14 Easy French Cookies (+Recipes) (2024)

French bakeries are full of wonderful and intricate delights, and cookies are something the French know how to do well.

The world is in love with French food. The famed chef Julia Child brought delectable French recipes to the masses, and French food is often difficult to make. The ingredients can be as complex as the recipe instructions. However, there are also some easy French recipes, and these cookies are great to try.

Imagine walking through the winding streets of Paris, the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies drawing you towards a quaint patisserie. French cookies hold a special place in the hearts of locals and visitors alike. Their delectable flavors and delicate textures create a symphony of taste that lingers in your memory long after the last crumb has been devoured. French cookies not only offer a delightful treat, but also provide a window into the rich culinary history and culture of France.

As you delve deeper into the world of French cookies, you’ll discover a variety of distinctive cookies that set them apart from the typical treats. From the dainty macarons to the hearty madeleines, each type of cookie showcases unique techniques and flavors. Savor the buttery goodness of a sable Breton or indulge in the chocolate-laced wonders of a Florentine.

Exploring French cookies is not only a treat for your taste buds but also an opportunity to learn about traditional recipes, regional specialties, and the fascinating stories behind these beloved pastries. So, prepare your palate for a delicious journey through the world of French cookies and deepen your appreciation for these scrumptious works of art.

However, who has to say you must travel to France to taste these delicious treats?

In this article, I will cover 14 easy French cookies. So, next time you want to add a French twist to your baking you have some inspiration for recipes to use!

Keep reading to find out more.

1. Madeleines

There’s an ongoing debate about whether Madeleines are a cookie or a cake, but they are a delicate butter cake that most people refer to as French cookies.

However you categorize these French delights, Madeleines are made of a sponge known as a genoise in European baking, and get most of their lift and volume from beaten eggs.

Madeleines are known for their distinct scalloped shell shape and are traditionally topped with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar on top.

These French cookies are simple but absolutely delicious, and are often eaten hot in the French markets with a morning coffee. Some people even like to dip their Madeleines in their coffee!

2. Macarons

Macarons are an elegant cookie that most people associate with France. Despite their heavy ties to French culture, macarons actually originated in Italy.

The base ingredients for these French cookies are sugar, almond flour, and egg whites. A beautifully silky and shiny meringue is whipped before being piped into small discs and baked.

Traditionally, these French cookies are filled with buttercream, jam, or chocolate ganache, but the options are endless to fit your preferences.

A French macaron should have a light, delicate texture. On the outside it should be crisp and airy, on the inside it should be ever so slightly chewy.

3. Lace Cookies

It doesn’t get much more delicate than these beautiful French lace cookies. Lace cookies are wafer-thin and crunchy cookies made from butter, sugar, and almond flour amongst other ingredients. These cookies are rich, buttery, and have a distinct toffee-like texture.

When making these French cookies, the term “cookie dough” is used loosely as this is more like a cake batter.

When baked, these crunchy cookies are sweet, and you’ll be able to detect notes of brown butter and delicious caramel that is nothing short of mouthwatering!

Make these cookies extra special by sandwiching two together with a rich chocolate ganache or my favorite, Nutella.

4. French Butter Cookies

French butter cookies are another tasty treat. French butter cookies are also known as Sablé Breton in French, and are widely enjoyed throughout the whole of France.

These cookies are irresistibly crumbly and flaky, with a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This recipe celebrates butter, hence the name. Bearing this in mind, to create the most authentic cookies, it’s best if you can use a European, salted variety of butter for its premium quality. The better the quality, the better the cookies – you want the butter to shine!

Simply brush a single egg yolk on top to give these French butter cookies their glorious golden hue. You won’t be able to resist!

5. Florentines

Florentines are a delicious French cookie that feature fruit, nuts, and often chocolate. Florentines are not your standard cookie. However, what they lack in cookie dough and chocolate chips they make up for with a thin and nutty

This recipe calls for the main ingredients only, consisting of slivered almonds and candied orange that stick together through a honey-cream syrup.

These chocolate-dipped almond florentines are thin, delicate and crispy, and are the perfect indulgent cookies for any special occasion.

These French cookies are perfect on the side of a coffee, as a snack, and also make a great dessert.

6. Palmiers

Palmiers are simple, yet exquisite French cookies. The best thing about palmiers is that they look so intricate one would assume that they’d involve hundreds of steps, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you don’t have much baking experience, these French cookies couldn’t be simpler to make as they only contain two ingredients: Puff pastry and sugar.

The taste of these French cookies is rich and buttery, while the texture is thin and crispy. Your guests won’t be able to get enough of these simple yet delicious treats.

Bake until golden brown and glazed. Serve warm or cool and enjoy!

7. French Waffle Cookies

It doesn’t get much better than waffles and cookies, so what about trying a hybrid of both with these French waffle cookies?

These French waffle cookies are a crowd-pleaser, drawing inspiration from French and Belgian cuisine for a super indulgent treat.

A French waffle cookie combines brown sugar, butter, and vanilla dough, and is then cooked on a waffle iron.

The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. While these waffle cookies are delicious on their own, you can top them with fruit, syrup, or even Nutella for a nutty dessert.

The result will be rich, chewy, and utterly delicious.

8. Chocolate Meringues

Chocolate meringues are easy French cookies to make at home and they’re nothing short of irresistible!

The best thing about this recipe is how simple these meringues are to make. This recipe combines basic ingredients such as chocolate chips, egg whites, and sugar for the most delicious French cookies.

It’s important to use good quality chocolate in these French cookies because, with so few ingredients, the flavor of the chocolate is what makes these cookies so indulgent.

Delicate and crisp on the outside and super fudgy on the inside, these chocolate meringue cookies melt in your mouth!

9. French Chocolate Chip Cookies

It doesn’t get much more indulgent than chocolate chip cookies, and what better way to celebrate a classic than with a French twist.

Similar to American chocolate chip cookies, the French version is soft, chewy, and falls apart in your mouth.

If you’re a big chocolate fan, these ooey gooey French chocolate chip cookies are best served warm when the chocolate is still warm.

Enjoy these warm cookies with a tall glass of milk for a tasty snack, or turn them into a chocolate ice cream sandwich for dessert. Your family won’t be able to get enough!

10. French Toast Sugar Cookies

French toast sugar cookies are a take on a classic breakfast, and it doesn’t get much better for cinnamon fans!

This recipe is super simple and easy to make, and you end up with tasty cookies with a light, pillowy texture that are defined by their dreamy cinnamon and maple flavors.

Frosted with an indulgent maple icing, these French toast sugar cookies have a mouthwatering flavor profile thanks to the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon dough. It’s very similar to an American pop-tart!

Enjoy these sugar cookies warm with a glass of milk, on the side of a coffee, or for an indulgent dessert.

11. Savory Palmiers

If you don’t have a sweet tooth, but still want an indulgent snack, these savory palmiers are a winner.

These cheesy bites puff up in the oven and taste like gougères. They’re kind of like fancy, French cheese puffs! They make great hors d’oeuvres, served hot or cold, and are super versatile to pair with a variety of different ingredients.

This recipe is just your guide to creating a savory version of palmiers. You can experiment with a bunch of different ingredients and flavors to create your ideal snack. You could use other ingredients that go well with cheese, such as caramelized onions!

12. Eclair cookies

Eclairs are a French pastry made from light choux pastry filled with rich crème pâtissière, so why not try eclair cookies?

The best part about this recipe is that there is no baking required to make these delicious French cookies. Instead of pastry and crème pâtissière, these no-bake eclair cookies sandwich a cream cheese filling between Nilla wafers, before being dipped in melted chocolate!

These eclair cookies are nothing short of mouthwatering. They are comparable to ice cream sandwiches, with the cream cheese filling acting in place of ice cream.

13. French Christmas Cookies

If you’re looking for a festive treat to get in the mood this holiday season, then these French Christmas cookies are the recipe for you.

These cookies are similar to much-loved butter cookies, also known as sablés to the French, but are designed and iced with care and skill.

These French christmas cookies are crisp like a sugar cookie and buttery like a shortbread cookie. Decorating them with royal icing allows you to practice your icing skills, while making the perfect holiday treats.

Making these cookies is a great way to get festive, as you can get the whole family involved and have a tonne of fun in the decoration process.

They are so pretty you won’t want to eat them, but once you start you won’t be able to stop!

14. French Shortbread Cookies

Last, but by no means least, we have French shortbread cookies. It doesn’t get much more classic than this!

This is a super simple recipe, but isn’t short of rich, buttery flavors that make for a mouthwatering result. These golden-brown baked goods are a crowd-pleaser, and are also quick to whip up.

The majority of French shortbread cookie recipes require you to add vanilla extract or vanilla bean to flavor the cookies.

That being said, you can always experiment with different flavors to take this simple recipe to the next level. If you would like to make a few tweaks, you could always try using cinnamon or lemon to add a zesty, refreshing twist to the dough.

Coating these cookies in sugar is a great way of adding a sweet layer of texture for a crunchy bite!