“What are the best French Cookbooks?” We looked at 21 of the top French Cookbooks books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 21 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best French Cookbook” lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 100+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

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Top 21 French Cookbooks

21 .) Daniel: My French Cuisine by Daniel Boulud

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

Daniel Boulud, one of America’s most respected and successful chefs, delivers a definitive, yet personalcookbook on his love of French food. From coming of age as a young chef to adapting French cuisine to American ingredients and tastes, Daniel Boulud reveals how he expresses his culinary artistry at Restaurant Daniel. With more than 75 signature recipes, plus an additional 12 recipes Boulud prepares at home for his friends on more casual occasions, DANIEL is a welcome addition to the art of French cooking. Included in the cookbook are diverse and informative essays on such essential subjects as bread and cheese (bien sûr), and, by Bill Buford, a thorough and humorous look at the preparation of 10 iconic French dishes, from Pot au Feu Royale to Duck a la Presse.. With more than 120 gorgeous photographs capturing the essence of Boulud’s cuisine and the spirit of restaurant Daniel, as well as a glimpse into Boulud’s home kitchen, DANIEL is a must-have for sophisticated foodies everywhere.

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20 .) Escoffier by Auguste Escoffier

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Wiki.ezvid

Presented for the first time to the English-speaking public, here is the entire translation of Auguste Escoffier’s masterpiece Le Guide Culinaire. Its basic principles are as valid today as when it was first published in 1903. It offers those who practice the art of cookery–whether they be professional chefs or managers, housewives, gourmets or students of haute cuisine–invaluable guidelines culled from more than fifty years’ experience.

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19 .) French Desserts by Hillary Davis

Lists It Appears On:

• Eat Live Travel Write
• Eat Live Travel Write

They’re all sweet, they’re all delectable, and they’re all homemade. Hillary Davis celebrates her favorite homemade French desserts, plus regional specialties with an ode to Italy, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. She includes easy recipes for making after-dinner special coffees and dessert liqueurs, as well as a chapter that provides basic foundations for pastry cream, Chantilly, crepe (crêpe) batter, tart dough, almond paste, dessert sauces, French butter cream, among others. Recipes include: Chambord-Glazed Dark Chocolate Tart, Lime Yogurt Loaf Cake with Sugared Lime Drizzle, and Roasted Pineapple with Thyme Honey Ice Cream.

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18 .) La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

Available in English for the first time, this charming book combines over 300 classic regional French recipes from Lyon, the hotbed of the French culinary scene, with reminiscences by one of the only female chefs to have won six Michelin stars. La Mère Brazier became the most famous restaurant in France—a magical gastronomic experience that drew such stars as Marlene Dietrich as well as French presidents. Its proprietor and chef, Eugénie Brazier, was the first woman awarded six Michelin stars. She became—and still is today—the inspiration and mentor for modern French cooking, and leading chefs including Paul Bocuse have trained with her. Written in her words and first published in 1977, La Mère Brazier is a culinary masterpiece. Part memoir and part recipe collection, it is translated into English here for the first time. This is a master class in how to cook, with over 300 recipes—from Bresse chicken in mourning (with truffles) to lobster Aurora as well as simple classics like artichokes with foie gras—that anyone can easily follow at home. While most classic French recipes are complicated and time-consuming, Brazier’s cooking is more practical and user-friendly. This book features anecdotal culinary wisdom and charming trivia (Bocuse had to iron tablecloths and wash dishes before moving up to prepping). Filling an important gap in culinary history, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in classic recipes and French regional cuisine.

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17 .) Le répertoire de la cuisine by Louis Saulnier

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

First published in 1914, Le Repertoire de La Cuisine is an international culinary treasure written by Escoffier’s very own student, Louis Saulnier. The Repertoire, as it is commonly known, is a shorthand guide to the cuisine of the master. This edition includes a special insert with introductory remarks from distinguished chef Jacques Pepin; the late George Lang, renowned food consultant; as well as Saulnier himself. Concise and incredibly comprehensive, it is the final word on the recipes, terminology, and techniques that make up classic French cooking You won’t find big glossy photos; meticulous lists of ingredients and instructions; or details about measurements, temperature and the like here. The Repertoire is a handy, highly portable, quick reference for those who are already well versed in the classic techniques. Here, professional chefs, restaurateurs, hotel proprietors, heads of wait staff, and anyone else who is passionate and knowledgeable about fine dining will find a definitive catalog of French culinary terms along with more than 6000 recipes, each briefly listed on just a few detailed lines. Inside, twelve convenient sections cover: Fundamental elements of cookery Garnishes and Sauces Hors d’oeuvre Soups Eggs Fish Entrees–meat supplies such as livers, kidneys, and hearts Entrees–meat, game, and poultry Salads Vegetables and Pastas Sweets Savouries It is certain to be a cherished volume for new chefs and a fitting replacement for anyone who has lovingly worn out their old edition.

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16 .) Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

Since its first publication in France in 1969, Fernand Point’s “Ma Gastronomie” has taken its place among the true classics of French gastronomy, alongside works of Careme, Lucien Tendret, and Escoffier. This essential volume is as celebrated for Point’s wise, witty, and provocative views on food as for his remarkable, inventive recipes-over 200 of them-carefully compiled from his handwritten notes. An undisputed creative genius of French gastronomy and founder of the legendary La Pyramide restaurant, halfway between Paris and the Riviera, Fernand Point revolutionized French cuisine – purified it, simplified it – building on its traditions and creating his own versions of the great classical dishes.His peers called him Le Roi and during his reign over French cuisine there were few important world celebrities and no serious gourmet who didn’t make the journey to dine at La Pyramide.

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15 .) Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Frenchly

The memoir of a young diplomat’s wife who must reinvent her dream of living in Paris—one dish at a time “Excellent ingredients, carefully prepared and very elegantly served. A really tasty book.” —Peter Mayle, author of The Marseille Caper and A Year in Provence When journalist Ann Mah’s diplomat husband is given a three-year assignment in Paris, Ann is overjoyed. A lifelong foodie and Francophile, she immediately begins plotting gastronomic adventures à deux. Then her husband is called away to Iraq on a year-long post—alone. Suddenly, Ann’s vision of a romantic sojourn in the City of Lights is turned upside down. So, not unlike another diplomatic wife, Julia Child, Ann must find a life for herself in a new city. Journeying through Paris and the surrounding regions of France, Ann combats her loneliness by seeking out the perfect pain au chocolat and learning the way the andouillette sausage is really made. She explores the history and taste of everything from boeuf Bourguignon to soupe au pistou to the crispiest of buckwheat crepes. And somewhere between Paris and the south of France, she uncovers a few of life’s truths. Like Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French and Julie Powell’s New York Times bestseller Julie and Julia, Mastering the Art of French Eating is interwoven with the lively characters Ann meets and the traditional recipes she samples. Both funny and intelligent, this is a story about love—of food, family, and France.

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14 .) Paris Picnic Club: More Than 100 Recipes to Savor and Share by Shaheen Peerbhai

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

“Charming . . . Home cooks will delight in the creative array of meals . . . The recipes here are fun, fresh, and perfect to share with friends.” —Publishers Weekly Delicious recipes from two chefs who cooked up a community as well as a meal. Winner of the Pacific Book Award—Best Cookbook! Every Friday for a year in a small town tucked into the hillsides south of Paris, Shaheen Peerbhai and Jennie Levitt made a delicious picnic-style meal for their friends, and it grew into a clandestine pop-up restaurant, serving much-anticipated lunches to eighty hungry guests. Soon they moved their picnic club to parks and hidden spots across Paris. In this charmingly illustrated book, Shaheen and Jennie offer a collection of their flavorful recipes, taking inspiration from the diverse cuisines of Paris. You’ll delight in eclectic small plates and sharing platters, abundant tartines, creative drinks, indulgent desserts, and more—to savor and share in your favorite picnic spot or at your dinner table.

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13 .) Paul Bocuse: The Complete Recipes by Paul Bocuse

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

The unequivocal reference tome on the full spectrum of twentieth-century French cooking, interpreted and revised by master chef Paul Bocuse for the home cook. Celebrated chef Paul Bocuse is the authority on classic French cuisine. In this volume, he shares 500 simple, traditional French recipes. Aimed at the beginner but with enough breadth to entice the confident chef, these recipes can be readily prepared at home and emphasize the use of the freshest and simplest ingredients. The book is divided into twenty-two chapters, fourteen covering savory recipes and eight covering sweet recipes, with everything from soups to soufflés, by way of terrines, fish, meat, and vegetables. Practical appendixes include average cooking times for different types of meat, conversion tables, and a glossary of key French culinary terms.

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12 .) Simple French Food 40th Anniversary Edition by Richard Olney

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads

Simple French Food “For twenty years Richard Olney’s Simple French Food has been one of my greatest sources of inspiration for cooking at Chez Panisse.” –Alice Waters

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11 .) The French Slow Cooker

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Wiki.ezvid

Plug it in and Cook with French Flair “I’d bet that if French cooks could get their hands on Michele Scicolone’s French Slow Cooker, which is filled with smart, practical, and convenient recipes, they’d never let it go.” — Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table With a slow cooker, even novices can turn out dishes that taste as though they came straight out of the kitchen of a French grandmère. Provençal vegetable soup. Red-wine braised beef with mushrooms. Chicken with forty cloves of garlic. Even bouillabaisse. With The French Slow Cooker, all of these are as simple as setting the timer and walking away. Michele Scicolone goes far beyond the usual slow-cooker standbys of soups and stews, with Slow-Cooked Salmon with Lemon and Green Olives, Crispy Duck Confit, and Spinach Soufflé. And for dessert, how about Ginger Crème Brûlée? With The French Slow Cooker, the results are always magnifique.

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10 .) A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse by Mimi Thorisson

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads
• Wiki.ezvid

With beguiling recipes and sumptuous photography, A Kitchen in France transports readers to the French countryside and marks the debut of a captivating new voice in cooking. When Mimi Thorisson and her family moved from Paris to a small town in out-of-the-way Médoc, she did not quite know what was in store for them. She found wonderful ingredients—from local farmers and the neighboring woods—and, most important, time to cook. Her cookbook chronicles the family’s seasonal meals and life in an old farmhouse, all photographed by her husband, Oddur. Mimi’s convivial recipes—such as Roast Chicken with Herbs and Crème Fraîche, Cèpe and Parsley Tartlets, Winter Vegetable Cocotte, Apple Tart with Orange Flower Water, and Salted Butter Crème Caramel—will bring the warmth of rural France into your home.

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9 .) Patricia Wells at Home in Provence: Recipes Inspired By Her Farmhouse In France by Patricia Wells

Lists It Appears On:

• Cooking Light
• Goodreads
• The Culture Trip

For the past fifteen years, Patricia Wells has been carrying on a love affair with a region of France, a centuries-old farmhouse, and a cuisine. Provence is uniquely blessed with natural beauty as well as some of the world’s most appealing foods and liveliest wines Wells’s culinary skills have transformed the signature ingredients of this quintessential French countryside into recipes so satisfying and so exciting that they will instantly become part of your daily repertoire. Here are over 175 recipes from Wells’s farmhouse kitchen, including whole chapters on salads, vegetables, pasta, and bread There are simple but imaginative “palate openers,” such as Tuna Tapenade and Curried Zucchini Blossoms, and soul-satisfying soups, with such delights as Monkfish Bouillabaisse with Aroli, Wells’s own brilliant interpretation of a Provencal classic. When it comes to meat and poultry, Wells offers earthy daubes, the slow-simmered stews so beloved by the French, and such melt-in-your-mouth delicacies as Butter-Roasted Herbed Chicken You will savor Wells’s fish and shellfish creations with recipes like Seared Pancetta-Wrapped Cod. And no meal would be complete without a delight from the treasure trove of desserts here, including Cherry-Almond Tart and Winemaker’s Grape Cake. Illustrated with famed photographer Robert Fréson’s captivating pictures, Patricia Wells at Home in Provence is a book you’ll want to revisit time and again.

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8 .) The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan

Lists It Appears On:

• Cooking Light
• Goodreads
• Lexi Bites

Renowned for her cooking school in France and her many best-selling cookbooks, Anne Willan combines years of hands-on experience with extensive research to create a brand new classic. More than 250 recipes range from the time-honored La Truffade, with its crispy potatoes and melted cheese, to the Languedoc specialty Cassoulet de Toulouse, a bean casserole of duck confit, sausage, and lamb. And the desserts! Crpes au Caramel et Beurre Sal (crpes with a luscious caramel filling) and Galette Landaise (a rustic apple tart) are magnifique. Sprinkled with intriguing historical tidbits and filled with more than 270 enchanting photos of food markets, villages, harbors, fields, and country kitchens, this cookbook is an irresistible celebration of French culinary culture.

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7 .) The French Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Lessons from Paris and Provence by Patricia Wells

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Frenchly
• Goodreads

With The French Kitchen Cookbook, culinary legend Patricia Wells invites home cooks into her life in France, making the fresh and delicious recipes from her popular classes available to fans who dream of experiencing their own gastronomic adventure in the world’s culinary capital. Beautifully designed and lavishly illustrated with stunning color photos, The French Kitchen Cookbook is a compilation and reflection on what she and her students have learned. Patricia Wells’s meticulously written recipes express the basics—the rules that will help anyone become a better cook, while providing the deep satisfaction that comes from creating exquisite food from the freshest ingredients. Here are some of her best recipes for appetizers, desserts, and everything in between, dishes inspired by the vibrant Provençal countryside and the bustle of Parisian life, including Miniature Onion and Goat Cheese Tatins, Zucchini and Basil Velouté, Fricassée of Chicken with Fennel, Capers, Tomatoes and Sausage, and Apricot Lavender Honey Sorbet.

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6 .) Essential Pépin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food by Jacques Pépin

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Cooking Light
• Goodreads
• The Culture Trip

500 to 700 recipes revised and updated from out of print books and new recipes created for this book, plus 300 line illustrations by the author.

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5 .) French Country Cooking by Elizabeth David

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Eat Live Travel Write
• Eat Live Travel Write
• Goodreads

French Country Cooking – first published in 1951 – is filled with Elizabeth David’s authentic recipes drawn from across the regions of France. ‘Her books are stunningly well written … full of history and anecdote’ Observer Showing how each area has a particular and unique flavour for its foods, derived as they are from local ingredients, Elizabeth David explores the astonishing diversity of French cuisine. Her recipes range from the primitive pheasant soup of the Basque country to the refined Burgundian dish of hare with cream sauce and chestnut puree. French Country Cooking is Elizabeth David’s rich and enticing cookbook that will delight and inspire cooks everywhere. Elizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David’s Christmas and At Elizabeth David’s Table.

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4 .) Mastering The Art of French Cooking, Vols. 1 & 2 by Julia Child

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads
• Lexi Bites
• The Culture Trip

In 1961 Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle, collaborating on the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, began a virtual revolution in American cookery. In the years that have passed, as their book has found its way into almost 700,000 American families, and as Julia Child has been seen across the country on her French Chef programs broadcast by Public Television, a whole generation has been inspired to new standards of culinary accomplishment. The classic Volume One, acknowledged to be one of the great cookbooks of our time, is now joined with its sequel, published in 1970 — a new collection of recipes from the country kitchens and haute cuisine of France, carefully chosen and adapted to American requirements by Julia Child and Simone Beck, and designed both to enlarge the repertoire and bring the reader to a new level of mastering the art of French cooking.

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3 .) The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo

Lists It Appears On:

• Frenchly
• Lexi Bites
• The Culture Trip
• Wiki.ezvid

Rachel Khoo serves up a modern twist on classic French cooking Rachel Khoo was determined to get to grips with French cooking, so to learn more she moved to Paris, not speaking a word of French, and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu, the world-famous cookery school. Six years later, she still lives and works in Paris, cooking up a selection of classic French dishes from all over the country and giving them a fresh makeover with her own modern twists. From a Croque Madame muffin and the classic Boeuf bourguignon, to a deliciously fragrant Provencal lavender and lemon roast chicken, Rachel celebrates the culinary landscape of France as it is today and shows how simple these dishes are. The 120 recipes in the book range from easy, everyday dishes like Omelette Pipérade, to summer picnics by the Seine and afternoon ‘goûter’ (snacks), to meals with friends and delicious desserts including classics like Crème brulee and Tarte tatin. It’s a book that celebrates the very best of French home-cooking in a modern and accessible way. Real French food is no longer something only served in fancy restaurants; Rachel will show how you can add a little French culinary touch to your everyday life at home, no matter where you are in the world, or how big your kitchen is!

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2 .) Around My French Table: More than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Cooking Light
• Goodreads
• The Culture Trip
• Wiki.ezvid

When Julia Child told Dorie Greenspan, “You write recipes just the way I do,” she paid her the ultimate compliment. Julia’s praise was echoed by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, which referred to Dorie’s “wonderfully encouraging voice” and “the sense of a real person who is there to help should you stumble.” Now in a big, personal, and personable book, Dorie captures all the excitement of French home cooking, sharing disarmingly simple dishes she has gathered over years of living in France. Around My French Table includes many superb renditions of the great classics: a glorious cheese-domed onion soup, a spoon-tender beef daube, and the “top-secret” chocolate mousse recipe that every good Parisian cook knows—but won’t reveal. Hundreds of other recipes are remarkably easy: a cheese and olive quick bread, a three-star chef’s Basque potato tortilla made with a surprise ingredient (potato chips), and an utterly satisfying roast chicken for “lazy people.” Packed with lively stories, memories, and insider tips on French culinary customs, Around My French Table will make cooks fall in love with France all over again, or for the first time.

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1 .) My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz

Lists It Appears On:

• Cookbook List
• Goodreads
• Lexi Bites
• The Culture Trip
• Wiki.ezvid

A collection of stories and 100 sweet and savory French-inspired recipes from popular food blogger David Lebovitz, reflecting the way Parisians eat today and featuring lush photography taken around Paris and in David’s Parisian kitchen. It’s been ten years since David Lebovitz packed up his most treasured cookbooks, a well-worn cast-iron skillet, and his laptop and moved to Paris. In that time, the culinary culture of France has shifted as a new generation of chefs and home cooks—most notably in Paris—incorporates ingredients and techniques from around the world into traditional French dishes. In My Paris Kitchen, David remasters the classics, introduces lesser-known fare, and presents 100 sweet and savory recipes that reflect the way modern Parisians eat today. You’ll find Soupe à l’oignon, Cassoulet, Coq au vin, and Croque-monsieur, as well as Smoky barbecue-style pork, Lamb shank tagine, Dukkah-roasted cauliflower, Salt cod fritters with tartar sauce, and Wheat berry salad with radicchio, root vegetables, and pomegranate. And of course, there’s dessert: Warm chocolate cake with salted butter caramel sauce, Duck fat cookies, Bay leaf poundcake with orange glaze, French cheesecake…and the list goes on. David also shares stories told with his trademark wit and humor, and lush photography taken on location around Paris and in David’s kitchen reveals the quirks, trials, beauty, and joys of life in the culinary capital of the world.

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The 100+ Additional Best French Cookbooks

11 Best French Cookbooks Sources/Lists