Viral fruit desserts from Paris: How to recreate the TikTok trend at home

They're queuing, often early in the morning. Tourists from all over the world are currently traveling to Paris, partly to get their hands on a dessert shaped like a lemon, a peach, or a mango—not at a weekly market, but in Cédric Grolet's fine patisserie. His deceptively realistic fruit desserts have long been a cult classic and consist of nothing more than mousse, chocolate, or cheesecake—artfully shaped, glazed, and filled.

Cédric Grolet demonstrates on TikTok how these sweet illusions are created, using special tools, silicone molds, and perfect technique. The videos make you want to try your hand at these little works of art yourself. But what seems so playful is actually patisserie at the highest level. And that's precisely why, judging by the video, it's not something you can whip up on a Sunday afternoon.

The good news: If you still want to make these viral fruits yourself, you don't have to travel to Paris or be a professional. With a few tricks and a little patience, you can make them surprisingly well at home—maybe not quite as perfect, but delicious and a lot of fun.

But what's the deal with these desserts—and why do the fruits crack so enticingly when you bite into them? The effect is no coincidence, but the result of precise craftsmanship. A thin, glossy chocolate coating creates the signature "crack" moment seen in many videos. And behind this effect lies an ingenious, simple trick—without it, the whole magic wouldn't work.

On social media, numerous creators are now demonstrating step-by-step how the fruits are produced. However, many copycats who attempt the process are disappointed that the famous crunch is missing. The shell is usually too thick or too soft.

Influencer " Manal made it " posted a recipe on TikTok with almost a million views that addresses this very issue. She reveals the key ingredient to ensure it really crunches like the Parisian originals (spoiler alert: cocoa butter makes all the difference). What's particularly appealing is that "Manal made it" shows that it can be done without expensive equipment and doesn't always have to be perfect. She shapes the fruit and filling without a silicone mold. And the result is impressive – even if she does have a few minor glitches.

For two to three “mangos” (depending on size) you need according to “Manal made it”:

For the cream:

• 300 milliliters of cream
• 200 grams of white chocolate
• a teaspoon of instant gelatin

For the filling:

• two fresh mangoes
• optional: one passion fruit
• two tablespoons of sugar
• a tablespoon of lemon juice

For the glaze:

• 200 grams of white chocolate
• 200 grams of cocoa butter

For decoration: color powder of your choice

And this is how it works:

1. First, the influencer puts 200 milliliters of cream and 200 grams of white chocolate into a glass container and melts the ingredients in the microwave. Even though "Manal made it" is clearly having success with her recipe, melting the ingredients in a saucepan is recommended, as this heats them up more slowly and there's no risk of them burning. Also, it's better to chop the white chocolate into small pieces rather than breaking it into large pieces. Then "Manal made it" adds a teaspoon of instant gelatin to the chocolate-cream mixture and mixes the ingredients thoroughly. Finally, the remaining 100 milliliters of cream is added and mixed again. Everything should now rest in the refrigerator, ideally overnight, or at least eight hours.
2. The cream is then beaten with a hand mixer until the mixture becomes stiff.
3. Next, the mangoes are cut into pieces. Half of the mangoes are placed in a pan with two tablespoons of sugar and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Heat over medium heat for about 20 minutes until a puree forms. Once the puree has cooled, pour it into a bowl, add the remaining mango pieces, and (optionally) the contents of one passion fruit. Mix everything together.
4. Now it gets a little trickier: To shape the mangos, take a large piece of cling film and lay it flat on a board. Then, in the center, place about four tablespoons of the whipped chocolate and cream mixture and use a tablespoon to make a well in the center. Then, add about three tablespoons of the mango puree to the well. Next, pull the cream up the sides so that it covers the puree. On top, add another tablespoon of the chocolate and cream mixture, and smooth everything down.
5. Now roll the cling film around the mixture like candy wrappers – first from one side, then the other, until everything is covered. Grab the remaining film by the sides and pull the "mango" across the wooden board a few times to flatten it. Then place the "fruit" in the freezer for four to six hours.
6. When the "mango" is nice and hard, remove it from the freezer and remove the foil. Then, carefully carve it into a mango shape with a knife.
7. For the final layer (which provides the "crack" moment), melt 200 grams of white chocolate and 200 grams of cocoa butter – again, melting in a saucepan is recommended. Once everything is liquid, stir the mixture and add your choice of coloring powder. A light orange is a good base color.
8. Then carefully insert a knife into the mango and dip it into the chocolate and cocoa butter mixture until it is completely covered. Wait a moment until the chocolate hardens, then carefully remove it from the knife and set it aside to dry completely.
9. There are various ways to give the "mango" its reddish and greenish color. In the video, Manal first tries using a makeup sponge – but the attempt fails. The influencer then uses an airbrush and colors the mango red and green. In other videos, brushes are used. Be sure to refrigerate the "fruit" until ready to eat.

"Manal made it" also provides a recipe for a viral lemon à la Cédric Grolet. If you're wondering about the opening of her video, Manal begins almost every reel by saying that she's "worked with XY for 20 years"—this is, of course, meant ironically and has become her running joke.

For four to five “lemons” (depending on size) you need, according to “Manal made it”:

For the cream:

• 400 milliliters of cream
• 200 grams of white chocolate
• two sheets of gelatin

For the filling:

• Lemon curd (homemade or store-bought)

For the glaze:

• 100 grams of white chocolate
• 100 grams of cocoa butter

For decoration: white and yellow food coloring

also: lemon silicone mold

And this is how it works:

1. As with the "Mangos" recipe, first melt the white chocolate with 200 milliliters of cream. Then, soak the two gelatin sheets in water, squeeze out the excess water, and stir into the still-hot chocolate-cream mixture. Then, stir in the remaining cream. The mixture should then rest in the refrigerator for at least six hours.
2. The next day, the cold mixture is beaten with a hand mixer until stiff. Manal ordered a silicone mold for the lemons online – these can be found inexpensively on popular portals. The influencer puts a good tablespoon of lemon curd into the mold for each lemon and spreads the cream up the edges. Manal adds one to two tablespoons of lemon curd to the resulting hollow. Next, the lid of the silicone mold is placed on top and, using a piping bag, fills the molds with the remaining cream until they are completely full. Manal then places the silicone mold in the freezer for at least eight hours.
3. For the glaze, melt the white chocolate and cocoa butter—again, this is best done in a saucepan. Next, add the white and yellow food coloring to the chocolate until the mixture is lemon yellow. It may be necessary to blend the mixture again with a hand blender until smooth.
4. Then, remove the lemons from the mold and dip them into the lemon-yellow chocolate and cocoa butter mixture with a knife. Wait a moment until the glaze hardens, then carefully peel the lemon from the knife and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

If you insist on the classic rough lemon surface, you have no choice but to apply it with an airbrush. But even without the rough surface, the "lemon" tastes fantastic and looks deceptively real.

Of course, the result at home will rarely look as perfect as the professionals in Paris. But that's precisely what makes them so appealing: These desserts are not only a sweet eye-catcher, but also a little kitchen experiment. And anyone who manages to achieve the perfect crunch has nothing to fear from the Parisian originals – and will save a lot of money.