France has the best desserts worldwide. As a Codon Bleu alumni chef, Anthony Rosemond founded Pastreez (an online macaron bakery) back in 2017 in the United States. Over the years, customers have always asked him what the top 5 most delicious classic French desserts are. Here is his official list!

1. Macarons

These small, round, sweet meringue-based macaroons, filled in the center, are light and crisp on the outside and soft in the center. Macaroons are the most popular type of cookie in Paris. They are also popular in the rest of the world. They appear with different fillings and in various sizes, colors and flavors.

2. Éclair

These elongated pastries with an appealing glaze, a crispy exterior, a soft doughy interior, and a sweet, creamy center originated in France at the turn of the 20th century. Most food historians believe they were invented by Marie-Antoine Carême, a famous French chef. Éclairs (French for lightning) are believed to have received their name because of how the light would reflect off of them after a coating of confectioner’s glaze. The oldest recipe for these tasty treats can be found in the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, published in 1884. Today, éclairs are becoming increasingly popular in France and throughout the world and have begun to sport new fillings such as green tea and lemon cream.

3. Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a pastry French dessert consisting of fruits, usually black cherry, placed in a greased pan and coated with a chocolate soufflé dough. A thick cream core is covered with a distinctive coating of firm chocolate in crème brûlée. The delicate and puffy structure of French pastries is also another prevalent feature. Marshmallows and custards are good examples. In French pastries, the custard is a popular component. This adds richness and creaminess to delicacies like crêpes à la crème et crème clafoutis.

4. Soufflé

This incredibly popular French delicacy is enjoyed all over the globe both ways – sweet and savory. Soufflé is a crowd-pleasing dessert renowned among chefs for its rigorous texture and famous among foodies for its light and dainty taste. A pudding cream base is the main element in sweet Soufflé, typically filled with the sauce in the middle while served as a dessert in the ramekins on the table. On the other hand, savory soufflé is cooked with ingredients like cheese, crab, and onions, and it is usually served as an appetizer with the main course.

5. Crème brûlée

This traditional egg custard dessert consists of egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla, with a hard, burnt, toffee crust. The combination is cooked, transferred into ramekins, poached in a bain-marie, then well chilled. The chilled custard is typically set in wide, flat dishes, and is then topped with brown sugar which is either caramelized under a broiler or with a blowtorch. The origins of the dish are quite unclear, and England, Spain, and France all claim to have invented it. However, most food historians agree that custards were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, and recipes for custards circulated throughout Europe for centuries.