Every once in a while, a dining spot comes along that screams indulgence! And when you are traveling around the World in the space of a few hours at Epcot, it is imperative that you sample some of the World’s best treats.
Desserts in Epcot’s France Pavilion fall into this category perfectly. You simply must try something here. 😉 So off we go to savor the decadence that is the Boulangerie Patisserie!
Boulangerie Patisserie
When you head into the bakery, you’re overloaded with rows of pastries and sandwiches. We somehow managed to keep our selections to only three this day, starting with the luscious Cream Puff.
Cream Puff
Come on. Look at this thing. Only people in commercials and books get to eat stuff like this, right? So you HAVE to try it!
This version starts with a lovely pate a choux, the fresh, rich-tender pastry that serves as a vehicle for all of that beautiful filling.
Cream Puff
Speaking of the filling, it was wonderfully light and fluffy, and so much more than plain ol’ “whipped cream” in texture, flavor, and general “ooh la la-ness” (yes, that is now a thing). I don’t know if they use a European cream with a higher fat content, or if it’s just French magic, but this is fantastic.
Eat it slowly (you know…if you’re blessedly alone and your kids aren’t clamoring for a swipe of that filling!), and savor every delicious bite. 🙂
Just pretend you’re in one of those Dove chocolate commercials. It’ll totally work.
Cream Puff Close Up
Chocolate Eclair
For our second dessert, we tried the Chocolate Eclair. An important point to note: I wasn’t expecting a chocolate filling in addition to the chocolate on top. Why? I have no idea. I guess I’d never had a chocolate-filled eclair before! (Sheltered.)
However, I was FAR from disappointed.
Again, just like the cream puff, I found the pate a choux (same dough, different shape!) to be fresh, tender, and light. The fact that it’s made with a ton of eggs and butter is pretty clear from the overall yumminess of the pastry itself, and the chocolate topping hints at the decadence that awaits you.
Chocolate Eclair
But then they add that incredibly deep, rich, chocolate filling, and I was pretty sure this was the food of the pastry gods.
Have you had this?! Seriously awesome, right?
Chocolate Eclair Cross section
Creme Brulee
Finally, we were on to the classic Crème Brûlée. These are “pre-fired,” rather than having the sugar crust applied to the dessert to order. I feared the quality would suffer as a result. Just how long had it been in that case, anyway?
But I had no reason for concern. If you’ve ever had the pleasure (!) of standing in the Boulangerie Patisserie line, you know that turnover is pretty quick on the treats, ensuring freshness of the offerings. (By the way, if you LOVE this creamy dessert, check out our crème brûlée gallery!)
Creme Brulee
Back to the crème brûlée experience at hand, though. It was clearly freshly prepared, with a thick sugary crust to break through to get to the cream below (LOVE THIS).
What I didn’t love so much was the texture. While the vanilla flavor was perfection, the texture leaned more toward gelatinous — and away from creamy and pudding-like. You know how I feel about milk jello. So, while this was good, it probably doesn’t rank among my favorite crème brûlée at Disney.
That said, LOTS of folks rave about this dessert at the Boulangerie Patisserie, so I might have just had a not-so-hot batch!
Creme Brulee Inside
Ah, France! After this little gorge-fest, I promise you I went on to have a VERY energetic day! Or maybe I just went back to my hotel for a nap. Who can say? 😉
Either way, treating yourself to some seriously decadent snacks at France’s bakery is a must-do. Especially now, since survey says they’ll be shutting down for expansion soon!
Love Epcot Snacks?
Are you a big fan of snacking your way around the World? Then check out our Disney Food Blog Mini-Guide to Epcot Snacks e-Book! Based upon the requests of YOU, our wonderful readers, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the best eats and treats available in Walt Disney World’s Epcot, all in a super convenient e-book format!
Are the snacks from France’s Boulangerie Patisserie some of your must-have favorites? What treats do you rank as their best offerings? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
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Oh dear me, that cream puff!!! Yum! That looks a-may-zing ! I don’t know if I will be able to break away from my must have Napoleon so that means two desserts!! 🙂
Cream puff looks SO good but I always end up with a Napoleon.
I can’t get on board with chocolate cream in an eclair. Here in England they are chocolate fondant iced with whipped cream inside…..excuse me, must run to the bakery :-))
Ok so now I have to try that eclair! My favorite treat is the little apple tart tatin-thin pastry with sliced apples and yummy carmelly goodness….
Also, after reading about English eclairs…I definitely need to go there as well! 🙂 Thank you for giving us a calorie free sugar fix!
Oh. My. Yum.
Excuse me while I try to lose 50 pounds before my next trip so I can sample ALL of these! 😉
I cannot leave DW without having one (or two) of Boulangerie’s lemon tarts. And a few bites of the chocolate mousse that I stole from my husband after pulling a “Hey, look over there!” trick 🙂
My fav is the Cake of the Day which is always the chocolate cake. If you are a chocoholic, this treat is a must! I count the days until I can have it again. Would love the recipe if anyone has it. I’ve looked and can’t find it.
Everything looks so good! I’ve actually never had a dessert at the Boulangerie, but I think it is a must next time I go! They all look so good, I think I’d have to try the cream puff before the others.
The eclairs are very good, but my absolute must is actually the croissants. They are just delicious – rich and flaky, and a wonderful indulgence when I don’t want anything sugary. My husband and I always make sure we get there right after the rope drops, so we can get one of the tables (it’s nearly impossible to get one later in the day). We sit, have a glass of wine, and people watch. It’s our favorite spot in all of Epcot. 🙂
I forgot to mention, my husband’s all-time favorite treat there is the strawberry schuss.
I love Eclair, I have never had a Chocolate Eclair though. I will have to try this soon! Only 70 days!
WOW – that cream puff looks delish! Super sad I am blacked out on my season pass til September! I want to go to Epcot now!
The chocolate croissants are to die for, and there is something call Nid d’abeille that my husband gets every time (even though I didn’t see them last year) that is pretty darn good. Pure torture reading this since our next trip is not until the fall!
I’ve had the eclair before and it was so yummy. But on my most recent trip, I tried the Napoleon and I was in love. It was so wonderful. I love going to the Boulangerie in France. It’s so muh fun and the atmosphere is great.
Was NOT prepared to be as impressed with these treats as I am! WOW. Next stop: France Pavilion!
**drool**
” “ooh la la-ness” (yes, that is now a thing)” 😀
I usually get the strawberry tart, but the eclair has just landed a spot on my “to do” list. We did have the creme brulee the last time we stopped in to the patisserie, and it was good. The plastic spoon they gave us was barely strong enough to make the initial intrusion into the crust, though!
I have never gotten past the chocolate mousse because it is so delicious and rich it’s hard to try anything else. I should have know when our Bistro de Paris reservations for September were cancelled for the bakery expansion that it would also be closed. Duh. Darn – just means I’ll have to go back again next year, and the next year. . .
I have been getting the cream puff and a pan au chocolat every time I go for the last 10 years. I get it and go hide somewhere so I can eat it all by myself! They used to have the cream puffs at Starring Rolls with a chocolate filling, but I haven’t seen them there in years.
I have never had anything that I didn’t fall in love with from the France pavilion! I love that place!! You had three of my faves. I’m hungry now!! And SOOOO ready to go back…
Any more info on when Boulangerie Patisserie might be closing for renovation? It’s a must-do for us; hope it’s not closed when we’re there in November!
It cracks me up how the staff there is constantly correcting guests’ pronunciation and orders–so stereotypically French (or Starbucks). We usually get palmiers (call them “elephant ears” at your peril) and ham-and-cheese croissants, but tried the creme brulee last time, and found it very good.
I just think they don’t put enough cream on those cream puffs. It should be at least three feet tall!
Alan – Amen!! 🙂
Lemon Tart. End of story. Period.
I have had them all and must agree that the Napoleon is my go to dessert.The chocolate mousse and quiche are great as well.One year i was pleasantly surprised as they were selling chocolate chip madelines,a favorite of mine.Bottom line…it is all worth a taste!!
Also would be interested to know when it will be closing. I didn’t get a chance to stop by here last trip and was hoping I’d be able to in mid September.
The Boulangerie Patisserie is a must stop for my wife and I!
She can not get enough of their almond croissant.
This is on my “must do” list for our next trip. I’ve never even made it to the France Pavilion.
Don’t worry, you’re not sheltered. Eclairs are very big where I live and they are never filled with chocolate. I’ve never even heard of that before. They are always filled with fluffy white cream or a yellow egg custard (that must always be kept refrigerated). Nice report; thanks for doing all of that hard work for us! LOL
Park Hopper passes were made so I could go to Epcot every night for my French indulgence! The Strawberry Tart was recommended to me by a Cast Member in the Magic Kingdom…well she was right-on. It was so good. Actually everything is good there and remember, there are no calories in Disney…Tinkerbell makes sure of that!
My family took a trip to Disney World for the weekend (a 10 hour drive with a 3 year old?) simply so that my pregnant self could have a Napoleon from here. I’m pretty sure that the streets of Heaven are lined with delicious French pastries!
I had the cream puff not too long ago and I hate to say that I was disappointed. The cream was fantastic, however, the puff itself tasted as though it had a bad case of freezer burn.
The apple turnovers are exactly like they are in France! I used to go to France regularly when I lived in Europe, and loved these so much. Now that I live in Orlando with an annual pass I am excited I can get my Chausson au Pomme again. 🙂
Oh my goodness– we just ate there three times last week. It is so great!! Napoleans and strawberry tarts are awesome!
You guys are killing me! I simply cannot decide what I will get when we get there. I usually like creamy desserts. So probably the cream puff or creme brulee. But the apple turnover and strawberry tart sound delicious!
My favorite in France is the chocolate croissant. I ate my way through France several years ago, and these are the only ones I’ve found stateside that taste just like the ones I had in France. I did get the chocolate eclair once, and only once, because I was so put off by the chocolate filling. I like my eclairs to have a vanilla custard filling. It just seems wrong with anything else.
I want to lick my computer screen…is that wrong?
One of my all-time fondest Disney memories was ordering a croissant at the Boulangerie at France in the World Showcase. I ordered a croissant that came with three types of cheeses. The girl helping me Noemi asked me if I would like it warmed up. I said yes of course. I took my croissant outside with my buddy (We had ditched our wives and were pretended to be using the restrooms). The croissant was so incredibly good. An elderly couple walked by as we were scarfing it down and said “You boys look like you are enjoying that.” Ah the memories. We had to ditch the wives again later that afternoon for more boulangerie delights.