11 Flawless French Desserts That Are Surprisingly Easy-to-Make With Everyday Ingredients
Bring a touch of Parisian charm to your kitchen with these 11 French desserts that are as simple as they are stunning. You don’t need fancy ingredients or hours of preparation to enjoy classic French treats like creamy Crème Brûlée, or buttery Mille Feuille. With just a few everyday ingredients, these recipes make it easy to whip up a little French indulgence at home.
Charlotte Cake
A Charlotte cake (or “Charlotte aux Fraises”) looks so professional but is in fact incredibly easy to make! This beautiful French cake is filled with silky and luxurious Crème mousseline and decorated with fluffy ladyfinger biscuits and fresh strawberries.
Get the recipe: Charlotte Cake
Palmiers
Palmiers are a great example of how something doesn’t have to have lots of ingredients to be delicious! Puff pastry and sugar are rolled up into the shape of a palm and baked in the oven. That’s it!
Get the recipe: Palmiers
Fraisier Cake
Fraisier cake is a famous French dessert that looks beautiful and tastes even better. It is made from two layers of moist Genoise sponge, a vanilla-flavored créme mousseline filling, strawberry jelly, strawberry compote, and fresh strawberries. It is really much easier to make than any other cake and looks so fantastic!
Get the recipe: Fraisier Cake
Rum Baba
Rum baba (or “Baba au rhum”) is a yeasted bundt cake (similar to brioche) soaked in rum syrup that was invented in Paris in the 19th century. It’s a moist, boozy, and unbelievably tasty French dessert usually smothered in whipped mascarpone frosting and perhaps best enjoyed by adults!
Get the recipe: Rum Baba
Mille Feuille
Mille feuille (or “thousand leaves”) is a famous French dessert made from layers of puff pastry and pastry cream. To make homemade mille feuille, you bake puff pastry under weights so it remains compacted and crisp and doesn’t puff up high. Afterward, the crispy layers of Mille Feuille are stacked with crème pâtissière or crème mousseline. And finally, topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or fruit.
Get the recipe: Mille Feuille
Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée (which translates as “burnt cream”) is one of my favorite French desserts. It is a rich cream custard baked in a water bath with sugar sprinkled over the top that is torched (or brûléed) until it melts to form a hard and crunchy top layer. It is made of a few simple ingredients and many people don´t know how incredibly easy to prepare!
Get the recipe: Crème Brûlée
Mini Strawberry Tartlets
Have you ever seen dainty mini strawberry tartlets in the windows of French patisseries? These classic French desserts are not that hard to make and they are very beautiful desserts. Tarts are super versatile and I have an entire range of recipes for them but the most classic tart is a Pâte sablée shortcrust pastry case filled with silky vanilla custard and topped with fresh fruit decoration. Tartes are sometimes brushed with a glaze after baking for a high gloss finish.
Get the recipe: Mini Strawberry Tartlets
Chocolate Chip Brioche
If you love brioche bread, you will want to try this fluffy chocolate chip brioche recipe! This buttery chocolate chip brioche takes the classic French brioche bread to the next level by adding chocolate chips to the mix. Whether you serve it for breakfast, brunch, or a post-dinner dessert, it will be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Go to the recipe: Chocolate Chip Brioche
Beignets
Popular in French cuisine and a staple in the Louisiana city of New Orleans, these homemade beignets are fun to make and hard to resist! Their light, sweet, and pillowy texture make them the perfect treat to enjoy any time of day: For breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert. Top them with sugar, fill them with cream, or dip them in your morning coffee.
Go to the recipe: Beignets
Chocolate Mousse Cups
These no-bake, five-ingredient chocolate mousse cups are a chocolate lover’s dream come true! Made with rich dark chocolate and topped with delicious airy chantilly cream and sweet chocolate shavings, they are the perfect treat to satisfy your post-dinner sweet tooth. Not only are these drool-worthy desserts easy to make, but they are also eye-catching and beautiful!
Go to the recipe: Chocolate Mousse Cups
Creme Brulee Cookies
This easy creme brulee cookies recipe combines two dessert favorites to create an irresistible handheld treat! Gooey, soft sugar cookies are topped with a creamy pastry cream and then finished with a crispy caramelized sugar topping. It is a cookie lover’s dream come true!
Go to the recipe: Creme Brulee Cookies
