There’s no better way to celebrate French cuisine and culture than with some classic French cooking. The French are known for their sweet pastries, like eclairs and profiteroles, decadent desserts such as crème caramel and crème brûlée, and warming mains such as coq au vin and beef bourguignon that go perfectly with a glass of red wine.
In our collection of fabulous French recipes, we’ve included all of these plus sweet profiteroles, cheese soufflé, ratatouille, and more!
01
Brown butter chocolate croissants
Brown butter chocolate croissants
Looking for a weekend baking project? This recipe is fairly technical, but can be broken down and completed over two days if you like.
02
Cheat’s coq au vin
Escape to the villas of rural France with all the delicious flavours of coq au vin but only 20 minutes of the cooking time.
03
Spaghettini niçoise
Combining the flavours of a French nicoise salad with a tangy lemon mustard dressing, this simple spaghettini meal makes for a fresh weeknight dinner.
04
French onion soup with gruyère croûtons
French onion soup with gruyère croûtons
Warm up with a bowl of this delicious caramelised onion soup with crispy cheese toasts.
05
Cheesy gnocchi French onion soup
Cheesy gnocchi French onion soup
We used store-bought gnocchi to make this cheesy gnocchi French onion soup! This recipe marries two of your dinner favourites to make a simple, budget-friendly, weeknight dinner.
06
Cinnamon sugar palmiers
These traditional Parisian specialties are named after a palm tree because, when baked, they resemble palm fronds. Palmiers were probably invented as a clever way to make use of puff pastry scraps; quick and easy, they’re great for afternoon tea
07
Ham and cheese croquettes
The classic combination of oozy ham and cheese centre with a crunchy breadcrumb coating and served with a home-made tomato sauce.
08
Profiteroles
This French pastry is traditionally served plain, or with a chocolate ganache topping but we also love them with a sticky and sweet toffee, a coffee and caramel version as well as a crushed berries and cream option.
09
Caramelised apple clafoutis
Clafoutis is originally from the Limousin region of central France where, in the local dialect, it translates as “brimming over”. It is one of the easiest desserts to make: a sweet batter is poured into a baking dish “brimming” with the fruit of your choice, and baked.
10
Creme brulee praline tarts
We gave the classic French dessert a minor makeover with this crème brulee praline tart recipe. They’re too easy to eat!
11
Fresh apple soufflés
The fresh flavour of these airy apple soufflés is perfectly suited to the lightness of this classic dessert. Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce or brandy butter if you like.
12
How to make a classic béchamel sauce
How to make a classic béchamel sauce
Béchamel is one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine – the other four being hollandaise, espagnole, tomat, and velouté – and is perfect in lasagne, or to make a creamy cauliflower gratin.
13
Profiteroles with chocolate sauce
Profiteroles with chocolate sauce
Packed with Chantilly cream and topped with a sweet chocolate sauce, this decadent profiterole recipe is a true delight!
14
Classic Beef Bourguignon
So much more than just a beef stew, boeuf à la Bourguignonne, is an iconic French recipe known for its rich and warming flavour.
15
Vichyssoise
Vichyssoise is that classic French creamy potato and leek soup which is generally served cold. You can also use Desiree or Pink Fir Apple potatoes for this recipe.
16
Caramel éclairs
This éclair is the ultimate treat with a light choux pastry, filled with whipped cream and topped with a thick layer of caramel glaze.
17
How to make choux pastry
If there’s one thing that the French do well, it’s their delicious pastries and desserts. Learn how to make classic choux pastry, best used in desserts like eclairs and profiteroles.
18
Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is a practical and inexpensive recipe to have in your repertoire. And the fact that it’s jam-packed with bacon just makes it a win all round.
19
Ratatouille stew
No need to go to a French restaurant when you have this simple Rataouille stew recipe. Serve by itself or as a side to a roast leg of lamb.
20
Croque monsieur
More than your average cheese toastie, the iconic French croque monsieur is made with gruyère and prosciutto and a hint of mustard for an next-level feed.
21
Coq au vin
Richly flavoured with bacon, mushroom, garlic, and wine – this authentic coq au vin is a classic winter warmer.
22
crepes
With this reliable recipe for classic French crèpes within reach, you’ll never wonder what to make for breakfast again.
23
Provençale mussels
Also known as moules provençale, this recipe for French mussels are made with tomatoes, herbs and garlic for a truly French seafood experience.
24
Baked brie
Garlic studded with an oozing molten centre, baked brie is a next level cheese platter recipe.
25
souffle
Lighter than air, and notoriously temperamental, soufflé ranks among one of the most iconic French baked treats. Whether you prefer a sweet dessert soufflé, like this mandarin chai soufflé recipe, or a savoury spin like this gruyère soufflé there is a soufflé for every occasion!
26
Slow-cooked beef rib bourguignon
Slow-cooked beef rib bourguignon
The addition of tender beef ribs in this traditional French dish brings a wonderful flavour and texture to the classic beef bourguignon.
27
french toast
French toast with poached cherries
This gorgeous eggy French toast is served with poached cherries and a hearty dollop of Greek yoghurt.
28
Slow-cooker lamb chops with ratatouille
Slow-cooker lamb chops with ratatouille
By cooking this delicious dinner of lamb chops and ratatouille you can achieve the most tender meat, and richly flavoured veggies for a truly warming meal.
29
Strawberry flan with apricot liqueur glaze
Strawberry flan with apricot liqueur glaze
Big, beautiful strawberries nestled on top of crème pâtissière in a delicious buttery flan pastry and brushed with a sweet apricot glaze is the epitome of decadent, yet simple, French baking. This strawberry flan is a must-make!
30
Hollandaise sauce
You can’t have an eggs benedict without a generous drizzle of hollandaise sauce! This classic French sauce is also delicious served with steak or a fillet of crispy skinned salmon.
31
creme caramel
Tender and sweet crème caramel is an unbeatably iconic French dessert. This recipe makes one large crème caramel that’s made to be shared.
32
brioche
The unmistakably fluffy and soft texture of brioche is owed to the generous amounts of butter and eggs used in this French recipe. It’s slightly sweet flavour lends it to inclusion in both savoury dishes – like hamburgers – or sweet dishes like tender French toast.
33
creme brulee
With its toffeed surface and rich baked custard filling, creme brulee is arguably the most loved of all French desserts. If you don’t have a kitchen torch you can caramelised the tops under a very hot grill.
34
pan bagnat
The pan bagnat (pronounced with a French accent, more like “pahn bahn-yuh”) is a classic sandwich from Nice (pronounced like “niece”) and features many ingredients familiar to us from the popular salad Niçoise.
35
eclairs
Nothing delights like a chocolate eclair! Light choux pastry, filled with cream and glazed with glossy dark chocolate – what’s not to love?
36
pommes anna
In true French fashion, the addition of garlic and butter to this simple potato dish turns it into something truly remarkable. If you haven’t yet tried pommes Anna, now is your chance.
37
macarons
Not to be confused with macaroons, the French macaron is a naturally gluten-free sweet biscuit available in a whole rainbow of flavours. From the classic chocolate macaron to more adventurous cappuccino macarons, peppermint or even cinnamon and sour cherry macarons – there is something for everyone.
38
French onion soup with gruyère toast
French onion soup with gruyère toast
As it cooks, the onions in French onion soup caramelise and transform from the stingy, sharp flavour of fresh onion to a rich, slightly sweet flavour instead. French onion soup is a simple, yet satisfying dish, especially when served with crisp gruyère toast.