Enjoy Pot de Crème in the comfort of your home with Petit Pot

If you’re like me, sometimes you want a fancy dessert but don’t feel like getting all dressed up, eat dinner at a fancy restaurant, get to the dessert course and realize you’re just too full to eat it. Sometimes I just want to curl up on the couch, watch TV, and eat a decadent French dessert.

Maxime Pourvreau has made this possible with Petit Pot. Maxime grew up in southwest France. Since he was a child, he knew he wanted to be a pastry chef and learned that a sweet treat is a quick way to put a smile on someone’s face. He trained and worked with chefs throughout Europe and made his way to San Francisco, CA. In 2014, he noticed that Pot de Crème could not be found on the American grocery shelves. He knew he had to fix this and used his pastry knowledge along with the abundance of ingredients readily available in California to start Petit Pot. These decadent desserts are naturally gluten-free, made with organic and local ingredients, and use reusable jars and sustainable packaging.

Here are some Pot de Crème flavors to try:

Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème ($3.99) is silky, decadent, and accentuates the balance between bitter and sweet with a velvety finish. This is something I might find in a fine dining restaurant with rich chocolate flavor and creamy, luscious texture. Rating: 5/5

Salted Caramel Pot de Crème ($3.99) is smooth with a hint of lightly burnt sugar and a dash of sea salt for rich, dynamic flavor. I experienced a luscious caramel flavor with a velvety texture. It could use a touch more salt for the salted caramel experience. Rating: 4.5/5

Madagascar Vanilla Pot de Crème ($3.99) is light with a floral essence with a marriage of exotic spice and sugar sweet. I experienced a strong vanilla flavor with a creamy, velvety texture. I also love that you can see the abundance of vanilla bean mixed in. Rating: 4.5/5

Lemon Curd Pot de Crème ($3.99) is bright, aromatic, and a combination of citrus and cream for a balanced, full flavor. I like this as it has the right amount of lemon curd so that it is not overly sour with a creamy, velvety texture. I feel this would better paired with something like a piece of pound cake or angel food cake along with fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries. Rating: 4/5

Petit Pot also showcases a few French Mini Cookies or sablés.

French Mini Chocolate Cookies ($2.99, may not be available in all stores) are crispy buttery cookies with a hint of sea salt to enhance the intensity of the dark chocolate. These cookies have a rich chocolate flavor with a shortbread-like texture. These would be great with an espresso or cappuccino. Rating: 5/5

French Mini Vanilla Cookies ($2.99, may not be available in all stores) are golden butter cookies with a hint of sea salt that accentuates the vanilla bean flavor. The sea salt enhances the vanilla flavor with shortbread-like texture. These would be great with a cup of coffee or tea. Rating: 4/5

For more information:

Petit Pot

Available at Whole Foods Market, Lassens, and Erewhon.