French pastry cases hold more than croissants. Behind every bakery window in Paris sits a tray of small, buttery cookies that French home bakers have been making for generations, from crackly-topped macarons to crumbly sablés that practically dissolve on your tongue.
The best French cookies to bake at home span a huge range of textures and skill levels, so the right one for you depends on what you’re craving and how much patience you have for technique. Some, like palmiers, need just puff pastry and sugar. Others, like macarons, reward careful measuring and a little practice.
This roundup covers 19 classic French cookies with the details you need to bake each one: ingredients, exact temperatures, and step-by-step methods that work in a home kitchen.
Quick picks:
- Best for beginners: Sablés Diamant, a simple slice-and-bake shortbread
- Best showstopper: French Macarons, worth the learning curve
- Best for gifting: Petits Beurre, sturdy and classic
- Best with coffee: Almond Tuiles, thin and nutty
1. French Macarons
French macarons are the cookie most people picture when they think of French baking, with their smooth domed tops and ruffled “feet.”
Yield: 24 sandwich cookies | Prep: 40 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes at 300°F
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Food coloring (optional)
Method:
- Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together.
- Whip egg whites with salt until foamy, then add granulated sugar gradually until stiff peaks form.
- Fold dry ingredients into egg whites until batter flows like lava.
- Pipe rounds onto parchment, rest 30 minutes, then bake 15 minutes.
- Cool completely before filling with buttercream or jam.
2. Madeleines
Madeleines are small shell-shaped cakes with a signature hump, buttery and light with a hint of lemon.
Yield: 18 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes plus 1 hour chilling | Cook: 10 minutes at 375°F
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Method:
- Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Fold in flour and baking powder.
- Stir in melted butter and lemon zest, then chill batter 1 hour.
- Spoon into a greased madeleine pan and bake 10 minutes until edges turn golden.
For more butter-rich classics from the French breakfast table, check out our best French breakfast foods.
3. Sablés Bretons
Sablés Bretons hail from Brittany and taste like a cross between shortbread and pound cake, rich with salted butter.
Yield: 20 cookies | Prep: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chilling | Cook: 15 minutes at 350°F
Ingredients:
- 3 egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
- Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale.
- Mix in softened butter, then fold in flour and baking powder.
- Chill dough 1 hour, roll to ½-inch thick, cut into rounds.
- Bake 15 minutes until edges turn golden brown.
4. Palmiers
Palmiers get their heart shape from folded puff pastry rolled in sugar, baking up crisp, caramelized, and flaky.
Yield: 24 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes at 400°F
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
Method:
- Sprinkle work surface with sugar, roll out pastry on top.
- Sprinkle more sugar over pastry, fold both long edges toward the center twice.
- Slice into ½-inch pieces and lay cut-side up on a baking sheet.
- Bake 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden and caramelized.
See more flaky bakes like this one in our best puff pastry desserts.
5. Almond Tuiles
Almond tuiles are paper-thin, lacy cookies draped over a rolling pin while warm to create their signature curve.
Yield: 18 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 8 minutes at 375°F
Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
Method:
- Whisk egg whites and sugar until smooth.
- Fold in flour, butter, and almonds.
- Spread thin ovals onto parchment and bake 8 minutes until edges brown.
- Drape warm cookies over a rolling pin to curve, then cool.
6. Financiers
Financiers are small, moist almond cakes baked with browned butter, giving them a nutty, toffee-like depth.
Yield: 12 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes at 400°F
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 egg whites
Method:
- Brown butter in a saucepan until nutty and golden, then cool slightly.
- Whisk powdered sugar, almond flour, and all-purpose flour together.
- Stir in egg whites, then the browned butter.
- Pour into financier molds and bake 15 minutes until golden.
7. Langues de Chat
Langues de chat, meaning “cat’s tongues,” are thin, crisp cookies with soft centers, often paired with afternoon tea.
Yield: 24 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 8 minutes at 375°F
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
- Cream butter and sugar until light.
- Beat in egg whites and vanilla.
- Fold in flour until smooth.
- Pipe thin strips onto parchment and bake 8 minutes until edges turn golden.
8. Biscuits Roses de Reims
Biscuits Roses de Reims are pink, crisp champagne cookies from the Champagne region, traditionally dunked in bubbly or coffee.
Yield: 20 cookies | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 12 minutes at 320°F
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Few drops red food coloring
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Method:
- Whip egg whites with half the sugar to stiff peaks.
- Beat yolks with remaining sugar and coloring, then fold into whites.
- Fold in flour and baking powder.
- Pipe logs, dust with powdered sugar, and bake 12 minutes.
9. Navettes de Marseille
Navettes are boat-shaped, orange-blossom-scented cookies from Marseille, firm enough to dunk without falling apart.
Yield: 16 cookies | Prep: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes resting | Cook: 20 minutes at 350°F
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
- Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Add olive oil, eggs, and orange blossom water, kneading into a smooth dough.
- Rest 30 minutes, then shape into small boat forms with a slit on top.
- Bake 20 minutes until pale gold.
10. Croquants aux Amandes
Croquants aux amandes are twice-baked almond cookies, hard and crunchy, similar in spirit to Italian biscotti.
Yield: 20 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 35 minutes at 325°F
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
- Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Stir in eggs and almonds to form a stiff dough.
- Shape into two logs and bake 20 minutes.
- Cool slightly, slice diagonally, and bake slices 15 more minutes until dry and crisp.
11. Petits Beurre
Petits Beurre are the classic rectangular butter biscuits found in nearly every French pantry, sturdy with a clean, milky-butter flavor.
Yield: 24 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes plus 30 minutes chilling | Cook: 12 minutes at 375°F
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
Method:
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Mix in flour, milk, and salt until a smooth dough forms.
- Chill 30 minutes, roll thin, and cut into rectangles.
- Prick with a fork and bake 12 minutes until lightly golden.
12. Sablés Diamant
Sablés Diamant are slice-and-bake shortbread rolled in coarse sugar, giving each edge a sparkly, diamond-like crunch.
Yield: 30 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes plus 1 hour chilling | Cook: 12 minutes at 350°F
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Coarse sugar for rolling
Method:
- Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
- Mix in flour and salt to form a dough.
- Shape into logs, roll in coarse sugar, and chill 1 hour.
- Slice into rounds and bake 12 minutes until edges are golden.
For another easy slice-and-bake option, the classic 3 ingredient shortbread cookies make a good companion recipe.
13. Lunettes de Romans
Lunettes de Romans are “little glasses” cookies, two shortbread rounds sandwiched with jam showing through a cut-out window.
Yield: 16 sandwich cookies | Prep: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chilling | Cook: 12 minutes at 350°F
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- ½ cup raspberry jam
Method:
- Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg.
- Mix in flour to form a dough and chill 1 hour.
- Roll out, cut rounds, and cut small windows in half of them.
- Bake 12 minutes, cool, then sandwich with jam.
14. Punitions
Punitions are plain, crisp French sugar cookies, thin and simple, named playfully as the “punishment” cookies kids got as treats.
Yield: 24 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes plus 30 minutes chilling | Cook: 10 minutes at 350°F
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Method:
- Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg.
- Mix in flour and baking powder.
- Chill dough 30 minutes, roll thin, and cut into rounds.
- Bake 10 minutes until pale and just set at the edges.
15. French Meringues
French meringues are light, crisp clouds made from whipped egg whites and sugar, baked low and slow until dry.
Yield: 20 small meringues | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 90 minutes at 200°F
Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Method:
- Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy.
- Add sugar gradually, beating until glossy stiff peaks form.
- Pipe or spoon small mounds onto parchment.
- Bake 90 minutes, then turn off oven and let meringues cool inside with the door closed.
16. Spritzbredele
Spritzbredele are Alsatian piped butter cookies, pressed through a cookie press into pretty shapes for the holidays.
Yield: 30 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes at 350°F
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
- Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and vanilla.
- Mix in flour until dough is smooth but firm.
- Load into a cookie press and pipe shapes onto a baking sheet.
- Bake 10 minutes until edges are just golden.
17. Rochers Coco
Rochers Coco are chewy coconut macaroon rocks, often dipped halfway in dark chocolate for contrast.
Yield: 18 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 18 minutes at 325°F
Ingredients:
- 3 cups shredded coconut
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted (optional)
Method:
- Mix coconut, condensed milk, egg whites, and vanilla.
- Shape into small mounds on parchment.
- Bake 18 minutes until edges turn golden brown.
- Cool, then dip bottoms in melted chocolate if using.
18. Cigarettes Russes
Cigarettes Russes are thin, rolled wafer cookies, crisp and delicate, often served alongside mousse or ice cream.
Yield: 20 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 7 minutes at 375°F
Ingredients:
- 3 egg whites
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup melted butter
Method:
- Whisk egg whites and sugar until smooth.
- Fold in flour and melted butter.
- Spread thin circles onto parchment and bake 7 minutes until edges brown.
- Roll warm cookies around a wooden spoon handle, then cool.
19. Palets de Dames
Palets de dames are soft, round butter cookies with a thin crisp rim, often studded with rum-soaked raisins.
Yield: 20 cookies | Prep: 15 minutes plus 30 minutes soaking | Cook: 12 minutes at 375°F
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons rum
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
Method:
- Soak raisins in rum for 30 minutes.
- Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs.
- Fold in flour and drained raisins.
- Drop spoonfuls onto parchment, spreading slightly, and bake 12 minutes until edges are golden.
Tips for Baking French Cookies
French cookies reward precision more than improvisation, so weigh your ingredients when you can instead of relying only on cup measurements.
Room-temperature eggs and butter blend more smoothly, which matters for delicate batters like macarons and madeleines. Pull them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking.
Chilling dough is not optional for sablés, diamant cookies, or spritzbredele. Cold dough holds its shape and gives cleaner edges once baked.
Watch bake times closely near the end. Many of these cookies go from golden to overdone in under two minutes because of their thinness and high sugar content.
A kitchen scale and an oven thermometer make a bigger difference than any fancy pan. French baking leans on consistency, and both tools help you repeat results once you find a recipe that works.
If you want to build out a full French dessert spread, browse our best dessert recipes for ideas that pair well with a cookie plate.
How to Store French Cookies
Store French cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, and keep different textures separated so soft cookies don’t soften your crisp ones.
Crisp cookies like tuiles, langues de chat, and cigarettes russes stay crunchy for about a week when sealed tightly. A few silica packets or a slice of bread in the container can absorb stray moisture.
Soft or chewy cookies, including financiers and rochers coco, keep well for three to four days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
Macarons actually improve after a day in the fridge, as the filling softens the shells slightly and deepens the flavor. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Most of these doughs freeze well unbaked. Shape sablés or spritzbredele into logs, wrap tightly, and freeze up to three months, then slice and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
