Montréal’s best King cakes
King cakes are a festive treat linked to the Epiphany, a Christian feast day commemorating the visit of the Three Kings. Each cake, unique in form and flavor, hides a special surprise in the form of a small bean or figurine. After the cake is cut, whoever gets the bean, or the figurine, wins a prize. Here are some of Montréal’s best.
A King cake, or a galette des rois, is a traditional French dessert served on January 6th to celebrate Epiphany, the day that the three kings (les rois) are said to have visited the newborn Jesus. The traditional galette consists of a frangipane (almond filling) spread between two circular layers of puff pastry and baked until golden brown. A small ceramic or plastic fève (bean) is inserted in the almond cream before baking. The person who finds the bean in their slice is crowned queen or king for a day and wears a paper crown (usually provided by the bakery). Custom dictates that the youngest person in the room hides under the table and names the recipient of each portion as it is cut, to ensure the random distribution of the galette.
As you will read in this article, most bakeries will make the traditional version of this cake, as well as more creative ones by changing the filling and sometimes even the puff pastry. The bean can also get an upgrade by choosing a hand-made trinket from a local ceramic shop or something of equal significance. Some Montréal bakers have hidden valuable gold trinkets in their galettes that are fit for royalty.
3 Patapoufs
This neighbourhood spot is a local favourite for their sweet and savoury delights. They’re making a classic King cake this year with a hidden surprise. Find one of the 3 golden beans and win a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne to celebrate the beginning of the year!
3227 Ontario Street East
Automne Boulangerie
Petite-Patrie bakery Automne has been testing their inverse puff pastry methods for a crispier, more flaky King cakes (galettes) that will be available from the beginning of January. They use local flours by Moulin des Cèdres and Moulin de Charlevoix. The filling is a classic frangipane infused with local sweet clover.
6500 Christophe-Colomb Avenue and 1470 Bélanger Street
3 Patapoufs
This neighbourhood spot is a local favourite for their sweet and savoury delights. They’re making a classic King cake this year with a hidden surprise. Find one of the 3 golden beans and win a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne to celebrate the beginning of the year!
3227 Ontario Street East
Première Moisson
This year, Première Moisson will be offering a classic King cake (galette des rois) made with a pure butter flaky puff pastry shell filled with 52% almond paste flavoured with rum as well as a raspberry and pistachio galette. The ceramic beans inside are handmade by a local artist.
Several locations
Pâtisserie Rhubarbe
The adorable and highly popular Plateau pastry shop Rhubarb is offering two flavours of galettes des rois this year. A chocolate galette with cocoa puff pastry, hazelnut cream and dark chocolate, and a more traditional galette with almond cream, vanilla, and rum. Rhubarbe’s galettes serve 6 people and it’s highly recommended that you order yours on their website as early as possible.
1479 Laurier Avenue East
De Froment et de Sève
De Froment et de Sève's classic King cake (galettes des rois) is made with 66% almond paste in a buttery, flaky puff pastry. They are sold with a crown. The lucky finders of the three Froment Man gold beans hidden in random galettes will win $400!
Several locations
Boulangerie Arhoma
The Arhoma King cake (galette des rois) contains an almond frangipane infused with Québec-made Avril amaretto liqueur. The beautiful little “beans” inside each galette are made by local ceramic maker Elisabeth Gauthier. On Saturday January 4, a clearly identified winning bean will be hiding in a galette in each of the boutiques. The lucky ones who find it will win a $250 gift card from Arhoma, as well as a $75 gift card from ceramic artist Elisabeth Gauthier.
Several locations
Chez Potier
French pastry shop Chez Potier is making 3 different flavours of King cakes (galettes des rois) this year using an inverted fleur de sel puff pastry. The classic with a vanilla flavoured frangipane with a touch of dark rum; the chocolate with a special chocolate frangipane with pecans; and a third one with classic frangipane cream and vanilla rice pudding. Each galette comes with a crown and a bean from an exclusively imported French collection.
630 Wellington Street
Aube Boulangerie
Aube Boulangerie will be making 3 flavours of galettes this year: a traditional almond one with vanilla from local spice providers Épices de cru; a revisited maple, Avril amaretto liqueur and pecan; and a third one with Qantu chocolate, hazelnuts and buckwheat. The ceramic beans were handmade by the Aube team during a ceramic workshop at Argile Atelier. The King cakes (galettes) will be available from January 4 to 11 for pre-order on their website until stocks run out!
4715 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Maison Bonbec
Bonbec specializes in pink pralines and their King cakes (galettes des rois) are an ode to those delicious pink specks. Their 2025 galettes come in 2 flavours: the first classic one is made with almond frangipane and an added layer of glazed chestnut syrup halfway through baking for extra shine and crispiness. The second flavour adds pink praline to the classic almond frangipane. These galettes are only available for order and pick up and quantities are limited so place your orders now.
6525 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Joe La Croûte
Located in the Jean Talon Market, Joe La Croûte is well known for its excellent breads and flaky pastries. In addition to offering a classic almond frangipane King cake this year, they’re also making a Ruby and white chocolate and raspberry one. You can even pick up a slice to snack on while shopping at the market.
7024 Casgrain Avenue
Ritz-Carlton Montréal
The ritzy downtown hotel has created a gorgeous, silky King cake (galette des rois) to indulge in. A silver Ritz lion is hidden inside one of their galettes and the lucky finder will win a one-night stay with breakfast for two in one of their Signature King Rooms. The galettes are available until January 16th and must be reserved 48 hours in advance by phone at (514) 905-0787 or email at tea@ritzmontreal.com.
1228 Sherbrooke Street West
Pâtisserie Melilot
Laurier Street West’s Pâtisserie Mélilot is making two flavours of galettes for Epiphany 2025. You can pick up a classic one with almond frangipane of indulge in their gorgeous maple and pecan galette with pecan cream and a maple and pecan praline pastry cream.
1062 Laurier Avenue West
Boulangerie Jarry
A busy Villeray spot, Boulangerie Jarry is always buzzing with locals flocking here for their breads and pastries. In addition to their classic almond galette, they’re also offering a pear, hazelnut and sweet clover one for a fresher, fruitier flavour.
380 Jarry Street East
Blés de Pays
Blé de Pays makes their puff pastry with quality ingredients that are local and traceable, such as Moulin des Cèdres flour. They ferment the dough with their bran sourdough to give it character and a better nutritional contribution than white flour. The filling is a classic frangipane made with exceptional ingredients such as Étoile d’Or butter from Saguenay Lac-St-Jean. Finally, this year they’ve decided to replace half the sugar with maple products and to use a real heirloom bean from a local seed producer.
6525 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
You can find more King cakes (galettes des rois) at the following bakeries:
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 36 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.