If you’ve got a sweet tooth, Paris is THE place for you. There are so MANY amazing bakeries and pastry shops around the city, and restaurants ALSO have incredibly tempting dessert options. Your problem won’t be in finding a tasty treat – it’ll be deciding which one to order. There’s something for all tastes, from lighter fruit tarts to decadent chocolate delights. But if you’re looking for something cozy, you can’t go wrong with these best French comfort desserts when it’s chilly outside.
I’ve included my favorites on this list as well as where you can find them, either on the fly at bakeries or at sit-down restaurants.
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Image Courtesy of Mie Mie via Instagram
Tarte tatin
I have to start with my ultimate FAVORITE French dessert, which is this super delicious upside-down pie. Made with caramelized apples, it’s usually served heated up, so it’s a fantastic comfort food. Instead of ice cream, it generally comes with a small bowl or dollop of thick cream. Although apples are in season in autumn, you can find the dessert year-round at restaurants.
It’s pretty popular in Paris, so you’ll spot it on a LOT of dessert menus at restaurants, but if you want an extra delicious one, go to Au Petit Cheval à Fer, a great old-school bistro in the Marais. Because this dessert is usually served warm, you won’t find it at many bakeries, but Mie Mie, in the 11th arrondissement, makes a lovely mini version in autumn and winter.
Image Courtesy of Brasserie des Près via Instagram
Paris-Brest
Nut desserts feel really cozy to me, and the one French nutty dessert that I personally go crazy for is the Paris-Brest. The super tasty dessert was created in honor of a famous French bike race that goes between Paris and Brest, a city on the west coast of the country. The traditional version is made of two pieces of choux pastry in the shape of a bike wheel sandwiched together with a thick praline cream, usually made with hazelnuts and almonds.
The Brasserie des Près, in the St-Germain neighborhood and which is included on Day 2 of our Paris Itinerary, has an AMAZING Paris-Brest, with grilled hazelnuts and a caramel drizzle, which makes it even more delicious than the classic recipe.
You’ll also find Paris-Brests at many bakeries, like at Yann Couvreur, who has a few shops around the city.
Crêpe Suzette
Sometimes called a “crêpe flambée,” a crêpe Suzette is a very popular type of dessert crêpe. The crêpe is lathered or filled with a caramelized sugar and butter sauce and is splashed with an orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. The crêpe is then set on fire as it’s being served to you – it’s super warming!
Most sit-down crêperies will serve one or more types of crêpe flamblée, but I like the ones at Crêperie de Josselin, a very traditional venue down in the Montparnasse area, and Café Breizh, which has a bunch of locations around the city.
Image Courtesy of Auberge Bressane
Soufflé au Chocolat
If I think of the absolute best French comfort desserts, Soufflés definitely spring to mind. Airy and rich at the same time, soufflés are a very classic French dessert, but you actually won’t find them at tons of places around the city, likely because the fluffy egg-based dessert requires a LOT of precision in the kitchen to get it right.
But you won’t be disappointed with the soufflés at the Auberge Bressane. A super cozy place in itself, the restaurant has a to-die-for chocolate soufflé. It isn’t too far away from the Eiffel Tower and is a great place for dinner at the end of the walking route of Day 2 of our Paris Itinerary.
Tarte aux figs
Even though my favorite is the tarte tatin, France has a whole bunch of FANTASTIC fruit desserts, and my second pick would be a fig tart. You might see a few varieties, but it’s usually a simple tart, with a round flat piece of puff pastry topped with slices of figs and often drizzled in honey, but I’ve also seen ones with cream beneath the figs.
Figs are in season from late summer to early fall, so you’ll find fig tarts in bakeries and on restaurant menus at this time of year. Les Petits Mitrons, a tiny Montmartre pastry shop that specializes in fruit tarts, makes AMAZING fig tarts, so you can pick up a slice to enjoy on your wanderings around the area.
Image Courtesy of Bouillon Pigalle via Instagram
Profiteroles
This popular delicacy is definitely one of the best French comfort desserts. It’s made of choux pastry balls, which are filled with vanilla ice cream (or thick cream), and then draped with hot chocolate sauce. It’s so so comforting on a chilly autumn or winter day in Paris.
You’ll only find Profiteroles at restaurants because it’s a bit complicated and messy. It isn’t on as many restaurant menus as a tarte tatin, but you’ll see it now and then. If you want to try it, go to the Bouillon Pigalle or Bouillon République. It’s always on the menu, and it’s very affordable here too.
Image Courtesy of Le Comptoir des Madeleines via Instagram
Madeleines
You know those treats that make you think of childhood? Well, for many French people, it’s a Madeleine, so that’s why I’ve included it on this list. Sort of in between a sponge cake and a soft cookie, Madeleines are in the shape of a long shell. They’re great for dipping or eating with a hot coffee you might have grabbed in between sightseeing to warm up a bit.
A fair number of bakeries sell madeleines, but if you want to try the best, go to Le Comptoir des Madeleines, a tiny take-away place in South Pigalle, or Gilles Marchal, an award-winning pastry chef in Montmartre. Both places specialize in Madeleines, and they’re SO TASTY. They’ve got a few different flavors, but I LOVE caramel and lemon.
Image Courtesy of Plaq via Instagram
Fondant au Chocolat
Another really popular dessert here in Paris is this super-rich lava cake. It’s always served heated, so it’s another of the best French comfort desserts. The French LOVE Fondant au Chocolat, so you’ll see it on a lot of dessert menus. But you have to be a little careful because there’s another chocolate cake that you might also see, a moelleux au chocolat. This is a soft chocolate cake that doesn’t have a gooey center, but is also really yummy.
You can get a fabulous fondant au chocolat at Marlette, a nice brunch spot with a location in South Pigalle and one in Montmartre. If you’re a serious chocolate-lover, then you should really go to Plaq, a fantastic chocolate shop that uses top-notch chocolate in their fondants.
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