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Religieuse — AI-generated illustration AI-generated illustration

Île-de-France

Religieuse

Two stacked choux buns, a ruff of cream and a name that recalls the habit of nuns.

Pastry or bakery speciality from Île-de-France.

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At a glance

History & Origins

Religieuse — AI-generated illustration AI-generated illustration

An invention of Café Frascati

Around 1856, the religieuse appeared in Paris at the establishment of Italian pastry chef and ice-cream maker Frascati, 'Chez Frascati'. At the time, it took a different shape from the one known today: a square of choux pastry filled with pastry cream and topped with whipped cream.

Religieuse — AI-generated illustration AI-generated illustration

A silhouette that stabilised at the end of the 19th century

The current shape — two stacked choux buns, one medium and one smaller, decorated with a ruff and a cap of buttercream — gradually replaced the original square filled with whipped cream.

The name 'religieuse' is said to derive from this silhouette: the two stacked choux buns, topped with a ruff of dark cream, are thought to evoke a nun in her habit — her headdress and her robe.

Product characteristics

Sensory profile

Aspect

Two stacked baked choux buns, the larger supporting the smaller, fondant glaze (chocolate or coffee) and a buttercream ruff piped with a piping bag.

Goût

Dominant flavour of chocolate or coffee, softened by the pastry cream.

Texture

Contrast between the light choux pastry and the smooth cream filling.

How it is made

01

The choux pastry

piped in two distinct sizes (one large bun, one small) and then baked in the oven.

02

The filling

each bun is pierced and filled with chocolate- or coffee-flavoured pastry cream.

03

The assembly

the small bun is placed on top of the large one, the whole glazed with fondant and then decorated with a buttercream ruf… Read more
the small bun is placed on top of the large one, the whole glazed with fondant and then decorated with a buttercream ruff using a piping bag.

Tasting & pairings

Religieuse — AI-generated illustration AI-generated illustration

The religieuse is enjoyed fresh, as a dessert at the end of a meal or for an afternoon snack, accompanied by a coffee or tea that counterbalances the richness of the cream.

Labels & certifications

Good to know

The religieuse carries no official quality mark (PDO (AOP), AOC, PGI (IGP), TSG (STG), Label Rouge or Organic): it is a pastry recipe found throughout France, with no set product specifications or protected production area.

The people of the terroir

Producer Paris

Pâtisserie Stohrer

Prestigious house

Producer Paris

Dalloyau

Historic house

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Producer Paris

Pâtisserie Stohrer

Prestigious house

The house presents itself as a Parisian pâtisserie established in 1730. It claims the invention of the baba au rhum, attributed to Nicolas Stohrer, alongside other classics such as the puits d'amour, traditional religieuse and bouchée à la reine. All pastries and savoury dishes are stated to be prepared on site, on Rue Montorgueil, using artisanal methods. Beyond its historic boutique on Rue Montorgueil, the house indicates that it has a network of boutiques combining Stohrer pastries with sweet treats from the house of À la Mère de Famille.

Other products

Address51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris, France
Phone01 42 33 38 20
Websitestohrer.fr
FacebookFacebook page
Instagram@stohrer
VisitsYes — boutique open every day, 7:30–20:30
Call Directions
Producer Paris

Dalloyau

Historic house

Founded in 1682 when Charles Dalloyau became an officier de bouche at the court of Louis XIV, the house took its present form in 1802, when his descendant Jean-Baptiste Dalloyau settled on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris. Taken over by the Potel et Chabot group, it reopened its historic boutique at 101 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré (8th arrondissement) in autumn 2026, bringing together a boutique, bakery, chocolaterie and tearoom.

The shop window features several great classics of French pâtisserie, including a coffee or chocolate religieuse standing 'as tall as three choux', alongside the millefeuille, fraisier and tarte au citron meringuée.

Address101 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
Phone+33 1 42 99 90 00
Websitedalloyau.fr
VisitsYes — boutique and tearoom
Call Directions

Sources & references