Canelés are small, caramelized pastries from the Bordeaux region. They have a crisp exterior and a custardy, vanilla- and rum-infused center. They’re a delicious (and simple!) way to bring a taste of Bordeaux to your home!

 

Try the real thing on one of our Bordeaux region tours!

 

Ingredients 

For ~12 canelés

blandinejoannic
  • 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing the molds)
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar
  • 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional but authentic)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Heat the milk & butter: In a small saucepan, gently heat milk and butter until the butter melts. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
  2. Combine dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
  3. Blend wet & dry: In another bowl, beat eggs and yolks, then whisk in the vanilla extract and rum (if using). Slowly add the warm milk mixture, whisking constantly. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
  4. Chill batter: Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (even better overnight).
  5. Preheat & pour: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Butter the canelé molds (traditional copper molds or silicone molds) and fill them about ¾ full with batter.
  6. Bake & reduce heat: Bake for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for ~40–50 minutes, until the canelés are deep golden brown and caramelized.
  7. Enjoy: Let them cool slightly before removing from molds. The outside should be crisp, the inside soft and custardy.
  8. Serve them with an espresso or a glass of sweet wine (like Sauternes) for a truly Bordelaise treat!

 

 

Bon Appétit!

Canelé from Bordeaux region
This is how your canelé might look (after taking a bite out of it)
©

Matthias Kabel, CC BY-SA 3.0

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Cynthia
On my second trip with France Just For You (FJFY) this October I drove through Normandy and Brittaney. It was a wonderful trip and FJFY is an amazing travel agency. Their customized and detailed guidebook covers everything you need to know about visiting France from practical information about traffic signs to insights about the French people and …
Elizabeth
My husband and I just returned from two magnificent weeks in France that included four nights in Paris, four nights in the Loire Valley, two nights near Mont Saint Michel, three nights in Bayeux, near the WWII Landing Beaches and one night at a CDG airport hôtel. We stayed in charming B&Bs with equally charming hosts who recommended great places to …
Roger
The planning and coordination of our holiday was quite awesome and far exceeded all of our expectations and indeed our imagination. The 300 odd page personalised guide book with maps, times and distances, restaurants on route and at our destinations, recommended places to visit on route and the accomodation itself and hosts at each location were …
Carol
We have just returned from a road trip around France and with Emilie's help, we had one of the best trips we've ever had. We travel extensively and I normally do my own research and bookings because we don't like using formal , organised tours and we were looking for advice on self driving holidays in France. Emilie's attention to detail is …
Linda & Michael
When we received our packet, I was amazed with all the info. Emilie put into it for our trip. We needed more time in the day for places on our daily agenda that we did not get a chance to visit. We will just have to return and finish them on the next trip to the Loire. Flo and Phil's, Les Bournais was a charming place with wonderful accommodations …
Pamela
We just returned from a fantastic three weeks in Southwest France. I highly recommend the services of France Just For You, we could never have planned the trip ourselves as well as they did. Laura did the planning and gave us an amazing itinerary, and was available at a moment's notice when we had a plane cancellation on our flight to Bordeaux and …