A guide to Montréal’s best yule logs

Christmas logs - Nanana

This article was updated on December 6, 2023.

The end of year Holidays are almost here and with them come all the traditional meals and treats. Yule logs are definitely the most loved and consumed Holiday cake. Many Montréal pastry shops go out of their way to create traditional logs as well as more unique and elaborate productions. Below are a few that have caught our attention. Don’t forget to book yours soon.

Pâtisserie Rhubarbe

1479 Laurier East | Website

The popular Plateau pastry shop has a much-anticipated Holiday collection every year. For this year’s yule logs, Pâtisserie Rhubarbe has created two flavours, a chocolate one with a mousse and chocolate biscuit, a praline and hazelnut biscuit and coffee mascarpone, and a lemon one with lemon cream, clementine jelly and olive oil mousse and biscuit.

 

Mlle Gâteaux

363 Rue Villeray | Website

This cute pastry shop is the go-to spot in Villeray. Everything here is delicious, especially their rustic yet elegant cakes. Mlles Gâteaux is making four log flavours this year, a classic chocolate-orange rolled log, a “Tropicananas” log with passion fruit, mango and pineapple.  Their third log is the “Louis” with notes of chestnut, haskap and raspberry and the fourth and most decadent log is a “Romanoff” with chocolate brownies, almond-hazelnut praline crisp, vanilla bavaroise, homemade graham cracker financier, dark chocolate ganache, almond-hazelnut praline mousse and dark chocolate chantilly.

 

Boucherie Édouard et Léo

Several locations | Website

Édouard et Léo are neighbourhood butcher shops founded by Hoogan et Beaufort’s chef Marc-André Jetté with the intention of highlighting the work of small local producers and food artisans. One of the best restaurants in Montréal, Hoogan et Beaufort excels at flame cooking. They’ve used that expertise in creating their “white” yule log this year, with a wood-burnt clementine, lime, yoghurt, praline and wild rice. Their other creation is a chocolate, caramel, plum and tonka bean log.

 

Christmas logs

Farine & Cacao

1315 Ontario Street East | Website

Elegant Farine & Cacao is located in the heart of Montréal’s Village. Pastry chef Christian Campos has created three very special yule logs with unique flavours for this year’s Holiday season. Kinako, tangerine and matcha log contains a matcha cake, crispy puffed rice, kinako (roasted soybean flour) cream, a tangerine and yuzu compote and an airy cheese mousse. The chocolate and fir tree log has a chocolate cake, almond and buckwheat praline crisp, fir tree caramel, lemon marmalade and chocolate mousse. And finally, the algarrobina and pineapple log has a pain de Gênes cake, lime crisp, candied pineapple, chocolate cream and a mousse with algarrobina syrup (a Peruvian specialty, a syrup made from the Black Carob tree).

 

Les Givrés

Several locations | Website

Les Givrés’ frozen yule logs have become somewhat of a classic. Choose among 7 specialty logs featuring their outstanding ice creams and sorbets. The “campfire” one is especially delicious with its caramel-almond and chocolate ice cream, homemade grilled marshmallows, sponge cake and chocolate sauce. The “La Sainte Paix” one is shaped like a little log cabin and is made with praline and chocolate ice creams, haskap sorbet, dried meringue “walls”, a crunchy praline “roof”, a chocolate and haskap jelly sponge cake floor, and marshmallows.

 

Sachère

1274 Boulevard de Maisonneuve East | Website

LGBTQ+ Village cake shop Sachère makes gorgeous cakes all year round. Their yule logs are no exception and come in 3 unique flavours. The gluten-free Yuki has a coconut cake, topped with a light jasmine tea and vanilla mousse with a lychee-wrapped center and is covered with white chocolate with jasmine tea powder and a lychee-whipped ganache. The Alba is their vegan log with cashew, coconut and hazelnut “cream”, mounted on several layers of gingerbread cake and cranberry compote with a pinch of smoked Lapsang souchong and topped with a creamy hazelnut praline “cream” and coated with vegan chocolate. And finally, the Kuro log is a gorgeous, nut-free, black sesame cake garnished with lemon confit and a yuzu mousse, with a center composed of a creamy black sesame and a flowing yuzu caramel. It’s covered with a ganache whipped with yuzu and sprinkled with white chocolate and decorated with candied lemon zest and a black sesame cream. All their yule logs are available in 3 different sizes and can be purchased frozen or fresh.

 

Boulangerie Andalos

350 Boulevard Lebeau | Website

You can find traditional yule logs at Boulangerie Andalos like their traditional chocolate or vanilla rolled logs adorned with old school decorations or their decadent Ferrero Rocher log with hazelnuts. However, every year, this Middle-Eastern pastry shop creates a special flavour and this year’s creation is an Oreo log which plays on a nostalgic taste of childhood.

 

Pâtisserie Madeleine

2105 Beaubien East | Website

Rosemont pastry shop Pâtisserie Madeleine has created three yule logs for this Holiday season. Their signature log with a pistachio biscuit, crémeux and crunchylayer, enhanced by a light gianduja mousse sounds delicious. The other two choices include a raspberry, chocolate and jasmin log as well as a chestnut and haskap berry one.

 

Ritz-Carlton Montréal

1228 Rue Sherbrooke West | Website

The glamourous Ritz Carlton Montréal has created 3 varieties of their elegant and sophisticated Ritz-Carlton Montreal Signature Logs. The Orange black coffee log has piedmont hazelnut almond biscuit, feuillantine praline, orange lemon marmalade, coffee mousse, orange cream. The chocolate raspberry pistachio log contains brownies biscuit, pistachio bavaroise, raspberry compote, pistachio praline, and chocolate mousse. The third is a lemon crème brûlée log combining lemon marmalade, crème brulée mousse, rice puff almond praline, lemon cream. The logs are available in two sizes and orders must be made 48 hours in advance.

 

Marché Artisans

900 Boulevard René-Lévesque West | Website

Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth’s Marché Artisans is a beautiful food hall that pays tribute to local Québec food. Chef Jean-Marc Guillot, an award-winning French pastry chef, is behind all the exquisite creations. They have created 9 yule log flavours for this Holiday season: blackcurrant and chestnut, citrus with flambéed meringue, Grand Marnier ice cream, nougat ice cream, berry Charlotte, apple and ice cider, dark chocolate and one with boreal spices, milk chocolate and caramel. They also have a special Barbie log with raspberry, mascarpone poppy cream, wild berry confit, and white chocolate feuilletine.

 

Comptoir Épicerie Signé Toqué

950 Beaumont, Suite 105 | Website

Comptoir-Épicerie Signé Toqué is a refined grocery shop operating out of the Brasserie T! location on Beaumont Street. This year, the Comptoir-Épicerie team are creating two yule logs, an Earl Grey and berry one and a chocolate, pecan and caramel one. Both are as beautiful and chic as they are delicious.

 

Lecavalier Petrone

2423 Centre | Website

Lecavalier Petrone’s gorgeous chocolates and cakes are beautiful pieces of ephemeral art. Their logs are no exception. This year’s flavours included a lemon almond log, a milk chocolate, pecan and caramel log and a dark chocolate and berry log. Unfortunately, they are all already sold out but make a note if you’d like to order one next year.

 

Chez Potier

630 Rue Wellington | Website

Beloved pastry chef Olivier Potier is offering three incredible logs this season.  The Babaxotique log contains babas poached in passion fruit jelly, a light mousse with lime zest and an almond crisp (no alcohol). The Costa Rica log has a chocolate fondant biscuit, a milk chocolate and hazelnut crisp, milk chocolate and hazelnut cream and a Costa Rica grand cru chocolate mousse. And finally, the gluten-free citrus and chestnut log has a glazed chestnut biscuits, a mandarin and yuzu confit, mandarin cream, clementine marmalade and an airy chestnut mousse flavoured with vanilla.

 

Mamie Clafoutis

Several locations | Website

Popular bakery and pastry shop Mamie Clafoutis has many shops around Montréal. Their breads and croissants are some of the best in town, and so are their pastries. This year, they will be offering two flavours, a classic rolled log with chocolate and caramel and another with pistachio and raspberry. 

 

Le Toledo

Several locations | Website

Le Toledo is creating 3 flavours of yule logs this season. They will have an apple and caramel log, a raspberry chocolate log, and a coffee log with cashew praline. They will be offering all three flavours in mini formats from the beginning of December to allow customers to taste them before choosing their favourite flavour for the holidays.

 

Première Moisson

Several locations | Website

Première Moisson is a master at crafting great breads, pastries and desserts. For the Holidays, they are offering several yule logs starting with their Blueberry signature yule log with crispy praliné log with an almond cream topped with cacao nib crumble, homemade praline, blueberry compote, mousse flavoured with Québec dune pepper and blueberry icing. Chocolate lovers will appreciate the Chocolate Buttercream log with chocolate buttercream and ganache or the Royal yule log with a homemade milk chocolate praline feuilletine, dark chocolate mousse, and milk chocolate glaze. The Lemon-berry log is a Viennese sponge cake with lemon syrup, berry compote, lemon cream, honey-sweetened lemon Bavarian cream and berry icing. And finally, their Praline buttercream log has a sponge cake with the Quebec-made liqueur Noisettino, and is covered in praline buttercream and caramelized nuts.

 

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

4200 Rue Saint-Denis | Website

Famous Lille-based pastry shop Aux Merveilleux de Fred specializes in the Merveilleux, an airy cake from the north of France made of layers of meringue and whipped cream. The two yule logs they’re offering this year are inspired by their pastries. The Merveilleux log will be chocolate-flavoured with shavings of dark chocolate and the Incroyable will have speculoos biscuit and whipped cream coated with shaved white chocolate.

 

Unicone

3873 Rue Saint Denis | Website

Plateau ice cream and cookie shop Unicone is offering 3 flavours of yule logs this Holiday season. Choose between the Lune log with orange blossom ice cream and sponge cake, apricot, and shards of Pismaniye (traditional middle eastern cotton candy); the Dulce choco-brownie log with chocolate, dulce de leche, brownie pieces and hazelnuts; and the  the vegan Aurore Boréale log with coco pandan ice cream, with Ataulfo ​​mango puree, garnished with crispy rice in Christmas colors.

 

Pâtisserie Mélilot

1062 Laurier Avenue West | Website

Pâtisserie Mélilot on chic Laurier Avenue West is a newcomer this year on the Montréal list of yule log purveyors with two flavours. The chocolate log has a chocolate cake, almond/hazelnut feuilletine, birch namelaka and chocolate mousse and a smoked icing. The clementine log is made of a molasses madeleine cake, American clavalier gel, coffee cream, clementine compote, and a coffee linzer cake.

 

Pâtisserie TM

1011 Ontario East | Website

Pâtisserie TM is a pastry shop that blends Japanese flavours and tradition with French knowhow. This year they will be making 4 different yule logs flavour: a Mont-Blanc (chestnut and cream) one, a matcha and yuzu mousse log, a chocolate, caramel and clementine one and a mango, passion and raspberry one.

 

Arhoma

15 Place Simon-Valois and 1700 Ontario Street East | Website

The beloved Hochelaga-Maisonneuve bakery is in a festive mood and has created three yule logs for the season. The first one is the North to south log composed of an almond crisp, vanilla biscuit, mango and passion fruit confit, sweetgrass mousse and mango icing. Chocolate lovers will love the choco-caramel log made with a chocolate biscuit, caramel cream, chocolate supreme and caramel feuilletine crisp. Finally, the third log is the festive cherry and nards of the pinewoods log with a reconstituted shortbread, vanilla biscuit, cherry compote and nards of the pinewoods mousse.

 

Fanfare

751 Rue Jarry East | Website

One of Villeray’s most popular and loved bakery and brunch and pizza spot, Fanfare also makes great desserts. In fact, their pastry chef, Pascale Billy Robert, has honed her skills for a decade in some of Montréal's most famous establishments such as Graziella and Europea. Their Holiday logs include a chocolate and caramel one with a crunchy chocolate and caramel biscuit, chocolate mousse, chocolate icing, and caramel whipped cream as well as a beautiful looking almond, pistachio and raspberry log with a soft almond cake, cham roll, pistachio Bavarian cream, and meringue.

 

Pâtisserie Béline

3910 Rue Wellington | Website

Pâtisserie Béline is a creative, gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free pastry shop in the heart of Verdun that provides sweet treats to people with special diets. For the Holiday season this year, their team has created 2 yule logs. The first is inspired by s’mores and has a vanilla and chocolate chip dacquoise rolled with burnt meringue cream and graham cracker crunchy, with burnt marshmallow and smoked Maldon salt flakes. The second is inspired by Lamington and has a coconut dacquoise, almond and dark chocolate crisp, raspberry jam, milk chocolate mousse and is topped with chocolate sauce and coconut. Both are vegan, gluten and soy free, of course.

 

Rustique Pie Kitchen

4615 Notre-Dame Street West | Website

Located in the Saint-Henri neighbourhood, Rustique has a loyal fan base who love their fun edible treats. This Holiday season, Rustique has created two yule logs that are sure to please everyone. The cherry-almond yule log includes a crunchy meringue base, a tart and juicy cherry compote, a light and airy almond whipped cream and a soft and delicious almond cake layer. It’s decorated with a generous layer of whipped cream ribbons, cherries and caramelized almond pieces. The eggnog yule log has a gingerbread-spiced sponge layered with a crispy spiced white chocolate and a light eggnog flavored whipped cream. It’s decorated with mini gingerbread cookies and eggnog fudge squares.

 

Pâtisserie Zébulon

4522 Rue Saint-Denis | Website

Vegan pastry shop Zébulon has created two yule logs for this year’s holiday celebrations. The chestnut, chocolate and salted caramel log combines a cocoa cake, chestnut cream, salted caramel, custard with vanilla paste and glazed chestnuts. Their second log is the gluten-free and vegan berry and toasted buckwheat one with an almond financier, Quebec berry mousse, buckwheat praline and puffed rice crisp.

 

Fous Desserts

809 Laurier East | Website

Beloved pastry shop Fou Desserts offers great Christmas logs every year. Their logs come in three flavours this year. The gluten and gelatine free Black sesame and plum log contains a black sesame ganache, a plum and Tonka bean crémeux, plum coulis, a black sesame almond cream and a streusel with cocoa nibs. The nut and gelatin free Chocolate and citrus fruit log has a dark chocolate mousse with spices, a caramel-chocolate coffee crémeux, a chocolate roulade and homemade citrus marmalade, and a gingerbread and dark chocolate crisp.. And finally, the nut-free Cashemire log contains an orange and pumpkin mousse, a chocolate ganache with Kashmir Garam Massala spices, a plain roulade with cranberry-yuzu coulis and chunks of Dulcey chocolate and brownie.

 

Christmas logs - Nanana

Nanana

155 Jean-Talon East | Website

Beloved restaurant Ratafia’s little sister Nanana has recently opened across the street from the Jean-Talon market. The pastel-coloured spot is the most adorable and playful dessert shop with fun and inventive cakes created by their sweet team of 5 women chefs. Their gorgeous White Log contains a mousse made with Aléa drinks, a chocolate and almond powder cake, a black rice crisp, coffee cream, and intense full-bodied coffee ganache, silver flakes, and coffee powder.

 

Dalla Rose

4609 Notre-Dame West | Website

Saint-Henri’s favourite ice cream purveyor Dalla Rose is offering 3 flavours of frozen yule logs for this year’s holiday season. A chocolate hazelnut one with hazelnut ice cream, milk chocolate semifreddo, a crunchy hazelnut praline centre and a hard dark chocolate shell; a pistachio one with Sicilian pistachio gelato, a honey nougat centre and a white chocolate and a Tiramisu one with espresso gelato, a mascarpone semifreddo centre, ladyfingers and a dark chocolate cookie base.

La Bête à Pain

Several locations | Website

La Bête à Pain is an exceptional bakery, pastry shop and all-around purveyor of phenomenal food. This year, they are offering 3 yule logs that will appeal to all tastes. The Royal log is made with a cocoa cake, a praline crunch and a creamy dark chocolate mousse. The Casse-Noisette is a timeless classic with hazelnut dacquoise, caramel, praline mousse, and hazelnut decorations. Finally the Cheesecakes Exotique has a lime biscucakeit, mango and pineapple confit, cream cheese and lime mousse with a passion fruit glaze. All 3 logs are on sale at their 3 locations, Griffintown, Ahuntsic and Laval.

 

Mayssam Samaha

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.

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