30 French Pastries Explained

Step into a French patisserie and the glass case can be dazzling and a little confusing. This guide to 30 French pastries explains what each one actually is, what it is made of, and how it tastes, so you can order with confidence.

The pastries are grouped into viennoiserie, choux and cream pastries, tarts, cakes and gateaux, and small pastries and meringues. Each entry gives a short, clear explanation rather than a full recipe, making this a handy reference for your next bakery visit.

Viennoiserie

Buttery, enriched doughs that bridge the gap between bread and pastry, usually eaten at breakfast.

1. Croissant

A crescent-shaped pastry made from laminated dough, where butter is folded into the dough many times to create dozens of flaky layers. It is light, buttery, and shatteringly crisp on the outside.

2. Pain au Chocolat

The same laminated croissant dough rolled around two batons of dark chocolate. It is rectangular rather than crescent-shaped and is a classic breakfast treat.

3. Pain aux Raisins

A spiral pastry made from laminated dough filled with pastry cream and raisins. The swirl is soft in the center and crisp at the edges.

4. Chausson aux Pommes

A French apple turnover made with puff pastry folded over a spiced apple filling. The name translates roughly to apple slipper, after its shape.

5. Brioche

A rich, tender bread made with plenty of butter and eggs, giving it a soft, almost cake-like crumb. It comes in many shapes, including the small topknot loaf called brioche a tete.

6. Kouign-amann

A specialty from Brittany made from laminated dough with layers of sugar that caramelize in the oven. The result is crisp, buttery, and deeply caramelized.

Choux and Cream Pastries

Built on choux pastry, a light dough that puffs into hollow shells perfect for filling.

7. Eclair

A long, finger-shaped choux pastry filled with pastry cream and topped with icing. Chocolate and coffee are the classic flavors.

8. Chou a la Creme

A round choux puff filled with cream, essentially the French cream puff. It is light, airy, and often dusted with powdered sugar.

9. Profiteroles

Small choux puffs filled with ice cream or cream, stacked and served with warm chocolate sauce poured over the top.

10. Paris-Brest

A ring of choux pastry filled with praline-flavored cream, created to resemble a bicycle wheel in honor of a famous bicycle race. It has a rich, nutty flavor.

11. Religieuse

Two choux puffs, one large and one small, stacked to resemble a nun in her habit. Both are filled with flavored cream and decorated with icing.

12. Saint-Honore

An elaborate dessert combining puff pastry, choux buns dipped in caramel, and piped cream. It is named after the patron saint of bakers.

Tarts and Flans

Pastry cases filled with fruit, custard, or cream.

13. Tarte Tatin

An upside-down caramelized apple tart, baked with the apples beneath the pastry and then flipped to serve. It is said to have been created by accident at a French hotel.

14. Tarte au Citron

A lemon tart with a crisp pastry shell and a smooth, tangy lemon curd filling. It is often finished plain or with a meringue topping.

15. Tarte aux Fruits

A classic fruit tart with a pastry base, a layer of pastry cream, and neatly arranged fresh fruit glazed to shine. It is as pretty as it is delicious.

16. Clafoutis

A baked dessert of fruit, traditionally cherries, set in a thick, custardy batter. It sits somewhere between a flan and a cake.

17. Flan Patissier

A thick, set custard tart popular in Parisian bakeries. It has a firm, creamy filling and a lightly caramelized top.

18. Mille-feuille

Also called a Napoleon, this pastry layers crisp puff pastry with pastry cream and is topped with icing. The name means a thousand sheets, a nod to its many layers.

Cakes and Gateaux

Layered cakes and small individual cakes found in most patisseries.

19. Opera

A refined layer cake of almond sponge soaked in coffee syrup, layered with coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache. It is finished with a glossy chocolate glaze.

20. Fraisier

A strawberry cake with sponge layers, a rich cream filling, and halved strawberries lined up around the edge. It is a classic celebration of summer fruit.

21. Madeleine

A small sponge cake baked in a shell-shaped mold, with a signature bump on top. It is light, buttery, and often flavored with lemon.

22. Financier

A small, dense almond cake made with browned butter and egg whites, traditionally baked in a rectangular shape. It has a moist crumb and a nutty flavor.

23. Gateau Basque

A cake from the Basque region with a firm, buttery crust enclosing pastry cream or black cherry jam. It is more like a filled cake than a tart.

24. Galette des Rois

A puff pastry cake filled with almond cream, served around Epiphany in January. A small charm is hidden inside, and whoever finds it is crowned for the day.

Small Pastries and Meringues

Bite-sized treats and airy confections.

25. Macaron

A delicate sandwich cookie made from almond flour and meringue, with a smooth shell and a ruffled base called the foot. It is filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam in many colors and flavors.

26. Canele

A small pastry from Bordeaux with a dark, caramelized crust and a soft, custardy center flavored with vanilla and rum. It is baked in a distinctive fluted mold.

27. Palmier

A crisp, sugary pastry made by rolling puff pastry in sugar and folding it into a palm-leaf or heart shape. It is crunchy and lightly caramelized.

28. Meringue

Whipped egg whites and sugar baked until crisp and light. French meringues are often sold as large swirls and melt pleasantly in the mouth.

29. Chouquette

A small, plain choux puff sprinkled with pearl sugar, with no filling. They are sold by the bagful and are a popular everyday snack.

30. Croquembouche

A towering cone of cream-filled choux puffs bound together with caramel, often served at weddings and celebrations. Its name refers to the crunch of the caramel.

Tips for Enjoying French Pastries

• Go early. Viennoiserie like croissants are best fresh in the morning when they are at their crispest.
• Eat delicate pastries soon. Cream-filled and layered pastries are at their best the day they are bought.
• Pair with coffee. A simple espresso or cafe au lait is the traditional partner for most of these treats.
• Try a variety. Many bakeries sell smaller or individual sizes, so you can sample several in one visit.

Final Thoughts

French pastry is a world of butter, cream, and careful technique, but ordering it does not have to be intimidating. With these 30 French pastries explained, you can walk into any patisserie and know exactly what you are looking at, whether you reach for a humble chouquette or a showstopping croquembouche.