France is legendary for stunning cakes and intricate pastries. You won’t find many heavy puddings here. These 15 French treats focus intensely on color, texture, and flavor.
Bûche de Noël is recognizable, but they enjoy so much more over the holidays. Take this as your sign to finally attempt homemade macarons. Joyeux Noël to you!
1. French Chocolate Truffles
You absolutely must make these rich treats if you need something deceptively easy this season. Intense dark chocolate and heavy cream create a decadent experience.
They offer a soft texture that melts right in your mouth. This luxurious dessert is also super simple to modify. Try rolling them in chopped nuts instead of cocoa powder.
2. Ile Flottante (Floating Island)
People also call this creamy dish oeufs à la neige or snow eggs. It is a delicate dessert that requires a bit of preparation time. You nestle sweetened meringue into a bed of luscious crème anglaise.
A drizzle of caramel goes right over the top. This version uses poached meringue for a texture that feels just like a cloud.
3. Easy Christmas Cinnamon Palmiers Cookies
These pastry bites are beautifully crisp and spiced. They look complicated, but they really are not. You only need three ingredients to make a batch.
It takes about five minutes to whip up these buttery treats. Cinnamon fills every single bite.
4. French Creme Caramel Recipe
People often confuse this silky smooth dessert with flan. It is delightfully sweet and completely gluten-free. You can prep the mixture right in a blender for ridiculous ease.
Do not let the water bath or caramel intimidate you. Mastering this creamy custard does not take long at all.
5. Christmas Meringue Spheres
Serve these unique treats if you want to impress your friends this year. You make the spheres using silicone molds. Fill them up with whipped cream or mousse.
Press two halves together to form the shape. A dusting of powdered sugar makes them look exactly like little snowballs.
6. Tarte au Citron
You will see this bright French dessert in almost every restaurant or cafe. It is a luscious lemon tart with a wonderfully fresh profile.
The lemon curd filling balances sweet and sour notes perfectly. Add extra heavy cream if you prefer a more mellow flavor. Serve it with fresh raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.
7. Lightest French Chocolate Mousse Without Cream
The word mousse actually comes from the French term for foam. That name fits this dessert perfectly. It is airy and light with a rich chocolatey finish.
This is the ideal treat for a romantic holiday dinner. You can also double the recipe to feed your entire family.
8. Easy Candy-Striped Meringue Cookies
These sweet cookies are naturally gluten-free. You should definitely put them on your Christmas baking list. They are light and very easy to pipe into fun shapes.
A few egg whites yield a huge batch. Use red food coloring for stripes or green for Christmas tree shapes.
9. Bûche de Noël
Most people know this famous dessert as a yule log. Bakers designed it to imitate the logs used to keep fires burning in wintertime.
Traditional French versions use no flour. You fill it with simple chocolate whipped cream. Decorate yours with chocolate ganache or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
10. Chocolate Soufflé
Soufflés are incredibly decadent desserts. They are famous for their light texture and intensely chocolatey flavor.
Beginners often shy away from this creamy treat because they fear it will not rise. However, you will not have any issues if you follow the steps exactly. It is not as temperamental as it seems.
11. Classic French Madeleines
You must make these lighter-than-air treats for an authentic Parisian goûter. They require just a few simple ingredients.
Serve them warm with coffee in the morning or around 4 pm. It is the perfect way to start your Christmas day.
12. Marrons Glacés (Candied Chestnuts)
You have likely eaten roasted chestnuts before. Try something new this year with these insanely sweet and sticky treats.
You boil them in sugar syrup for a few days to get maximum flavor. They end up beautifully tender and buttery.
13. Beginner’s Guide to French Macarons
These cookies come in every flavor and color you can imagine. A crispy shell hides a light and chewy filling. I cannot recommend these delicate meringue cookies enough.
Almond meal stabilizes the batter. They take a little TLC to get right, but you will soon make them for every occasion.
14. Eggnog Crème Brûlée
This Christmas twist is similar to creme caramel. However, you torch the top to create a delicate glass-like layer. You must crack the sugar to eat it.
The velvety smooth custard filling is rich and moreish. The eggnog flavor is a lovely subtle surprise. You can even make them ahead and torch just before serving.
15. Christmas Gingerbread Cake
This cake is for you if you want a show-stopper with little preparation. A forest bundt pan does most of the work.
The finished cake needs nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar. It is crazy-moist and lightly spiced. This is perfect for feeding a crowd.
