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    Kelly Neil » Recipes » Dessert

    Cherry Clafoutis

    Published: May 23, 2021 · Modified: Jul 22, 2022 by Kelly Neil · 15 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cherry clafoutis, made famous by Julia Child, is a simple French custard dish, that's easier to make than pancakes! A fuss-free versatile recipe, you can make this year round with frozen or fresh cherries.
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 50 mins
    Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
    Close up of a pan of cherry clafoutis with a serving missing. this recipe!

    What is it about custard? Whether I’m making a buttermilk quiche, microwave lemon curd, or chocolate peanut butter ice cream, there’s just something about the smooth creaminess of it I can’t get enough of.

    I love making cherry clafoutis! The custard takes only minutes to assemble, and is a terrific way to showcase fresh cherries in summer, or frozen cherries in cooler months. My version of this rustic French treat is lightly sweetened, and includes a hint of almond extract.

    If you’re not familiar, clafoutis is a classic dessert in which fruit, traditionally cherries, and a flan-like egg batter are baked together. As the clafoutis bakes, the edges puff up around the fruit and turn golden. Essentially an egg custard with flour added to hold its shape, this cherry clafoutis recipe is smooth, creamy, and loaded with fruit!

    Jump to:
    • 💞Why You’ll Love This Recipe
    • 📋Ingredients
    • 👩‍🍳Step-By-Step Instructions
    • 🗣Expert Tips
    • 📝Recipe Notes
    • 🙋‍♀️Recipe FAQ
    • 🖨Recipe

    💞Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    ✔️ It’s easier to make than pancakes.
    ✔️ Most of the time is spent hands off.
    ✔️ You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert!

    📋Ingredients

    Ingredient Notes

    • Cherries—fresh cherries are great in season, but frozen cherries work fine the rest of the year. Clafoutis with frozen cherries takes longer to bake.

    Ingredient Swaps

    • Cherries—use any fresh or frozen fruit you like in place of cherries. Blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and rhubarb are all amazing.
    • Almond Extract—if you don’t have almond extract use all vanilla.

    Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

    👩‍🍳Step-By-Step Instructions

    Process shots 1 & 2.

    STEP 1—use your hands to butter a baking dish.

    STEP 2—whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and whisk smooth.

    Process shots 3 & 4.

    STEP 3—add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract to the bowl. Whisk everything together to a smooth batter.

    STEP 4—add ¾ cup of batter to the buttered dish and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The pre-baked bottom helps the cherries sit in place.

    Process shots 5 & 6.

    STEP 5—pour the remaining custard over the pre-baked bottom layer of custard.

    STEP 6—arrange the cherries in the dish and bake for 60 to 65 minutes (frozen cherries) or 45 to 50 minutes (fresh cherries). The clafoutis is done when the edges are puffy and golden and the middle is wobbly but not wet.

    A baked cherry clafoutis cooling on a wire rack.

    🗣Expert Tips

    1. You can use pitted or un-pitted cherries. Let people know if you leave the pits in! Broken teeth are not fun.🦷
    2. To easily pit cherries, push the stones out and through using the tip of a metal straw.
    3. The custard will deflate almost immediately after you remove it from the oven. This is normal!

    📝Recipe Notes

    • It’s common to add a dusting of powdered sugar to clafoutis for garnish. This is totally optional.
    • Clafoutis is best eaten warm after baking, but can be served hot or cold.
    • Once cool, wrap the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap, and store the cherry clafoutis in the fridge for up to two days.
    • To re-heat, microwave on half power for 20 to 30 seconds.
    A pan of cherry clafoutis with a portion removed.

    🙋‍♀️Recipe FAQ

    What does clafoutis mean in French?

    The word clafoutis doesn’t have a direct translation to English, however, it refers to a French custard dish baked with fruit.

    What does clafoutis taste like?

    If you can imagine a pancake, crepe, soufflé, flan, and custard all rolled into one, with vanilla, almond extract, and fruit baked in, then that’s what a clafoutis tastes like.

    Can cherry clafoutis be served cold?

    Yes absolutely! Because it’s quite an eggy dish, however, it’s commonly served warm to take the chill off.

    💃More Fruit Recipes

    • Raspberry Scones
    • Nectarine Blueberry Crisp
    • Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (small-batch)
    • Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Did you make this cherry clafoutis? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!

    🖨Recipe

    Close up of a pan of cherry clafoutis with a serving missing.

    Cherry Clafoutis

    Author: Kelly Neil
    Cherry clafoutis, made famous by Julia Child, is a simple French custard dish, that's easier to make than pancakes! A fuss-free versatile recipe, you can make this year round with frozen or fresh cherries.
    4.58 from 19 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Course Breakfast & Brunch
    Cuisine French
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 177 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 9-inch (23-cm) round or square baking dish
    • measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
    • 1 medium-large mixing bowl
    • 1 whisk

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • 3 cups fresh or frozen cherries , pitted

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Use your hands to grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round or square baking dish with the butter.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the milk to the flour and whisk well to combine.
    • Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Whisk everything together until a smooth batter forms.
    • Pour ¾ cup (190ml) of the batter into the bottom of the buttered dish. Place the dish in the oven and bake it for 8 to 10 minutes or until set.
    • Remove the dish from the oven and carefully pour in the remaining batter. Scatter the cherries evenly around the dish. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes (frozen cherries) or 45 to 50 minutes (fresh cherries). The clafoutis is done when the edges are puffy and golden and the middle is wobbly but not wet.
    • Remove the clafoutis from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon or slice, and serve warm.

    Notes

    • It’s common to add a dusting of powdered sugar to clafoutis for garnish. This is totally optional.
    • Clafoutis is best eaten warm after baking, but can be served hot or cold.
    • Once cool, wrap the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap, and store the cherry clafoutis in the fridge for up to two days.
    • To re-heat, microwave on half power for 20 to 30 seconds.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 113gCalories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 123mgPotassium: 207mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 232IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. [email protected] says

      June 19, 2013 at 3:00 am

      So perfect! I just made clafoutis with roasted rhubarb and vanilla bean. Nummers!

      Reply
    2. [email protected] says

      June 19, 2013 at 12:28 pm

      Beeeeaoooootiful!! I've never made a clafoutis, but I vote cla-FOO-tee.

      Reply
    3. [email protected] says

      June 19, 2013 at 9:56 pm

      This is on my to-make list this year! Growing up with six cherry trees in BC it literally pains me to pay the sky high Alberta prices for cherries though 🙁

      Gah, yours looks mouth watering though. Maybe we'll splurge

      Reply
    4. [email protected] says

      June 23, 2013 at 10:17 am

      @Renee – Roasted, rhubarb and vanilla bean. Three of my favourite things ever!! xo.

      Reply
    5. [email protected] says

      June 23, 2013 at 10:17 am

      @Jessie – I think you may be on to something.

      Reply
    6. [email protected] says

      June 23, 2013 at 10:18 am

      @Stephanie – OR, sub in another seasonal budget-friendly fruit. Seriously, so easy and would go with anything.

      Reply
    7. Sara G says

      April 05, 2020 at 7:00 pm

      Can you use frozen cherries in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Kelly says

        April 05, 2020 at 7:43 pm

        Sara, hi! And yes! I made the strawberry one in the pictures with halved frozen strawberries and it was perfect so frozen cherries should work just fine! Happy baking. 🙂

        Reply
      • Wilannette says

        December 21, 2021 at 10:29 am

        How should I prepare frozen cherries for a Clafoutis instead of fresh?

        Reply
        • Kelly Neil says

          December 21, 2021 at 11:46 am

          You don’t have to do anything! Just add them to the baking dish as per the recipe instructions. They’ll thaw very quickly in the oven.🥰

          Reply
    8. Kristen says

      July 01, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      This looks delicious. I’ve never made clafoutis before but, I have so many cherries right now so I’m adding this to my list.

      Reply
    9. [email protected] says

      July 06, 2020 at 2:10 am

      What a gorgeous clafoutis! The lip (can we call it a crust?) is wonderfully puffed and browned too – it looks spectacular. I’ve always loved the fact that clafoutis is one of the few cooked desserts that uses sweet cherries to great effect, and with them coming into season right now, I’m looking forward to making this. Cheers!

      Reply
    10. Cynthia Priest says

      July 06, 2020 at 2:16 am

      What a beautiful clafoutis! I didn’t realize that it is quite non-fussy to make. I probably will pit my cherries because I don’t trust my 2 year old to spit the pits out. Thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
    11. Sharon says

      July 06, 2020 at 2:40 am

      I used to make a version of this all the time! We called it ‘puff pancake’. This cherry version looks out of this world and I appreciate the tip for skipping the powdered sugar. 🙂

      Reply
    12. Lorraine says

      July 19, 2020 at 2:25 pm

      I did the cherry and then decided to try it with peaches. Slightly different process as the peaches go on the baked bottom before pouring the batter.

      Reply

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    Hi there! 👋🏻 I'm Kelly, the photographer and voice behind kellyneil.com. This is where you'll find my favorite baking recipes and easy family meals.
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