French desserts for Valentine’s Day

Whether you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, I like to think of this day as a perfect excuse to treat yourself and/or your loved one(s)! From decadent chocolate-forward French desserts (cake, pots de crème, mousse and truffles) to the classic Crème Brûlée and show-stopping Tarte Tatin, I have rounded up my favorite dessert recipes from the blog to make for Valentine’s Day, to treat yourselves.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve made one (or several) of them, and which one is your favorite. Enjoy, and bon appétit !

Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake

A Classic of the French repertoire, a Chocolate Moelleux Cake is a decadent and intensely chocolatey cake, relying on only a few ingredients: eggs, sugar and a solid amount of butter and good-quality dark chocolate. Made with no flour, hence naturally gluten-free, this cake combines the richness of chocolate cake with the airiness of a mousse. A must for all chocolate lovers! 

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Classic French Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée (which translates to “burnt cream”) is one of the most raved about French desserts of all time – and for good reason. The two contrasting layers of luscious vanilla cream under a crackly caramelized sugar top are a match made in heaven and make this dessert stand out from all the others.

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Classic French Chocolate Mousse

Decadent yet elegant, a Classic French Chocolate Mousse is a must in your repertoire as a French host(ess), or just to treat yourself. This timeless dessert relies on only a few ingredients – chocolate, eggs, butter and sugar – to create a smooth, airy texture with intense chocolatey taste. It is a great make-ahead dessert to serve in individual cups.

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Thin Apple Tart (Tarte fine Aux Pommes)

This Tarte Fine aux Pommes – literally “Thin Apple Tart” – is a French bakery staple in the Fall. It features a thin puff-pastry crust with no raised borders, thin apple slices for topping and crisp caramelized edges. I love how it’s quickly put together, requires no tart pan, yet makes for an utterly delicious and elegant dessert. It’s light, flaky and best enjoyed by hand.

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Classic Chocolate Pots de Crème

These little Chocolate Pots de Crème are incredibly simple to make at home and are Perfect for making ahead too. You can pop them in the fridge for as long as two days, and serve them when needed.

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Classic French Pear Cake

This Classic French Pear Cake features tender pear chunks nestled in a light and airy crumb, flavored with almond extract. Right before baking, the cake gets dusted with sugar to create a signature crackly top. It’s super-easy to make and is just sweet enough, with a delightful more-pear-than-crumb-ratio. If you love pears, this recipe will become a staple in your repertoire. 

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Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

This Classic French Pear Cake features tender pear chunks nestled in a light and airy crumb, flavored with almond extract. Right before baking, the cake gets dusted with sugar to create a signature crackly top. It’s super-easy to make and is just sweet enough, with a delightful more-pear-than-crumb-ratio. If you love pears, this recipe will become a staple in your repertoire. 

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Lemon-Lime Basil Tart

This Lemon-Lime Basil Tart is a summer twist on my Classic French Tarte au Citron, which is one of the most popular recipes on this blog. The basil infused lime filling tastes both fresh and creamy, and is the perfect pairing to a crisp buttery pâte sucrée, made the true French way. 

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Roasted Hazelnut Financiers

While classic French financiers are typically made from ground almonds, these Roasted Hazelnut Financiers are made from – you guessed it – roasted hazelnuts, to help provide bolder flavors. This variation on these iconic French bite-sized cakes is a favorite of mine for its perfectly-matched notes of nutty brown butter and rich, toasty hazelnuts. 

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This Biscoff Tiramisu, knowned as “Ch’tiramisu” is the French answer to Tiramisu. This popular Northern French dessert is made from layers of mascarpone cream and coffee soaked speculoos cookies – giving it a subtly spiced and warming flavor. This simple yet utterly delicious twist on the famous treat is a great no-bake dessert that’s even better when made in advance. What’s not to love?

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French Antilles Coconut Flan (Flan Coco)

Known in France as “Flan Coco”, this famous Coconut Flan hails from the French Antilles. With the exotic flavors of coconut milk, shredded coconut and vanilla, this recipe may be a stretch from what you would expect of a classic French dessert, yet it is a very popular flan in mainland France too. Most French (myself included) love to indulge in the cuisine from the French Antilles Islands, and this flan may be one of their most beloved recipes to recreate at home.

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French Bakery Beignets

Unfussy, sugary and fried. French Bakery Beignets are nothing like what you’d expect from French pastries, yet they are quintessentially French. These plump buttery pillows rolled in sugar and filled with jams are found on most bakery stalls in France and are kids’ favorites at the time of the “goûter” ( mid-afternoon snack). They are also very popular during street fairs and carnivals across the country. Such an irresistible treat! 

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Classic French Chocolate Truffles

Homemade chocolate truffles are as decadent as they are simple to make. These bite-sized chocolate confections are made with only 4 ingredients, yet they’re blissfully elegant and so delicious. They’re creamy, melt-in-your-mouth and will satisfy all chocolate lovers’ cravings. They’re a luxurious treat that makes the perfect gift, or to serve as an after-dinner dessert.

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Apple Tarte Tatin

As apple tarts go in France, I don’t think you’ll find more iconic than the classic Tarte Tatin. This tart of caramelized apples and crisp buttery crust turned upside-down, is an icon of French cuisine and a must to have in your baking repertoire as a French host(ess). But don’t be confused, a Tarte Tatin is not French for apple tart. A Tarte Tartin is in fact a very particular kind of French apple tart.

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Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Few things can satisfy your sweet-tooth more than a quick, easy and extremely delicious chocolate cake. And for this, this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake hits the mark with a bulls-eye. Made with olive oil instead of butter, its yields a deep dark chocolate taste, intensified by the richness of olive oil. It tastes very chocolatey, yet has an airy and light texture that makes it suited for any occasion, any toppings and any season.

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