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
Robert
From Bordeaux, Medoc wineries, Basque country of France and Spain, Carcassone, Dordogne, pre-historic caves, beautiful medieval towns and villages, switch-back mountain roads, sunshine, truffles, food & wine and gracious b&b hosts to final flight home, this was the trip of a lifetime! We drove over 3,200 kms with the help of our included gps and …
Sheryl & Mike
World Class Experience ! After a 2 year Covid delay we finally had our Tour De France trip and it was perfect. Everything was well planned out for us and we had a great time !
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 …
Susan
This was a wonderful way to travel in France! Our tours were wonderful and the guidebook was very helpful. Each day we had suggestions of things to do and we loved every suggestion! Our car and our accommodations were first class. Having the french phone made travel easy since we could use Waze and Google Maps. If we return to France, we will …
Beth & Jim
We are a couple that contacted Emilie at France Just For You and her responsiveness and services were excellent. She and her husband listened very carefully to our stated interests and followed up with us in a very personal way. As independent travelers who work, we did not have time to fully plan a trip to the Dordogne region of France which was …
Debbie
Emilie is amazing. Going to Normandy has always been a dream of my husbands and luckily for us we found Emilie to plan our trip. Our hotel in Paris for the start of our trip was located perfectly. Within walking distance of so much for our first two days before we picked up the rental car she had arranged for us. Then onto Normandy and the Loire …