20 Popular Desserts in France

France is a country that people flock to for all kinds of reasons, and their food scene is at the top of those reasons. Their desserts are legendary, and I am positive you can name more than a few if you think about it. Despite them not being nearly as sweet as American desserts, they are absolutely delicious and regarded by food lovers worldwide.

You won’t only find buttery croissants and famous French cheeses in France. France is famous for much more, and I’m sharing my roundup of some of the most popular and well-known desserts in the country.

When dining in France, it’s almost impossible to end a meal without getting a dessert. Something sweet is part of the experience of eating. When I am in France, I almost always opt for some type of dessert after my meal, no matter how full I am. Whether it’s the mousse au chocolat (or chocolate mousse) I love so much or a profiterole, I cannot resist dessert. When I’m with someone, I always recommend ordering more than one and sharing. With regard to dessert in France, more is definitely better.

Many of the desserts I’ll mention symbolize French patisserie traditions that have made their way around the world. Lucky for us who don’t live in France, we still have access to many of these items. Some of them are steeped in history and have backstories of how they came to be, and it makes their origins that much sweeter.

Making an effort to eat French pastries while in France will always be a good idea. I had a day where I dedicated to eating only dessert - all day. It was one of the most fun and enjoyable self-food tours I’ve ever done, and I highly recommend it to anyone. There are pastry shops on every corner, so finding these will not be difficult. Don’t be afraid to indulge while visiting. You’ll likely walk it off strolling around Paris anyway!

Crêpe from Carette

France is famous for many desserts that have become iconic around the world. Many are recognizable, and you’ve likely tried several from the list I’ll provide. I’ll share some of the desserts France is best known for.

• Crème Brûlée
• Tarte Tatin
• Mousse au Chocolat
• Paris Brest
• Tarte au Citron
• Macarons
• Éclairs

All of these desserts can be found in patisseries, or pastry shops, restaurants, and bakeries in France. They all represent the craftsmanship of French patisserie.

Mousse au Chocolat

Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée has to be one of, if not the, most famous dessert creations coming out of France. It’s a safe choice, as so many people absolutely love its taste. It’s an easy win and guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

The dessert itself is made with egg yolks, cream, and vanilla which turns into a custard. Its top layer is torched, making a crispy and delicate glass-like crust. Truly, this is one of my favorites and a classic French dessert.

Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is the famous upside down apple tart. It originated in the Loire Valley and has become its own star of the dessert show.

To make it, you must caramelize the apples in butter and sugar, cover them in a puff pastry, and bake it upside down. Flip the creation over, and voilà. Your Tarte Tatin is perfection. We tend to see fruits used in several tarts in France.

Paris-Brest

The Paris Brest dessert is a relatively simple dessert that one of my French friends insisted I try because of its importance in the French culture. It was created for the Paris-Brest bicycle race back in 1910 and has remained a traditional menu item in many restaurants in France.

It’s made from choux pastries filled with delicious praline flavored cream, topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. You will not find the filling to be nearly as sweet as it sounds. In the US, I believe a similar dessert would have much more sugar.

Mousse au Chocolat

If you want to make it your mission while visiting France to find the best chocolate mousse, you will not be wasting your time. When I go to Paris, I often order this dessert to see if it’s better than the last. Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not. Mostly they are all delicious. It’s typically scooped out in front of you onto your plate, and your only job is to devour it.

This is a very light dessert that’s made by folding melted chocolate with whipped egg whites and cream. Very simple, very effective in the delicious desserts category.

Tarte au Citron

Tarte au Citron is the French way of saying our very plain name - lemon tart. Anything lemon and you have my attention. If you do like lemon, this one’s for you.

You’re going to have a buttery crust filled with tangy lemon curd, many times topped with whipped cream or meringue. Just writing about it is making my mouth water.

Profiteroles

You haven’t had the real deal until you’ve had profiteroles in France. I’ve tried them in the United States and have been very disappointed. When I took my first bite of my friend’s in France, I knew he wouldn’t be getting much more. I couldn’t stop eating it.

These delicious desserts are made with choux pastries filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce. Whipped cream is often accompanying it, and I can’t think of a more perfect concoction. Try it at least once on your trip to France.

Clafoutis

Clafoutis is from the Limousin region of France and most famously includes black cherries, though they can be substituted with other fruits like plums, pears, apricots, or other berries.

The way it’s made is by pouring a custard-like batter over the fruit and baking it until it’s golden brown and a bit puffed. It’s a simple dish, made with eggs, milk, sugar, flour, and vanilla. It’s a mix between a cake and a custard. Dust it with powdered sugar and you’ve got yourself a traditional French dessert.

Mille-Feuille

Mille-Feuille is a dessert that has my fullest regard. Translated literally to “a thousand layers,” it’s a dessert I knew I would never make myself because of the process of making it. You’d know it if you saw it, and it’s one that I recommend trying from a patisserie. They are the experts in this.

This thousand layer dessert is made with many sheets of crisp puff pastry and layered with pastry cream. It’s typically topped with icing or powdered sugar and served in the most beautiful slices.

Éclair

I’m certain most of us are familiar with the éclair. Many French style or upscale bakeries in the US carry this, as it has made its way over to us in a big way. It’s the shape of a hot dog but instead of the dog, you get a chocolate middle. A much better deal, if I do say so myself.

An éclair is made from choux pastries and filled with pastry cream, topped with chocolate glaze. If you want to get crazy, you might find ones with other flavors like coffee, vanilla, and pistachio. Chocolate is still the most famous.

Macarons

Macarons are one of those desserts that you either love or don’t. I’m in the don’t category, and I’ve tried my darnedest to love them. They are like tiny colorful sandwiches with a filling, and probably one of the most recognizable desserts in France.

They are basically a delicate almond meringue cookie filled with buttercream, ganache, or fruit filling. Ladurée is by far the most famous place to try one, and they have stores globally. They’re worth a try, and then you can decide for yourself if they are, in fact, for you.

Dessert at Bouillon Chartier 

Madeleines

Madeleines, when done right, are oh so delicious. They are little buttery sponge cakes that go perfectly with afternoon tea (or breakfast if you want to get crazy). You’d recognize them right away, as they are somewhat of an oval shape. They’re simple, and the perfect little treat to pop in your mouth.

Their ingredients are simple: eggs, sugar, butter, and flour. The French like to keep things simple and delicious. Butter just makes everything taste good, don’t you think?

Crêpes

You can’t go to Europe and not have a crêpe. Also called the French pancake, these sweet or savory treats are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Often you can grab one from a small shop or stand and keep your walk around your city going. They make for a great snack.

So simple to make, and filled with popular things like Nutella, fruit, whipped cream, coconut, or chocolate. Maybe all of the above if you can’t choose. I’m a huge fan of the crêpe.

Île Flottante

Dare I say that the Île Flottante is somewhat of a sexy looking dessert? Also called the “floating island,” this elegant sweet treat comes in a raised dish and has a very lovely presentation.

A meringue is served on top of a creamy vanilla custard (similar but not the same as the crème brûlée). Finish it off with caramel drizzle and toasted almonds and you have yourself the perfect French dessert.

Opera Cake

Opera cake reminds me in looks of tiramisu. Don’t tell the French I said that, though. You’ll see these in the French patisseries looking delectable and ready to be consumed.

This delight is layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup and combined with buttercream and chocolate ganache. Its topping is a glossy chocolate glaze, making it look almost too good to eat. But do eat it.

Kouign-Amann

Coming to you from Brittany region, think of the Kouign-Amann as similar to a croissant, but shaped differently and more buttery. It’s not like any of the others on this list, but definitely deserves its moment in the spotlight.

It’s a caramelized pastry that has loads of butter and sugar. It’s baked in a round shape until it becomes golden and crispy. I can just picture us now with a cup of coffee, dipping this treat into it.

Baba au Rhum

Think rum cake when you think of Baba au Rhum. And who doesn’t like a little kick with your dessert? Making its debut in the 19th century, it’s now a staple French dessert.

This sassy cake is soaked in rum syrup and typically served with whipped cream or pastry cream. Either option is a heck yes.

Mont Blanc

Named after the mountain in the Alps, the design of this pastry is made to look like the peak of the mountain. It’s not only attractive, it’s delicious.

Made with sweet chestnut puree piped in the shape of a Christmas tree over cream and meringue, it’s both earthy and sweet, and a very unique French treat indeed.

Saint-Honoré

You can’t get much more genuine than the Saint-Honoré, named after the patron saint of bakers. This dessert comes in all kinds of variations looks-wise, but is essentially a cake.

There’s a lot going on with the Saint-Honoré, as it combines a lot of the traditional French elements. These elements include the choux pastries, caramelized sugar, and cream. It’s all assembled in a beautiful format and served for your delight. This is one to appreciate.

Pain Perdu

Who doesn’t love French toast? Or pain perdu, translated into “lost bread”? Most of us have had the privilege of eating French toast at least once in our lives, and that is exactly what pain perdu is.

This leftover bread is soaked in a custard mixture and fried in butter. It’s topped off with powdered sugar, fruit, ice cream, or caramel sauce. Come with an appetite, and maybe eat this one as an entire meal.

Galette des Rois

The galette des rois is one of my favorites as a New Orleanian. This is the French version of our king cake that we eat during carnival season, and I get it every single year without fail from a local French baker.

This cake is made with layers of puff pastry filled with almond cream, called frangipane. It comes with a charm, and whoever gets the charm is king or queen for the day. It’s the new year pastry dessert, and not to be missed.

These French desserts are a wonderful reflection of the country’s culinary tradition. You can get as elegant or simple as you want, and I recommend doing all of the above. Whether you’re visiting Paris, Marseille, Brittany, or Strasbourg, each region has its own star of the show for desserts. If you’re headed to France, save this list so you know what to order. Until then, find the nearest French bakery and order one of everything. Bon appetit!

If you liked this and found it helpful, you might also want to know about the best food to eat in France and the best boutique hotels in Paris for solo travelers.

For some French dessert recipes, here is an article from an American living in France. Many of the desserts listed are on here.

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