Name: My Bordeaux-style rum and vanilla cannelés
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 8 fluted
Cuisine: Southwest
Ingredients: 25 cl ofwhole milk; 20 g ofbutter; 50 g offlour; 100 g ofgranulated sugar (or half and half with muscovado (unrefined sugar) for more flavor!); 1 egg (whole); 1 egg yolk; 1 tsp ofvanilla extract; 1 tbsp ofRum; 30 g ofbutter (to line the molds); 20 g offood-grade beeswax; 8 cannelé molds (4.5 cm in diameter, made of copper for perfect cooking); anti-milk-stain (to prevent unwanted spills!); mixing bowl; pastry whisk (to mix the batter until smooth); pastry brush (to grease the molds without using too much)

desserts baking candy and sweets prepared in advance traditional cuisine

Updated on 04 February 2026 by

ratatouille

6 reviews 4.9 : Very good

Cuisine

Southwest

Diet

Vegetarian

Level

Intermediate

Calories

231 pour 100g

Preparation

30 minutes

Cooking

45 minutes

Wait

1 day

After numerous trials and tastings, here is my recipe for Bordeaux cannelés with rum and vanilla, which will help you make irresistible cannelés that are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Table des matières

Where does the recipe for Bordeaux cannelés come from?

For the record, the origin of the cannelé (sometimes spelled canelé) dates back to the 18th century in the heart of Bordeaux’s convents. The nuns of the time—master pastry chefs—had the idea of using leftover bread dough and eggs to create this little caramelized delight.

Over the centuries, the cannelé has grown in popularity, spreading far beyond the borders of Bordeaux to become an icon of French gastronomy.

Health Risks Associated with Baking Cannelés

In this recipe, I’ve focused on creating delicious cannelés that are safe to eat. In particular, I avoid overheating the oven during the first baking.

As you may have already noticed, some recipes recommend baking at the “highest possible” temperature—between 250 and 300°C—during the first bake. But at those temperatures, there is a risk that compounds from the mold could leach into your batter.
For example, the safety instructions for tin-plated copper molds state that you should not exceed 230°C. This temperature is actually the melting point of tin! And when it comes to silicone molds, it’s a bit of a jungle… Each manufacturer uses its own materials and production processes. You’ll therefore need to carefully review the usage recommendations, choose a reputable brand, and opt for premium quality.

A "zero-waste" cannelé recipe

In addition to being sustainable, this recipe is also designed to be "zero-waste." In fact, I’m banning disposable products here, such as grease sprays that are often touted as "essential" for perfect cannelés… Well, rest assured—that’s not the case at all!

For my part, I use a mixture of beeswax and butter, which I apply with a pastry brush inside each mold. And the result is flawless, as long as you don’t go overboard when applying the mixture!

Give it a try!

Give this recipe a try, and let me know how it goes… and don’t forget to prepare your batter the day before. It’s absolutely essential for a smooth batter and successful baking!

Enjoy, and thank you in advance for your comments 🙏

Making cannelés isn’t something you can wing, and you’ll likely need several attempts to perfect the preparation and baking with your molds and oven… but I’ve included plenty of tips in the recipe as well as notes at the bottom, which will help you in your quest for the Perfect Cannelé 😋

For

fluted

Add to shopping list

25 cl of whole milk
20 g of butter
50 g of flour
100 g of granulated sugar or half and half with muscovado (unrefined sugar) for more flavor!
1 egg whole
1 egg yolk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tbsp of Rum

For the mussels
30 g of butter to line the molds
20 g of food-grade beeswax

Kitchen utensils
8 cannelé molds 4.5 cm in diameter, made of copper for perfect cooking
anti-milk-stain to prevent unwanted spills!
mixing bowl
pastry whisk to mix the batter until smooth
pastry brush to grease the molds without using too much

For the dough
- 1
  Bring the milk and butter to a boil.
  The Chef's Tip
  You can use a boil-over guard to prevent the milk from boiling over.
- 2
  In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar.
- 3
  Beat the egg yolk and the whole egg, then stir them into the flour-sugar mixture.
- 4
  Add the rum and the butter-milk mixture, continuing to whisk.
  The batter should be as smooth as pancake batter.
  
  Flavor with vanilla extract, then whisk out any lumps.
- 5
  Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Cooking
- 6
  Take the batter out of the fridge.
  If possible, take the batter out about one hour before you start baking. If you bake the cannelé batter while it’s still cold, it will delay caramelization and the cannelés may turn out soft once baked.
- 7
  Melt the specified amounts of beeswax and butter over low heat, as listed in the "For the molds" section of the ingredients.
- 8
  Using a pastry brush, coat each mold with the hot mixture.
  The Chef's Tip
  Hold the mold at an angle and spread the mixture quickly (it sets fast) to prevent the wax from pooling in certain areas.
  
  Preheat your oven to 230°C.
- 9
  Line the molds with the dough, leaving a 5mm gap at the top.
  Place the molds on a baking sheet so they can be baked all at once.
- 10
  Bake in two stages (temperatures are for a convection oven):
  - 15 minutes at 230°C for 4.5 cm
  molds- 15 minutes at 230°C for 5.5 cm molds
  Then...
  - 30 minutes at 180°C for 4.5 cm
  molds- 40 minutes at 180°C for 5.5 cm
  molds. These two baking times will give you canelés with a caramelized crust and a moist interior.
- 11
  Place an oven rack upside down on your countertop, leaving a gap between the rack and the countertop.
  Remove the cannelés from the oven as soon as they’re done baking, and turn them out onto the rack.
- 12
  Let the cannelés cool on the rack at room temperature for an hour or two, so they cool completely and lose any moisture.
  The Chef's Tip
  Don't put the cannelés in an airtight container right away, or they'll absorb moisture and lose their crispiness!
Service and tasting
- 13
  For a decadent dessert, serve these cannelés with (your choice of) a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream, and lightly dusted with chocolate shavings or powdered sugar.
  The Chef's Tip
  If you have an oven nearby when serving, I recommend warming your cannelés for 10 minutes at 160°C. They’ll be warm, crispy, and perfectly caramelized 😋

Notes

Mold Size and Proportions

The serving sizes listed are based on molds with a diameter of 4.5 cm. If you have larger or smaller molds, you will need to adjust the quantities accordingly. You can use the automatic ingredient quantity adjustment feature to help with this. If you are using molds that are 5.5 cm in diameter, you will need to multiply the number of desired servings by 1.75. For example, if you want to make 8 canelés that are 5.5 cm in diameter, select 8 x 1.75 = 14 canelés.

Mold Size and Baking Time

As for baking time, you’ll also need to adjust it based on the size of your mold. Reduce the baking time by 10–15 minutes when using 3.5 cm diameter molds.

Health precautions

With tin-plated copper molds—which I highly recommend for professional results—do not exceed a baking temperature of 230°C. This is the melting point of the tin that lines the inside of the mold.

Silicone molds are also not risk-free at high temperatures. Choose high-quality silicone and check the maximum temperature specified by the manufacturer.