Cherry Clafoutis
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Clafoutis is a simple French dessert that is part flan, part Dutch baby, and all parts délicieux!
Clafoutis (pronounced kla-foo-TEE) is a simple French dessert consisting of fruit baked in a sweet, custard-like batter. The texture is unique and hard to describe — think of it as a cross between a fruit-filled flan and a Dutch baby. While cherries are the classic choice, clafoutis can also be made with other fruits, such as berries, plums, apricots, or apples. Similar to another French classic, crepes, clafoutis batter is a breeze to whip up in a blender, making pitting the cherries the most time-consuming step. Interestingly, some traditionalists swear by using stone-in cherries, claiming they add a subtle almond flavor. But who wants to spit out cherry pits (or, worse, crack a tooth!) while enjoying a lovely French dessert? As a workaround, I pit the cherries and add a dash of almond extract to capture that almond essence.
The secret to making a good clafoutis, in my opinion, is using a combination of milk and heavy cream for the custard batter. Most recipes call for just milk, but cream adds richness and ensures the clafoutis bakes up creamy rather than rubbery. Clafoutis can be served lukewarm or at room temperature, plain or dusted with powdered sugar.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Cherry Clafoutis
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by pitting the cherries. I use the Leifheit Cherry Stoner, and it makes quick work of the task.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an over rack in the middle position. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat.(Alternatively, if you don’t have the right skillet, melt the butter in the oven in a 2-quart baking dish.)
Swirl the butter so that it coats the sides the pan. Place the cherries in an even layer in the skillet (or baking dish).
In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, cream, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined.
Pour the batter over the cherries.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the clafoutis from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Place back in the oven and continue baking until just set and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Note that clafoutis will wiggle just a bit when done, but a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
Let cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar (if using), and serve directly from the pan.
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Cherry Clafoutis
Clafoutis is a simple French dessert that is part flan, part Dutch baby, and all parts délicieux!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2½ cups (12 oz) cherries, stemmed and pitted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole or 2% milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. (Alternatively, if you don't have the right skillet, melt the butter in the oven in a 2-quart baking dish.) Swirl the butter so that it coats the sides the pan. Place the cherries in an even layer in the skillet (or baking dish).
- In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, cream, ½ cup of the sugar, the flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Pour the batter over the cherries.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the clafoutis from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place back in the oven and continue baking until just set and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Note that clafoutis will wiggle just a bit when done, but a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Let cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar (if using), and serve directly from the pan.
- Leftover clafoutis will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 215
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 116 mg
- Cholesterol: 91 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn – I do not care for almond extract. Can I sub more vanilla extract or omits the almond extract? Thanks.
Hi Kathy, It’s perfectly fine to replace the almond extract with more vanilla. Enjoy!
Ok,
I’ve been put in the chief cook and cleaning position since I’ve become caregiver for my wife.
I’m learning how to pay attention to what goes in and out of the kitchen. Lol
I just gotta try this one! I’ll be a hero
Jenn,
Could you tell me how to use apples in this recipe? My family doesnt care for cherries and the apples would be great, Thank you so much.
Hi Kimberly, I would peel and thinly slice the apples and then sauté them in the butter for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Then you can just proceed with the recipe. I would use a tart baking apple, like Granny Smith, if you can. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you so much for responding to me. I am going to make this over the weekend. I will let you know how it turns out… after I most likely eat all of it🤣😂
Take care
Should frozen cherries be thawed before use?
Yes 🙂
Delicious! I love this and so does my husband who usually only likes chocolate. He likes cherry pie so thought I would give it a try. Easy and quick. I have a hand held cherry pitter which did the job quickly. Thanks for such a lovely dessert!
Could this recipe be halved? I’m cooking for 2 people and it’s really too much for us.
Sure, Linda – I would just use a smaller skillet or baking dish.
Do you recommend sweet cherries or tart cherries? Tart cherries from Door County, Wisconsin are in season and they are spectacular in cherry pie. Thank you.
Hi Mary, I use sweet cherries but I think tart will work, too, as the clafoutis is quite sweet.
Thaw frozen cherries first?
Yep 🙂
Hi Jen, can I use peaches or nectarines since I don’t have cherries? Will that make a difference in baking time since I don’t want the fruit to be mushy. Thanks
Hi Marianne, I think you can use either peaches or nectarines without any other modifications. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Looks Delicious but 29 g of Carbs for only one serving, YIKES!! For Keto followers, its way to much. But I do Love your marinades for grilled chicken!! The Best I’ve ever had & tender !!!
Hi Jennifer, I just came back from France and loved having clafoutis there. Was excited to see this recipe! I’ve never pitted cherries before and not sure I want to buy a tool for this. Can we sub in frozen already pitted cherries for the fresh ones? If yes, should they be thawed first? Love your recipes and hope I can make this one work!
Hi Allen, For best results, I would use fresh in-season cherries, but if you have good-quality frozen cherries, they will work too. You could also try it with other fruits, like plums or berries.
Hi Allen:
I remove stem on fresh cherries, then use a hard plastic straw to pit the cherry. Works like a charm.
wondering if could use frozen cherries in place of fresh and if anything would need to be adjusted to be able to make year around
Hi Nancy, I’ve made this with both. Fresh cherries are best but frozen works, too.
Looks amazing – would it work with raspberries or plums ? Thx
Yes, I think either would work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with either of these!