Have you tried French cookie recipes? If not, here are our best French cookies you can make at home—and don’t worry, most of these cookies are straightforward to put together yet big in flavors!
When you think of French food, your mind probably goes to that ultra-comforting beef burgundy, chicken cordon bleu, croissants, or pear tart.
Though these classic delights are inarguably delectable, your daily dose of satisfaction doesn’t stop there.
Behold, fancy French cookies!
From delicate, little Madeleines and Gaulettes to festive Bredele and flavorful Canistrelli, these traditional French cookies are topnotch, full of sweet or savory indulgence, and truly crowd-pleasing!
If you prefer something crunchy and simple, don’t miss out #18 French cookie recipe—you can partner the baked goods with wine, too.
1. Madeleines
They may have a classy name and intimidating appearance; these madeleines are incredibly facile.
You heard it correctly!
All you need is to combine eggs, sugar, lemon zest, melted butter, and vanilla to create the batter, chill it, place the mixture into the pan, then bake.
To serve, sprinkle these little delights with some confectioners’ sugar, then dunk them in a cup of hot coffee.
Also dubbed as gullets, Gaulettes are a Christmas staple made from butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and baking powder.
But in this version, almond extract and salt are included in the mix to add more flavor.
They’re thick, chewy, and satisfyingly tasty!
Drizzle these treats with melted dark, milk, or white chocolate on top to make them extraordinary.
3. Palmiers
You wouldn’t believe that these palmiers only require two basic ingredients: sugar and puff pastry.
They’re delicious since the day they came out of your oven, but you can store them in an airtight container for later consumption too.
They may look simple, but don’t forget their crispy goodness and dark golden brown hue.
Also, you’ll love the crunch of the sugar and that flaky, buttery layer that beautifully melts on your tongue.
There’s a lot more going on these tiny cookies—they’re thin, delicate, crispy, and packed with slivered almonds, candied orange, and chocolate.
Who can say “no” to these?
The challenging part of creating these Florentines is to ensure that they’re similar in shape after baking.
Dip the bottom of each florentine in melted chocolate and say délicieux!
Looking for something to pair with your afternoon cup of tea or espresso?
These decadent French butter cookies will be your next dessert fix!
The recipe calls for granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and all-purpose flour combined to make a dough then bake it to golden brown perfection.
With creamy and custardy buttercream and festive macarons, these mouth-watering cookies are sure to fulfill your sweet tooth.
The inclusion of vanilla extract into the macaron filling adds that noticeably sugary and flavor, while the secret behind the sweetness of the cookies is granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
Pro tip: French macarons should be in the refrigerator for a day or two to allow its filling to soften inside the shells.
Cookies are seemingly more enjoyable with creamy filling.
And if you crown them with chocolate topping? La perfection!
The best part?
This pne is a no-bake recipe.
These delectable eclair cookies give your classic bite-sized treat a fun spin.
The key is the addition of cream cheese in the mixture, as this helps keep the filling from getting mushy.
The ingredient adds that nice and rich mouthfeel, too!
I warn you; these French toast sugar cookies are sinfully delicious and laden with pillowy clouds of cinnamon and maple goodness.
These sweet treats will disappear from the dessert table in minutes!
To create the frosting, simply mix butter, powdered sugar, milk, and maple extract.
When serving, pair these cookies with a cup of milk or coffee.
Short on flour, butter, and time? Don’t worry because I have a solution for you. Ta-da,
Chocolate meringues!
What I love about them is that they feature that nice, crispy exterior and super fudgy interior.
Also, most chocolate meringue cookie recipes call for cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
Still, this version only uses melted chocolate, resulting in that intensely chocolatey and melt-in-your-mouth indulgence.
One bite of these simple yet scrumptious French Palmiers is full of surprises.
Apart from their superb flavor and texture, these crunchy baked goods came from two ingredients: quick puff pastry and granulated sugar.
To make, just roll out the puff pastry on a sugar-coated surface.
Fold the top and bottom of the pastry to the center and let it rest for 30 minutes in the freezer.
Cut it into slices, then bake!
This recipe is for all the caramel lovers out there.
The macarons are filled with caramel buttercream and embellished with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
OMG!
Sprinkle flaky sea salt on your macaron shells if you prefer that sweet-salty flavor to your baked goods.
It’s up to you.
These brown delights are sandwiched together with indulgent chocolate ganache filling.
Plus, the recipe has endless possibilities when it comes to variations.
Feel free to fill your macaron shells with salted caramel, Nutella, buttercream frosting, or how about a sweet raspberry jam?
Sign me up!
The popular aromatics, such as cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, unite to lend a depth of fall flavor and color to these top-level madeleines.
The secret to that perfect madeleines with delicate textural nuance is chilling the mixture around an hour before baking to let the flavors meld.
Also, don’t spread the mixture in the mold, as this can burn the edges.
To bake these French-inspired cookies, you must gather egg yolks, confectioner’s sugar, salted butter, flour, and baking powder.
If desired, you can flavor your cookies with vanilla, lemon, or orange zest.
Pro tip: Ensure that your butter is at room temperature but not melted to avoid ruining the dough.
These pistachio macarons instantly bring back memories of making this recipe together with family during the holidays.
They’re super yummy!
These delightful macarons have buttercream made from finely ground pistachios, salted butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and almond extract.
Pro tip: To store them, place the macarons in an airtight container and slide them in your refrigerator for a few weeks.
16. Palets De Dames
This one is bound to be a hit with everyone!
The recipe starts by creaming butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Then combine the mixture with eggs, flour, and rum-soaked currants.
Once you finish making the dough, you need to chill it for at least an hour.
Form the mixture into evenly sized balls and bake them until the edges of the palets are golden.
Don’t forget to top them with icing!
17. Bredele
These classic bite-sized treats deserve a spot on your holiday table.
Or make the cute cookies and keep them fresh in tin boxes until Christmas Eve!
This recipe requires four ingredients, but you can add more things into the mix like coconut almonds, hazelnuts, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon zest, or cocoa for extra flavor.
18. Boudoirs
You won’t find a more straightforward French cookie recipe than these homemade boudoirs.
To make these crunchy and elongated goodies, you need flour, sugar, yeast, and granulated sugar topping.
They’re delicious on their own, but these biscuits are more enjoyable alongside wine or champagne.
If you’ve never tried Canistrelli, then it’s time to give it a try!
Packed with flavors of dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, myrtle, and bay leaf, these bite-sized cookies are delightfully delicious!
This recipe calls for chestnut flour, which provides that earthy and sweet flavor profile.
If you don’t have it on hand, substitute the ingredient with whole wheat flour instead.
The bottom line
French cuisine is famed across the globe for its rich and smooth-flavored dishes and visually appealing recipes.
If you’re new to this whole thing and want some French recipes from your collection, then you should start with this epic list of French cookies recipes.
Some of these dishes are easy to put together.
Are you a huge fan of chocolate?
Consider making chocolate meringues and chocolate macarons!
Or bring the wonder of the fall season to your table by serving some gingerbread madeleines.
Bon appétit!
19 French Cookie Recipes
Here are the best French cookie recipes you can make at home—most of these goodies are straightforward to make yet big in flavors
Ingredients
- Madeleines
- Gaulettes
- Palmiers
- Chocolate-Dipped Almond Florentines
- French Butter Cookies
- French Macarons
- Eclair Cookies
- French Toast Sugar Cookies
- Fudgy Double Chocolate Meringues
- Palmiers Quick Puff Pastry
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Macarons
- Chocolate Macarons
- Gingerbread Madeleines
- Sablés Bretons Cookies
- Pistachio Macarons
- Palets De Dames
- Bredele
- Boudoirs
- Chestnut And Herb Canistrelli
Instructions
- Choose one or more options from our list of French cookie recipes here!
- Create your new favorite dish.
- Pat yourself on the back for making food at home!
- Share and comment! Did you make any tweaks so it’s all your own?