6 Essential Ladurée Flavors Every First Timer Should Try

It will come as no surprise that before going to Ladurée for the first time, I did my research on the best flavors to try. It will also come as no surprise that I visited Ladurée more than once, and now consider myself an aficionado of their best flavors.

As much as I hate to admit it, Ladurée is simply one of those touristy things that actually is worthwhile. If you have ever had a macaron and thought to yourself, “meh, I’d rather eat a regular cookie than a French one”, I don’t blame you. There IS such thing as a sub-par macaron, but don’t be dissuaded from going to Ladurée. Their macarons are perfection! Light and fluffy, they dissolve in your mouth like cotton candy… making it easy to eat a sleeve in one sitting. With much restraint, I only ate two of the six standing inside the store and made it across the street to a nearby coffee shop where I shamelessly polished off another two.

If you are a macaron newbie in need of some recommendations, here are the flavors I thought stood above the rest:

1. Pistachio: Undoubtedly my personal favorite, the pistachio macaron is melt-in-your-mouth perfection! I could eat the pistachio cream filling with a spoon and didn’t hesitate in choosing it again when I went back for round two.
2. Lavender: Everything you would expect without being overwhelming, the lavender macaron lives up to its expectation with delightful floral and vanilla notes. This flavor is an absolute must!
3. Caramel: I mean, how could you say no to caramel? Buttery and indulgent, the caramel macaron is a wonderful complement to an afternoon coffee!
4. Strawberry Poppy: Second only to the pistachio in my personal ranking, the strawberry poppy macaron is amazing! This unconventional flavor will have you wondering why strawberry poppyseed muffins aren’t a thing.
5. Raspberry: Adventurous flavors aside, raspberry is a classic you simply cannot skip. The jam filling is both sweet and tart, and you can’t go wrong by getting something with fruit because chances are, you’ll be eating cheese and wine for the rest of your trip anyway (not that that is a bad thing though).
6. Rose Cardamom: I don’t think there was ever a more ideal pairing for champagne. The rose cardamon macaron is as pretty as it is delicious. Cardamom brings a slightly spicy kick to the subtle rose flavor of this macaron. C’est Magnifique!

Ladurée sets the bar high for not only macarons but French desserts in general. While I highly recommend the flavors listed above, you’ll likely want to go back a second time (and maybe a third…) to try them all! Let me know which flavors you fall head-over-heels with on your next adventure to this acclaimed patisserie. Lord knows I’ll take any excuse to go back for another taste test!

xo,

Grace