11 Delicious Classic French Desserts

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Bring the magic of a Parisian patisserie into your kitchen by creating any or all of these classic French desserts. With the simple instructions from each recipe, you'll learn time-honored French techniques and create some rich and sophisticated desserts and pastries like croissants, creme brulee and soufflés. Bon apetit!

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1. Chocolate Stout and Mixed Berry Galette

If you've been too intimidated to attempt making this pastry in the past, you're in luck! This recipe for chocolate stout and mixed berry galettes breaks down the process into simple steps. You can use the basic galette recipe and concept your own fillings, but do try the chocolate stout and mixed berry–it's a fantastically rich, sweet and tart combination.

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2. Traditional Crepes

Thin and delicate crepes are like French pancakes that you can stuff with sweet or savory filling. Crepes traditionally use wheat or buckwheat flour, but this version simplifies the process by using pancake mix for crepes. With a myriad of filling options, crepes are perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

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3. Nutella Crepe Cake

Blow your guests away with an elegant, sweet and light Nutella crepe cake. Whipped Nutella frosting holds this delicate cake together and adds to its delightful fluffiness. The most time-consuming portion of this recipe is in making the crepes, but you can always buy ready-made crepes from the freezer section at the grocery store. Either way, you'll end up with a beautiful, sophisticated and delicious cake.

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4. Classic Croissant

Reward your family and yourself after a long, hard week with classic croissants from scratch. If working in the kitchen relaxes you after a stressful day, this recipe is just for you. Due to the time it takes to pre-ferment and chill the risen dough, it requires a few days to prepare these croissants. But fear not! Each step is broken down with easy instructions so even a novice cook can make mouthwatering, rich, buttery and flaky croissants at home.

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5. Almond Croissant

Traditional almond croissants, or croissant aux amandes, are made out of day-old or stale croissants — so this is the perfect way to use up any leftover classic croissants. A sweet and buttery frangipane cream filling, a dusting of powdered sugar and a few brushes of brandy syrup make this a divine and indulgent delight.

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6. Chocolate Soufflé

Competitive cooking shows would have you believe that soufflés are incredibly difficult to make. Although timing is very important in the execution of this dessert, the process is actually very simple. Follow this guide on how to make chocolate soufflé for a light, fluffy and superbly decadent dessert.

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7. Creme Brulée

Four ingredients is all you need for an irresistibly creamy and rich creme brulee. The beauty of this dessert lies in the textural difference between the smooth custard underneath a layer of brittle, caramelized sugar. Try to use real vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.

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8. Pain au Chocolat

You can make chocolate croissants, or pain au chocolat, from scratch or by using ready-made puff pastry. Either option will result in a sinfully decadent treat. Dark chocolate provides a lush, complex and bittersweet finish to this delightfully flaky and buttery pastry.

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9. Chocolate Macarons

Sophisticated and utterly charming chocolate macarons are surprisingly easy to make at home. The textural contrast between the crisp, chewy chocolate-and-almond meringue cookies and the luscious dark chocolate ganache will make you giddy for this classic French confection. The hardest part will be waiting for the macarons to chill before serving.

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10. Butterscotch Pots de Creme

Butterscotch pots de creme present a beautifully silky cross between pudding and custard. Humble ingredients compose this creamy, rich and ultra-decadent dessert that is ready to serve with 12 simple steps. Finish it off with a dollop of tart creme fraiche and a sprinkle of sea salt to balance the sweetness of the butterscotch.

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11. Palmiers

A palmier or elephant ear is a classic French cookie made of puff pastry and filled with anything from a sprinkling of sugar to fruit jam or Nutella. These caramelized cookies have a satisfying crunch to its bite and a lovely finish as the browned sugar dissolves on your tongue.

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