If you need chocolate in your life, then you are in the right place! And what better way to indulge than with French chocolate desserts. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or just need a quick fix for that craving, these desserts are pure decadence!
Let’s start with cakes before diving into choux pastry desserts, tarts and more! Feel free to use the table of contents below if you’ve got something specific in mind. Otherwise, I hope this selection will leave you feeling inspired and eager to bake!
1. Lava Cake
Easy, indulgent and a definite crowd-pleaser! This recipe for two is perfect when you want to make something special but are short on time. You can make the lava cake with a chocolate ganache center to ensure there is chocolate oozing out of the cake. For a quicker version, skip the ganache and bake for slightly less time.
GET THE RECIPE>> Chocolate Lava Cake
2. Financiers
If you’ve got leftover egg whites, financiers score high on the tasty/easy scale! And the best part is you can simply add the egg whites to the financier batter and combine with a spoon! No mixer needed!
For a unique look, fold in some chocolate chips and bake in a donut pan. They’re always delicious but if you want to take them to the next level, fill the center with a milk chocolate ganache.
GET THE RECIPE>> Almond Financiers with Chocolate Ganache
For a full-on chocolate version, you can add cocoa powder to the batter and make these hazelnut chocolate financiers.
3. Chocolate Royal Cake
If you’re looking for the perfect, fancy birthday cake for chocolate lovers, this is it! Also known as Trianon cake, the Royal is a French classic composed of a hazelnut almond dacquoise (nut meringue), a praline crunch layer and a rich chocolate mousse. And for the final touch, a dusting of cocoa powder in this simplified version. Want an even fancier version? Decorate it with a chocolate cage.
GET THE RECIPE>> Chocolate Royal Cake
Next up: Choux pastry desserts with chocolate!
4. Profiteroles
Cream puffs topped with warm chocolate sauce, a classic that is sure to delight the lucky people who get to taste your treats! For a quicker version, you can fill your choux pastry with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. And if you’ve got time to spare and some leftover egg yolks, I think you’ll love them with lightened pastry cream.
GET THE RECIPE>> How to make Profiteroles
5. Religieuses
The chocolate religieuse pastry won’t fail to garner attention! Composed of two choux buns filled with chocolate pastry cream and decorated with cream, this pastry is a fun take on choux pastry desserts.
GET THE RECIPE>> Chocolate Religieuse
6. Orange Cream Puffs
This one is for the chocolate-orange combo lovers! We’re swapping the classic vanilla filling with an orange pastry cream and pairing it with a delightful chocolate shell.
GET THE RECIPE>> Orange Cream Puffs
If you’re ready to take on eclairs, then you might like to make these classic eclairs with chocolate glaze or these triple chocolate eclairs (with chocolate cremeux).
Time for some tarts!
7. Chocolate Tart
Let’s start with the basic and incredibly delicious chocolate ganache tart. In its simplest form, a chocolate tart has two components: the crust and the chocolate ganache.
You can use any tart crust you like such as pâte sucrée or pâte sablée. I love making it with the chocolate tart crust because well… even more chocolate!
The chocolate ganache is generally composed of chocolate and heavy cream. But I want you to be able to make ganache at any given time! So if you’re out of chocolate, you can make this cocoa powder ganache. And if you’re out of heavy cream or simply want a lower fat option, water ganache is actually a thing!
8. Caramel Cremeux Tart
If you love tarts but hate lining the pan, you’re going to love the caramel cremeux tart! We’ll be cutting the tart dough like cookies. And as an added bonus, this tart looks sophisticated and fabulous!
GET THE RECIPE>> Caramel Cremeux Tart
9. Pots de Crème
Rich, silky and the epitome of chocolate flavor, these milk chocolate pots de crème are the perfect addition to a special meal. This small batch recipe is easy to make and can be prepared on the stovetop for a quick version or baked in a water bath, the traditional way.
GET THE RECIPE>> Milk Chocolate Pots de Crème
10. Chocolate Mousse
It’s hard to resist chocolate mousse with its wonderful texture, full of tiny bubbles that make way for a rich chocolate flavor. There are numerous ways to make chocolate mousse. This version, made with pâte à bombe, does not include any raw eggs. If you’re not familiar with this method, you’ll find a detailed step-by-step tutorial to help you enjoy this dessert asap!
GET THE RECIPE>> Pâte à Bombe Chocolate Mousse
11. Torsades
This might not be the most chocolatey dessert out there, but since there are chocolate chips and it is delicious, I thought it qualified! So if you want an easy treat with chocolate chips, then grab some ready made puff pastry and let’s make some pastry cream. For a quicker version and more chocolate flavor, feel free to replace the pastry cream with chocolate hazelnut spread.
GET THE RECIPE>> Chocolate Twists – Torsades
And that’s it for now! I hope you’ll find your new go-to recipe in this list! I’ll keep adding more recipes because let’s face it, we can never have enough French chocolate desserts!
Other Chocolate Desserts
and even more chocolate recipes 🙂 I could talk about chocolate all day!