced to French kitchens.
Today, the biscuits are often made at home and stored in tin boxes to keep them fresh until Christmas Eve, when they are usually served with tea, coffee, or Alsatian wines such as Muscat and Gewurztraminer.
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Florentines are traditional cookies that are especially popular in Europe, and although not much is known about their origin, the cookies were most likely invented in France in the late 17th century. They are made with a combination of nuts (most commonly almonds and hazelnuts), sugar, candied cherries, honey, and butter, while chocolate is often used as a coating on the bottom.
Due to the chocolate coating, florentines are perfect for dunking. The cookies are often prepared during the festive Christmas season.
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Biscuit rose de Reims or rose biscuit is a traditional dessert that has been produced in Reims, France since 1691. Rose in the name of the dessert refers to its color, not its flavor. Since it is baked twice, the process gives it a characteristical crunchy consistency, making it an ideal accompaniment for champagne.
Today, the biscuits are enjoyed with a cup of tea, or used as a key ingredient in the preparation of Charlotte cake. For a traditional touch, the biscuits are often dipped into a glass of champagne or local red wines. The original recipe is still a mystery, kept by Fossier's confectioners, who first started making these delicious treats.
MOST ICONIC Biscuit rose de Reims
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A macaron is a sweet treat that is prepared throughout France, its name derived from the italian maccarone, referring to the crushing of the almond paste, which is the main ingredient of these delectable treats. Originally, the daughter of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine founded a monastery called Les Dames du Saint-Sacrement, right in the center of the French city called Nancy.
As meat was forbidden in the monastery, the nuns started to bake numerous pastries, amongst them the popular macarons. Upon their abolishment from the monastery, nuns Marguerite and Marie-Elisabeth sought refuge in the house of a local doctor, and started to make and sell macarons in order to survive.
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Boudoirs, savoiardi, or ladyfingers are traditional sweet sponge biscuits shaped into a large finger. They were created in the 15th century at the Duchy of Savoy for a visit by the King of France. These official court biscuits were often offered to visitors as a token of local cuisine.
The texture of ladyfingers is low in density, light, airy, and dry, and they're usually made with a combination of flour, egg whites and yolks, sugar, and powdered sugar. These sponge biscuits are typically used in desserts such as charlottes and trifles, tiramisu, and chocolate cakes.
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Hailing from Corsica, these traditional shortbread cookies typically consist of flour, sugar, white wine, and flavorings such as anise or lemon zest. Canistrelli are double baked, and because of that they are incredibly crispy and have a long shelf life.
The cookies are commonly enjoyed for breakfast, when they are usually paired with hot beverages, but canistrelli also make an excellent sweet snack when paired with white wine.
The crisp, buttery palets de dames (lit. ladies' pucks) are a specialty of the North of France and Belgium, and they are found in virtually any pâtisserie. These delectable cookies are typically covered with apricot jam and lemon-flavored sugar icing, while some varieties are flavored with rum, vanilla, or aniseed.
Palets are sometimes even studded with currants, raisins, or nuts. These delicate cookies are traditionally enjoyed as a snack with afternoon tea.
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Navettes are French cookies from Marseilles that are shaped like a boat or a shuttle. Their characteristical shape is said to commemorate Mary Magdalene and Saint Martha and their voyage to Marseilles by boat, about 2000 years ago. The cookies are flavored with orange-flower water and are traditionally consumed on February 2nd, known as Candlemas Day, although they can be bought all year round in the Four Des Navettes bakery in the center of Marseilles.
The bakery hasn't stopped producing these cookies since 1781. Although orange-flavored navettes are the most popular choice, there are also varieties with cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, and lavender.
MOST ICONIC Navettes
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 14 French Cookies” list until March 21, 2025, 1,582 ratings were recorded, of which 1,378 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.