Maison Sandrine · Cedar Rapids

The Bakery

A little corner of France in Iowa, where time-honoured pastry craft meets a joyful world of flavour.

Made with savoir-faire, shared with joy.

Pink and yellow French macarons with fresh flowers
Authentic French pastry, handmade in Cedar Rapids
French macarons served at an elegant garden tea table

About the bakery

French roots, a home in Iowa.

French Pastry by Sandrine has brought authentic French desserts to Cedar Rapids since 2018. The maison is best known for its macarons: delicate almond shells filled with a broad palette of fruit, chocolate, spice, nut and floral flavours.

Every pastry is made from scratch with fresh, natural ingredients. Fruit preserves are prepared in-house, while carefully chosen cocoa, spices and floral notes bring depth and character to each creation.

Cedar Rapids · Iowa Southern French roots Handmade from scratch
Sandrine Wallace in her Cedar Rapids bakery
Sandrine Wallace · founder and baker

Meet the baker

Meet Sandrine.

Sandrine Wallace grew up in Southern France, where baking was part of everyday life. When she moved to the United States, she brought that lifelong affection for French recipes with her.

She first baked for friends and neighbours in Iowa. Their enthusiasm soon became orders, and a personal tradition grew into a bakery devoted to generous flavour, handmade detail and the pleasure of sharing something distinctly French.

“In France, baking is a way of life — so I have always baked.”

Behind the scenes

Crafted by hand, finished with care.

Macarons reward patience. Each batch calls for careful piping, precise timing and close attention to texture. The result is a crisp shell, a tender centre and a filling designed to let every flavour speak clearly.

Baker standing behind trays of colourful macaron shells
Every batch, made one tray at a time
Sandrine mixing ingredients in a stainless-steel bowl
Hands pouring a mixture from a metal bowl
Chocolate pieces beside macaron shells on a baking mat
Macaron batter being piped by hand
Freshly piped by hand
Pink macaron mixture being piped onto a baking mat
Fresh macaron shells arranged on a tray in front of a Paris apron
Macaron shells baking on trays inside the oven
Rows of macaron shells resting on trays by a window

Recognition & distinction

Awards

From festival tables to editorial pages, these moments celebrate Sandrine’s craft and the people who have welcomed it.

Maison Sandrine at the 2024 Key West Food and Wine Festival
Key West Food & Wine Festival · 2024
Sandrine presenting a macaron centrepiece at Nantucket Wine and Food in 2023
Nantucket Wine & Food · 2023
Magazine feature titled Perfecting the Macaron alongside floral arrangements
Editorial feature · Perfecting the Macaron
Sandrine and her macaron centrepieces at Nantucket Wine and Food in 2024
Nantucket Wine & Food · 2024
Macarons and wine presented during a collaborative tasting in Key West
Wine Pairing in the Napa Valley
French Pastry by Sandrine featured in American Cake Decorating magazine in 2023
Featured in American Cake Decorating · 2023
Collage of Maison Sandrine macarons, displays and a celebratory portrait
A colourful record of the Maison
January and February 2023 cover of American Cake Decorating magazine
American Cake Decorating · January / February 2023

Our philosophy

Create something beautiful.

Not simply a beautiful pastry, but a moment of happiness for the person who receives it.

For Sandrine, pastry is both craft and gesture: the pleasure of choosing a flavour, making it with care and watching a box become part of a celebration. Natural ingredients and authentic French know-how matter because the smallest details shape the whole experience.

The pleasure is in the details.

From our bakery to your table

Discover Maison Sandrine

Explore the macaron collections or get in touch to begin planning something delicious.

Explore the macarons Contact the bakery