16 Surprisingly Easy to Make European Desserts Every American Needs to Try

Europe is home to some of the most delicious and unique desserts that are beloved around the world. From rich pastries to decadent cakes, these sweet treats offer a taste of European culture and tradition. If you’re an American looking to expand your dessert repertoire, you’re in for a treat! We’ve gathered 16 irresistible European desserts that you simply have to try.

Mille Feuille

Mille Feuille means “a thousand leaves” in French, and it gets its name from the compacted layers of puff pastry that form this incredibly French dessert. Puff pastry normally rises as it bakes, but here, we weigh it down so that it forms crisp, thin pieces of delicious buttery pastry instead.

Go to the recipe: Mille Feuille

Chouquettes

Made with fluffy choux pastry dough and sweet Swedish pearl sugar, these light and airy chouquettes may be only one or two bites, but they are absolutely irresistible! Serve these delicious French sugar puffs for breakfast with a hot cup of tea or coffee, enjoy a few as an afternoon snack, or after dinner.

Go to the recipe: Chouquettes

Palmiers

These deliciously sweet and buttery French Palmiers cookies are perfectly light, crispy, and crunchy perfection with each bite! Made with just a package of store-bought puff pastry and a bit of sugar, this 2-ingredient easy recipe comes together in just 40 minutes!

Go to the recipe: Palmiers

Rum Baba

Rum baba (baba au rum), this classic yeast French bundt cake soaked in delicious rum syrup, decorated with a light vanilla bean whipped mascarpone frosting is the ultimate brioche-like boozy dessert!

Go to the recipe: Rum Baba

Sacher Torte Cake

Austrian Sacher Torte cake is a Viennese specialty, and it’s a European cake recipe that defines elegance. Two layers of chocolate sponge cakes, a fine layer of apricot jam, and a smooth chocolate glaze make this dessert a must-try European cake, one of the best European chocolate desserts for sure.

Go to the recipe: Sacher Torte Cake

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

I love Spanish food. This Basque burnt cheesecake recipe comes together in just five minutes and only uses five simple ingredients, yet it has an unbelievable texture and taste. Basque Burnt Cheesecake, or San Sebastian Cheesecake, is the easiest cheesecake of all; honestly, it’s a must-try! There is no water bath, but the result is still the creamiest, most amazing custard-like texture with a caramelized top.

Go to the recipe: Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Paris-Brest

Imagine a ring of choux pastry filled with hazelnut praline crème mousseline filling. Certainly, it sounds delicious, one of my favorite French desserts! This classic French Paris-Brest recipe has it all. Crispy pâte à choux, silky, nutty creme mousseline filling, extra praline paste, and roasted hazelnuts make Paris-Brest one of the most impressive European desserts of all! This fancy-looking dish is a great dessert for a dinner party as it feeds a crowd and looks so impressive.

Go to the recipe: Paris-Brest

Tiramisu

Traditional tiramisu is soft and creamy with airy ladyfingers, a rich yet light mascarpone cream, espresso coffee, and a dusting of delicious cocoa powder to finish. Tiramisu originated from the Veneto region in Northern Italy, but it is so popular worldwide that you can enjoy it in Italian restaurants anywhere. And now, you can try my easy recipe and eat it at home too.

Go to the recipe: Tiramisu

Napoleon Cake

You might be mistaken in believing Napoleon cake is French, but it is actually Russian! Napoleon cake is a classic Russian layer cake made of crunchy puff pastry and silky pastry cream. It was first served in 1912 to honor the 100th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Napoleon. It will tower above your dinner table with its many layers of buttery pastry and smooth filling; trust me, this puff pastry dessert is certainly a real showstopper.

Go to the recipe: Napoleon Cake

Crème brûlée

I bet you love ordering crème brûlée as a dessert in restaurants, however, did you know that making Crème brûlée at home is in fact shockingly easy? It is one of the most delicious French custard creams of all that comes together in literally 5 minutes using 3 simple ingredients: cream, egg yolk, and sugar. This is a no-fail, restaurant-like professional yet easy Crème brûlée recipe that will impress everyone, try it!

Go to the recipe: Crème brûlée

Crème Brûlée Choux au Craquelin

This crème brûlée choux au craquelin (cream puff) is filled with silky vanilla pastry cream (Crème Pâtissière) and topped with a crunchy caramelized sugar layer just like traditional Crème Brûlée! Its delicate texture and delicious flavor will certainly impress everyone.

Go to the recipe: Crème Brûlée Choux au Craquelin

Tiramisu Cookies

These delicious, coffee-flavored tiramisu cookies are the perfect after-dinner treat, dessert table addition, or compliment to your morning cup of coffee. A delightful twist on the classic Italian dessert, this easy tiramisu cookie recipe combines espresso powder and sweet mascarpone frosting topped with cocoa powder. No matter how or where you eat them, it is sure to be something that everyone will love!

Go to the recipe: Tiramisu Cookies

Danish Butter Cookies

For a simple yet flavorful dessert or snack that the whole family will love, these buttery and soft Danish butter cookies (also known as Danish biscuits) will not disappoint! We use the same six ingredients from the classic Royal Dansk Danish cookies in the blue tin that many know and love.

Go to the recipe: Danish Butter Cookies

French Financiers

French financiers are the best teacakes, and in this recipe, you will learn how to make them in 3 different flavors; almond, hazelnut, and pistachio! They are delicate, super moist, and full of natural nutty flavors due to the nut flour and browned butter used in the cake batter. Financiers are bite-sized treats like cookies, however, they belong to sponge cakes both in terms of texture, also in terms of the technique and process of making them.

Go to the recipe: French Financiers

Beignets

Popular in French cuisine and a staple in the Louisiana city of New Orleans, these New Orleans-style 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