10 French Desserts To Try This Autumn 

French desserts are some of the best in the world.

Sweet, savoury, fruity, flaky, chocolatey, nutty – there’s a French dessert for every palette and craving.

One of the most interesting things about French desserts is that each has its own fascinating history and story, many which date back centuries, and yet the sweets continue to be enjoyed across Paris, France and the world even today.

We have shortlisted the 10 best French desserts for you to try as the weather cools down. We have even sourced you the most authentic, highly-rated recipes for each dish in both video and text format so that you can try your hand at your favourites at home!

Fire up the oven and let’s dig in!

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1. Clafoutis 

Origin: Limousin, South-Central France.

If you love a fruity pudding, you can’t go past clafoutis! Traditionally made using cherries, this flan of sorts comprises fresh fruit baked in thick batter. When it’s fresh out of the oven, clafoutis is sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with cream. There are a range of clafoutis recipe variations that utilise other fruits such as pears, plums, apples, berries and even prunes. 

Clafoutis recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/raspberry-clafoutis

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2. Crème brûlée 

Origin: The first recipe for crème brûlée appears in the 1691 edition of the French cookbook Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois by cook Francois Massialot who worked at the Palace of Versailles.

Who doesn’t love a real French crème brûlée? The mouth watering dessert is one of our most famous, replicated across the globe and simply delicious. Despite its aristocratic beginnings, the dessert is relatively easy to make, and uses everyday ingredients you probably have at home. Custard, vanilla, eggs and cream all come together to create the soft base, topped with a hard caramelised sugar top layer. Served in individual ramekins, crème brûlée is a truly special little French dessert.

Crème brûlée recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9039-vanilla-creme-brulee

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3. Profiteroles 

Origin: An Italian chef employed by the powerful Medici family invented the recipe for profiteroles for Catherine de Medici in France in the early 16th century. 

Cream, custard, choux pastry and chocolate all come together to create the classic French dessert, profiteroles. These little puffs of delicious goodness are a real treat to serve as an after dinner party treat or simply to reward yourself after a long week. 

Profiteroles recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/profiteroles/

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4. Tarte Tatin 

Origin: A French dessert invented in 1888 by the Tatin sisters, hoteliers in the village of Lamotte-Beuvron near Orléans, in north-central France. 

If you love your dessert with a generous portion of fruit, the classic French dessert tarte tatin will wow you each and every time. Crisp apples are caramelised and serve as the centrepiece of this baked upside-down tart. It looks gorgeous, smells divine and tastes even better! 

Tarte tatin recipe: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/raymond-blancs-tarte-tatin/

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5. Financiers  

Origin: Paris, France. Some believe the recipe was invented by the Visitandine order of nuns in the 17th century and was originally named “visitandines”. 

Financiers are French almond tea cake s deal for a mid-afternoon treat or an after dinner delight. The cakes are made with only the most basic ingredients, and the end result is a light, nutty and buttery taste bud tingler. The origins of financiers and their unique name may lie in the fact the cakes are baked in a small rectangular block, resembling gold bars. In the same vein, others say the cakes were sold around the Paris Financial District and that is how they attained their moniker.  

Financiers recipe: https://www.archanaskitchen.com/financiers-recipe-french-almond-tea-cake

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6. Soufflé 

Origin: Invented by the iconic French chef Marie-Antoine Carême in mid-18th century Paris. 

The art of baking the perfect soufflé has long been discussed amongst bakers across the globe. The perfect soufflé is one of the best savoury-meets-sweet French desserts that uses egg whites as the central component of its base. As the dessert is baked in its own individual ramekins, the dessert expands and raises the top of the soufflé over the edges of the ramekin. The outside is perfectly crispy, the inside impossibly soft, and you can find recipe variations that can be savoury (cheese soufflé) or sweet (chocolate or French vanilla soufflé). The name comes from the verb “souffler”, which in French means “to inflate” or “to puff”. 

Soufflé recipe: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/souffle-with-pink-praline-ramekin-dessert-recipe/

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7. Teurgoule 

Origin: Normandy, France in the mid-18th century. 

A historic speciality of France’s Normandy region, teurgoule is a sweet rice pudding dish that is as special as it is unique. Cooked in individual terrines, the rustic dessert is made using sweetened rice cooked in milk for hours and topped with spices like cinnamon. The result is a pudding with a hardened caramelised top layer. Teurgoule is simple to make and endlessly enjoyable to eat. 

Teurgoule recipe: https://www.notquitenigella.com/2015/08/01/teurgoule-recipes/

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8. Crêpe 

Origin: Brittany, France, as far back as the 13th century – but maybe earlier! 

Arguably the most famous French dessert and one that has been replicated across the globe for centuries, the humble crêpe uses the most simple of bases to create an endless array of styles and flavours! This thin pancake is made using a basic batter of flour, milk, eggs and salt, cooked on a hot pan until golden and served with either savoury (“galette”) or sweet fillings. Popular sweet fillings include fruit and chocolate and savoury crêpe favourites include cheese, ham, smoked salmon – the options are endless! 

Crêpe recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-crepes

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9. Mille-feuille 

Origin: The first mention of mille-feuille dates back to the 1600’s, where it is referenced in a cookbook by French chef François Pierre de la Varenne.

Love nothing more than a sweet dessert with a pastry base? You’ll fall in love with mille-feuille! A distant cousin of the vanilla slice (but far superior!) mille-feuille is a pretty slice traditionally composed of layers of pastry (hence the name translating to  “thousand-sheets”), each layered with pastry cream, icing sugar and sometimes cocoa and nuts, or glazed with fondant. Sometimes this flaky dessert is also called Napoleon. We say “Oui!”

Mille-feuille recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/256436/mille-feuille-napoleon-pastry-sheets/

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10. Flan Pâtissier  

Origin: The Romans brought the Latin “fladon” to France which become the “flado” or “flan” in the 12th century! 

A French twist on the beloved custard tart, flan pâtissier is a baked custard flan that is a gastronomic marvel. Smooth custard is baked within a soft yet golden crust, with a distinct hint of vanilla. Serve this pastry flan for your dinner party guests to ensure you achieve the perfect host score! Love cheesecake? You’ll love Flan Pâtissier! 

Flan Pâtissier recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/flan-patissier-french-custard-tart/

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What are your favourite French desserts?

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