Cherry Clafoutis

Cherry Clafoutis is like a cross between an almond custard and a baked fruit pancake. This French dessert is incredibly easy to make and yet feels gourmet enough for special occasions. Fresh or frozen cherries may be used or any fruit of your choosing.

Serve this for dessert on a Sunday evening after feasting on One Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potato Bake and a salad with a Simple Lemon Vinaigrette. Additionally, this dessert is wonderful served after a summer meal of Summer Pasta Salad and Dry Rubbed Ribs and/or Dry Rubbed Chicken Wings. 

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What is Clafoutis?

Pronounced claw-foo-tee and sometimes spelled Clafouti, this French recipe is like a cross between a custard, flan and a pancake. It tastes like a very sophisticated dessert and yet is very simple to make.

Clafoutis is often made with stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and cherries. However blueberries, cranberries, apples and pears are just as amazing in this recipe.

This sweet treat is perfect when you need a low maintenance dessert that is impressive or when fresh cherries are at the peak of their season.

Ingredients Needed

The beauty of this dessert is that it tastes amazing and is so easy with just a few basic ingredients. 

• Whole milk– Low-fat or almond milk may be substituted.
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Almond Extract– Almond flavor goes amazingly well with cherries. However, vanilla extract may be substituted.
• Butter– Either salted or unsalted.
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Fresh or Frozen Cherries– When using fresh cherries a good quality cherry pitter will be needed.

How To Make Cherry Clafoutis 

1. Preheat oven to 325℉. 
2. Lightly spray a 9 or 10 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (this is my favorite healthy spray). 
3. Prepare cherries (see Fresh vs Frozen Cherries section below) and arrange cherries in a single layer in the baking pan. 
4. In a blender combine milk, eggs, sugar, extract, melted butter, flour and baking powder. Process until smooth.
5. Pour batter over the top of cherries and bake until the custard has set or is no longer jiggly, about 40-45 minutes.
6. Garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and almond slices. 

Fresh vs Frozen Cherries

Either fresh or frozen cherries may be used for this recipe. That makes me incredibly happy because Clafoutis made with frozen cherries is very fun to have as a Christmas or Valentines Day dessert. Here is how to handle both types of cherries.

Fresh Cherries–  Use 1 1/4 lbs fresh cherries. Pit using a cherry pitter. 

Frozen Cherries– Place 1 pound of frozen cherries in a colander and let defrost completely before baking with them. Dispose of cherry juice. Pro Tip: Place the colander in a large bowl to catch the cherry juice. At room temperature the cherries will take a few hours to completely defrost. 

Commonly Asked Questions

What is the best pan to bake Cherry Clafoutis in?

Cherry Clafoutis can be baked in either a 9 or 10 inch cast iron pan, a 9 or 10 inch pie pan or any other style of baking dish that is similarly sized (as seen in photos). However, cast iron does tend to help the edges of the Clafouti puff more so than traditional pie pans. 

Does Clafoutis need to be refrigerated?

Since Clafoutis uses milk it is best to refrigerate leftovers and eat within a day. 

Should Clafoutis be served hot or cold?

Many feel that Clafoutis should be served warm. However, it is tastes amazing warm, room temperature or cold. 

Can I freeze Clafoutis?

No, I highly recommend not freezing Clafoutis as the texture will change dramatically. 

If you enjoyed this Cherry Clafoutis please let me know by leaving a comment and review below. Doing so helps to encourage others to make the recipe also. Thank you!