Classic French Desserts to Have in Paris

A visit to Paris is only complete once you’ve treated yourself to at least one of these classic French desserts.

                                                                                                                      Image by Odette Paris
Choux à la Crème
Choux à la crème are French pastry puffs with cream filling – a simple yet classic French dessert. At pastry shop Odette Paris, you can choose from any of their nine delicious flavours including: caramel, coffee and lemon. If you happen to be spending the holiday season in Paris, you can try their limited edition Chou au Champagne!

Pain au Chocolat
If you’re going to indulge in a pain au chocolat, do it in Paris. Better yet, have it for breakfast – you’re in Paris, after all. In some parts of France (and in French Canada), they are called “chocolatines”. A pain au chocolat/chocolatine has the same flaky texture as a croissant but is square-shaped and stuffed with pieces of dark chocolate. Delicious! You can find them at most bakeries and pastry shops throughout the city.

                                                                                                                       Image by @souk_and_pix
Éclair
Another cream filled dessert, éclairs are the fancier, icing covered sibling of the choux à la crème. Some pastry shops, like Gilles Marchal in Montmartre, stick to classic chocolate while others, like L’Éclair de Génie, are experimenting with unique flavours like passion fruit.

Crêpe
A thin version of the pancake, enjoy a crêpe at one of the city’s many crêperies. Try it sweet with chocolate spread and fruit or savoury with fresh vegetables and vinaigrette. Either way, Paris does crêpes best. You can get vegan crêpes at Crêpe de la Joie.

Macaron
Ah, le macaron – perhaps the best-known and most sought-after dessert in Paris. Macarons are meringue cookies filled with ganache and can be found in an array of flavours. Where can you get these little guys? The long-standing favourite of locals and tourists is Ladurée. Of course, there are a number of macaron shops throughout the city. And good news – you can now have vegan macarons in Paris at Gentle Gourmet Café!

Which French desserts have you had in Paris?
What are your favourite classic French desserts?