Recipe Roundup

49 Elegant French Desserts for a Parisian Pastry Experience at Home

All the cream puffs, soufflés, and tarts to ooh la la over.

By Julia Price Baron and The Editors of Epicurious

January 9, 2023

A chocolate layer cake topped with mint flavored whipped cream and candied mint leaves on a cake plate.

A trip to France wouldn’t feel complete without delicate tarts, macarons, madeleines, and paper-thin crepes, but you don’t actually have to book a flight to enjoy French desserts. We’ve compiled these 25 recipes for living that sweet French life, including chocolate croissants and chocolate mousse, clafoutis and a giant kouign-amann. Below, you’ll find classic French cake recipes for every skill level and dinner-party-worthy desserts for every craving. It’s time to get out the butter, break out the beret, and get baking.

Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
1/49
Vanilla Bean Tarte Tatin
Classic French desserts never get old—this caramelized apple wonder is always going to please a crowd. Start with frozen puff pastry and flip the finished tart with confidence!
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
2/49
Gâteau au Yaourt Pour le Dîner (Dinner Party-Worthy Yogurt Cake)
It may look humble, but there’s nothing basic about this flawless yogurt cake, soaked in Grand Marnier and glazed with apricot jam.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
3/49
Chocolate Mousse
This chocolate mousse recipe is made with bittersweet chocolate—and calls for staple ingredients so you can make it as often as you like. The results? Each spoonful is remarkably rich and silky.
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Photo by Michael Harlan Turkell
4/49
Apple Pithivier
This golden starburst showstopper is filled with almond cream and apple butter, all encased in flaky puff pastry.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
5/49
Chocolate Croissants (Pains au Chocolat)
To do right by chocolate croissants, it’s worth tracking down bittersweet chocolate batons. Each bite is a celebration of melted chocolate running through these flaky spiraled butter bombs.
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Photo by Nicole Franzen
6/49
Mont-Blanc
Crunchy, airy, and creamy, this recipe cleverly reformats the traditional Mont-Blanc, resulting in a version that’s friendly for home bakers. With meringue, whipped cream, and chestnut cream, it’s still as delicious as ever.
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Greg Vore
7/49
Daniel Boulud's Madeleines
You can prep the batter for these melt-in-your-mouth baked goods the day before you plan to serve them. Serve them with a bubbly French 75 cocktail.
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Photo by Pedan + Munk
8/49
Basic Crepes
Drizzle with milk chocolate or this citrusy Suzette sauce, pile with whipped cream, or just go with butter and a sprinkle of sugar.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
9/49
Gâteau Nantais
Almond flour teams up with all-purpose flour in this rum-scented cake.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
10/49
French Spiced Bread
This cozy loaf can swing into sweet or savory territory depending upon your preference. Star anise, ginger, cinnamon, and dried stone fruits promise hearty and comforting flavor—it’s a French classic that we often bake around the holidays.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani
11/49
Brioche au Rhum
Call this recipe cheating, but we think elevating a store-bought brioche to an astonishingly tasty, rum-led, fig-forward dessert is simply a smart win-win for all.
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Romulo Yanes
12/49
Chocolate Macarons With Orange Ganache
Hip to the magic of chocolate-orange pairings, the French also know their way around an egg white. Once you make these, go on and gild the meringue—literally, with edible gold dust.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
13/49
Lemon Curd Tart With Olive Oil
Lemon curd fills a rich, moist almondy crust in this next-level tart. We dare you not to reach for seconds.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
14/49
Classic Kouign-Amann
This classic French pastry may test your patience and rolling pin, but the easy-to-follow steps in this recipe will lessen the intimidation factor.
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Julia Price Baron has been a creative director, writer, producer, and occasional filmmaker for over 15 years. She’s collaborated on projects for Food Network/Discovery+, CNN, Etsy, Universal, Spotify, Audible, Netflix, Nickelodeon, IFC, and Elle Decor among others. While she’s a one-pot kind of cook, she’s a passionate all-the-pots kind of ... Read More

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The Epicurious editorial team develops original recipes, and publishes stories about cooking better, faster, and more creatively, sustainably, and affordably. See our full masthead, here. ... Read More