This is a list of French desserts, sweet pastries and cakes that come from French cuisine. In France, a chef who prepares desserts, cakes and sweet pastries is called a pâtissier, who is part of a kitchen hierarchy in French cuisine termed brigade de cuisine (kitchen staff). In France, both the bakery and the goods they make are called Pâtisserie, although simple rustic goods are made at home.
A to C Name ImageCourseDescriptionReference Baba au rhumDessertA rum baba or baba au rhum is a small yeast cake saturated in syrup made with alcohol, usually rum, and sometimes filled with whipped cream or pastry cream.BeignetBreakfast / dessert / snackA deep-fried dessert or snack made from either choux pastry, rice flour or a yeast leavened batter.Bichon au citronBreakfast / dessert / snackA puff pastry turnover filled with lemon curd.Biscuit rose de ReimsBiscuit/CookieA pink biscuit used in French pâtisserie, including Charlotte.Bombe AlaskaDessert A cake of ice cream and meringue.Bombe glacéeDessertAn ice cream dessert frozen in a spherical mould so as to resemble a cannonball, hence the name ice cream bomb.Bûche de NoëlDessert / snackA Christmas cake made up of a rolled sponge filled with a buttercream or ganache, and then covered by the same ingredients to resemble a log.BugnesDessert / snackSimilar to a beignet.Café liégeoisDessertA French cold dessert made from lightly sweetened coffee, coffee-flavoured ice cream and Chantilly cream.CalissonDessertA French candy that is consumed as part of the 13 desserts of Christmas.CaneléBreakfast / dessert / snackA pâtisserie made with a batter, rum and vanilla. It has a soft and tender, custardy centre and a dark, thick, caramelized crust.CharlotteDessertClassed as a bread pudding or an icebox cake, either Bread, sponge cake, crumbs or biscuits/cookies are used to line a mould, which filled with fruit puree or custard, and then baked.Chichis fregisSnackA type of donut shaped similar to a Churros.ChouquetteBreakfast / snackSmall pieces of choux pastry, sugared and baked.ClafoutisDessert / breakfastA baked dish made with sour cherries and batter.CompoteDessertFruit stewed in water with sugar and spice.Crème bavaroiseDessert A dessert consisting of an egg-based cooked custard and gelatin or isinglass, into which whipped cream is folded.Crème brûléeDessertA rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel.Crème caramelDessertA custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce.Crème chiboustDessertA type of crème pâtissière. Sometimes called Crème Saint Honoré. Crêpes sucréesDessertA dessert made from unleavened batter that is cooked on a frying pan or a griddle.Crêpe SuzetteDessertA dessert consisting of crêpes with beurre Suzette, a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and Grand Marnier, triple sec or orange Curaçao liqueur on top, flambéed tableside.Courtine, Robert J. (1984), Larousse gastronomique (French edition), Paris: Librairie Larousse.CroquemboucheDessertDessert consisting of choux pastry puffs piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel.CroustadeDessert / snackFrench fruit pies or tarts.
D to G Name ImageCourseDescriptionReference DacquoiseDessertA dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream. The term dacquoise can also refer to the nut meringue layer itself.Dame blancheDessertAn ice-cream sundae created by Auguste Escoffier.DarioleDessertA French term for a small culinary mold in the shape of a truncated cone used in making desserts, but also can be used to name the dishes made inside the molds.Diplomate au BavaroisDessert A cold dessert prepared in a mold, made with crème bavaroise.DivorcéDessert / snackTwo choux pastry balls, one filled with chocolate, the other with coffee flavoured pastry cream, are joined together and covered with corresponding fondant icing and a piping of pastry cream to separate the two different balls.ÉclairDessert / snackA choux dough in an oblong shape, filled with a cream and topped with a flavored icing. Montagné, Prosper, Larousse gastronomique: the new American edition of the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia, Jenifer Harvey Lang, ed., New York: Crown Publishers, 1988, p. 401 Far BretonDessert / snackA cake or dessert made with a batter similar to clafoutis, normally with prunes or raisins.FraisierDessertA cake composed of a genoise, strawberries and crème mousseline.FinancierDessert / snackA small French almond cake, flavoured with beurre noisette, usually baked in a small mold.Thomas Keller et al., Bouchon (NY: Artisan, 2004), 307, available online, accessed August 28, 2012. Flan pâtissier/parisienDessert / snackA baked tart consisting of an outer pastry crust filled with custard.FlaugnardeDessertA baked dessert with fruit arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick batter.Galette des RoisA flaky puff pastry traditionally filled with frangipane. Gâteau à la brocheDessert / snackA cake made with butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and cream, cooked on a rotating spit in the oven or over an open fire.Gâteau opéraDessertA cake made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as Joconde in French) soaked in coffee syrup (or Grand Marnier), layered with ganache and coffee-flavoured French buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze.Gâteau des roisDessert / snackA crown-shaped brioche dough decorated with candied fruit and coarse sugar.Gâteau St-HonoréDessertA dessert made of a circle of shortcrust pastry at its base with a ring of pâte à choux piped on the outer edge. Baked choux puffs are dipped in caramelized sugar and attached side by side on top of the circle of the pâte à choux.Gâteau au yaourtBreakfast/ snackA yoghurt cake.
H to M Name ImageCourseDescriptionReference JésuiteSnackA triangular, puff pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and sugar.île flottanteDessertA dessert consisting of soft meringue floating on crème anglaise.Kouign-amannDessert / snack A sweet, round laminated dough baked product, originally made with bread dough, but is also made with laminated viennoiserie dough, containing layers of butter and incorporated sugar.MacaronDessert / snackA sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, ground almond, and often food colouring, often filled with a ganache, buttercream or jam.MadeleineSnackSmall sponge cakes with a distinctive scallop-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions.MarjolaineDessertA dessert of Dacquoise meringue layers with chocolate buttercream.MendiantDessertA traditional French confection composed of a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits representing the four mendicant religious orders, eaten as part of the 13 desserts for Christmas.MeringueDessertA dessert made with whipped egg whites and sugar. Mille-feuilleDessertA puff pastry layered with pastry cream.Mont BlancDessert A dessert of sweetened chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli, topped with whipped cream.MousseDessertA dessert made with flavoured whipped cream.Jim Chevallier, A History of the Food of Paris: From Roast Mammoth to Steak Frites, 2018, , p. 195
N to P Name ImageCourseDescriptionReference pouding à la NesselrodeDessertA chestnut-based frozen dessert. Nonnette (dessert)Dessert / snackA small gingerbread cake made of honey, rye flour, and usually filled with orange marmalade or honey.Oreilette DessertA fried sweet fritter made with dough, part of the 13 desserts of Christmas and Mardi Gras.Pain d'épicesDessert / snackA spiced cake, part of the French baking category of Gateau de Voyage. It is made with rye flour, honey and spices. It is the closest French dish to a gingerbread.Pain perduDessert / snackA dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. It is known as french toast in English.Paris–BrestDessert A choux pastry filled with a praline flavoured cream and covered with flaked almonds.Pêche MelbaDessertA dessert of peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream.Petit fourDessertA small bite-sized confectionery, pâtisserie or savory appetiser.PlombièresDessertAn almond extract ice cream, flavored with kirsch and candied fruit.Le Pâtissier royal parisien ou Traité élémentaire et pratique de la pâtisserie ancienne et moderne, Paris, J.-G. Dentu, 1815, tome II, , sur Gallica.ProfiteroleDessertA filled French choux pastry ball with a typically sweet and moist filling of whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or ice cream.Poire à la BeaujolaiseDessertA dessert of pears poached in red wine.Poire belle HélèneDessert A dessert of pears poached in a sugar syrup served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Desserts de tradition, Hervé Chaumeton, Jean Arbeille, 2005, p.6, Artémis éditions, Pot de crèmeDessert A dessert of baked custard.Puits d'amourDessertA French pâtisserie made with puff pastry with a hollow center filled with redcurrant jelly or raspberry jam.
Q to Z Name ImageCourseDescriptionReference Quatre-quartsSnackA creamed sponge or pound cake.Queyras pieSnack, dessertA tart filled with jam and covered with lattice patterns of pastry, similar to a Tarte de Alpes.http://ete.queyras-montagne.com/la-tarte-queyrassine-abries.htmlReligieuseDessertA dessert made of a small choux pastry case stacked on top of a larger one, both filled with crème pâtissière, commonly flavoured with chocolate or mocha.Riz à l'impératriceDessertAn elaborate molded version of a rice pudding.Roulé à la cannelleSnackA cinnamon roll.SavarinDessertA cake similar to baba au rhum. SouffléMain, DessertA baked egg dish. Tarte des AlpesSnack, dessertA tart filled with jam and covered with lattice patterns of pastry.Tarte à l'badréeDessert A type of custard tart.Tarte à la brimbelleDessert A blueberry tart.Tarte à la châtaigneDessertA sweet chestnut pie from Cevennes d'ardecheTarte au citronDessert A Dessert tart made shortcrust pastry and a lemon curd.Tarte conversationDessert A type of tart made with puff pastry that is filled with frangipane cream and topped with royal icing.Tarte aux mirabellesDessertA sweet French tart, combining pastry and mirabelle plum.Willan, p. 118; "Recette tarte aux mirabelle", recettesdalsace.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023; "Tarte aux mirabelles d'Alsace toute simple", Je vais vous cuisinier. Retrieved 7 March 2023; and "Tarte aux mirabelles", Marmiton. Retrieved 7 March 2023Tarte NormandeDessert / snackA shortcrust pastry variant of the apple tart made in Normandy, filled with apple, sliced almonds and sugar, topped with creamy egg custard and baked until the topping is slightly caramelised.Tarte TatinDessertA tart in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked.Tarte TropézienneDessertA dessert viennoiserie consisting of a halved brioche filled with a mix of two creams, thick crème pâtissière and buttercream.TeurgouleDessertA rice pudding that is a speciality of Lower Normandy.Austin de Croze, Les Plats régionaux de France (1928)TuileDessertA baked wafer served as an accompaniment of other dishes.Biró, Marcel, and Shannon Kring. Biró: European-Inspired Cuisine. Gibbs Smith, 2005. 114. Print.VitréaisSnack, dessertA sponge layer cake made of apples with salted butter caramel, eggs and almonds.
See also Pâtisserie – a French or Belgian bakery that specializes in desserts, cakes and sweet pastry. The goods made are also called Pâtisserie. In both countries it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed maître pâtissier (master pastry chef). Viennoiserie Cuisine List of desserts List of French cheeses
Feuilletine, an ingredient of French confectionery, made from crisped crêpes
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