Cherry Clafoutis
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You need to try this easy Cherry Clafoutis recipe! This dense and velvety dessert packed with fresh cherries is much simpler to put together than it looks. With a few basic ingredients you’ll be sure to impress your family and friends!
I love summer. So many fruits, so many possibilities for desserts. One of my favorite things to bake in the summer is clafoutis. If you haven’t heard of this French dessert before, then this is a sign that you must try it. The batter has very little flour, so it ends up like a thick custard, a flan like batter, so it’s very light.
Looking for a way to use up a stash of cherries? I’ve got you covered. This simple thin batter will make the perfect unique dessert that you can serve to guests or enjoy all on your own.
What Is Clafoutis?
You may have seen this recipe spelled “clafouti” before. That is because it makes the pronunciation of this french dessert, “kla-foo-tee”, easier in english-speaking countries. This treat is traditionally made with cherries and a thin flan-like batter baked in a buttered dish. It can be made with all sorts of different fruits!
Ingredients
- Half and half – If you’re not familiar with this ingredient, it’s simply half milk and half heavy cream. Anything between 10% and 18%MF will work.
- Eggs – There are lots of eggs here! That’s what will give your clafoutis its signature dense flan-like consistency.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar will give you the best results.
- Vanilla extract – You can experiment with other extracts like almond or rum. Keep in mind other flavors may be much stronger.
- Flour – I always use all-purpose flour. You can use gluten-free flour if you need.
- Salt – Just a small amount is used to really bring the flavors together in this dish.
- Cherries – These are the star of the show! Find yourself some big and deep red sweet cherries. They will work best for clafoutis.
What Else Can I Put in Clafoutis?
I’ve tried this clafoutis recipe with lots of different types of fruit. The batter is simple, silky and so versatile. Give these a try!
How to Make the Best Cherry Clafoutis Recipe
- Prep the cherries: Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the stems, wash and dry, then pit all your cherries. I find it is much easier to use a cherry pitter versus doing this with knife.
- Make the batter: Bring the half and half to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let the cream cool for about 5 minutes before proceeding. You can use either a blender or a hand mixer for this step. It’s important for the batter to be smooth and well blended. Add the cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt to your bowl or blender. Mix until there are no more lumps.
- Assemble and bake the clafoutis: Butter the skillet and arrange the cherries. Pour the batter into the skillet over the cherries. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until fully cooked. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
How Do I Know When My Clafoutis Is Done Baking?
Once your clafoutis has turned golden brown on the top, you can test for its doneness. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the clafoutis, avoiding any cherries. If it comes out clean, you can take it out of the oven. If there is still some batter sticking to the toothpick, let it cook for 5-10 minutes intervals until the toothpick comes out clean.
How to Serve
Dust generously with powdered sugar then use a large knife to cut your clafoutis into pie-shaped slices. Serve it with either a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Of course, this dessert is delicious served all on its own as well!
Make Ahead
You can prepare your clafoutis batter 1 day ahead of time. Pop it in the oven an hour before you plan on serving it so it has a chance to cool down for 15 minutes. This dessert is best served fresh and warm.
How to Store
Store leftovers either in an airtight container or wrapped well with plastic in the fridge. It will last 3-4 days, and is best if reheated. Zap the clafoutis for 15 second intervals until it’s warm. You can also cover it with foil and bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes, or until warm.
Did You Love This Recipe? Try These!
- Grape Clafoutis
- Apricot Clafoutis
- Cherry Cobbler
- Cherry Sheet Cake
- Cherry Rolls
- Pancake Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry and Ricotta Pancakes
- How To Make Crepes
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Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherries (pitted)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups half and half
- powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter (softened, for buttering the dish)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the cherries: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Remove the stems, wash and dry, then pit all your cherries. I find it is much easier to use a cherry pitter versus doing this with knife.
- Make the batter: Bring the half and half to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let the cream cool for about 5 minutes before proceeding. You can use either a blender or a hand mixer for this step. It's important for the batter to be smooth and well blended. Add the cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt to your bowl or blender. Mix until there are no more lumps.
- Assemble and bake the clafoutis: Butter the skillet and arrange the cherries. Pour the batter into the skillet over the cherries. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until fully cooked. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
- Store leftovers either in an airtight container or wrapped well with plastic in the fridge. It will last 3-4 days, and is best if reheated. Zap the clafoutis for 15 second intervals until it’s warm. You can also cover it with foil and bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes, or until warm.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Don’t have a cast iron skillet – can I use a baking dish or pie plate, & what size for each? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Absolutely, you can make cherry clafoutis without a cast-iron skillet! A 9-inch pie plate or a similar-sized baking dish will work just fine. Just be sure to butter or grease the dish well to prevent sticking, and you may want to keep an eye on the baking time, as it might vary slightly from the skillet version.
Do you think this might work with dried cherries?
I haven’t tried myself, I’ve actually never worked with dried cherries before. You might have to soak them first? Not sure.
Love this recipe
Should I use sweet or sour cherries?
I used sweet cherries, but if you like sour cherries and don’t find them too tart, go ahead.
Can frozen cherries be used when cherries not in season
Yes! Just keep in mind frozen fruit will give off more moisture. You can always just this recipe for any of your favorite in-season fruits as well.
when cherries are out of season can you use canned cherry pie filling?. just wondering
Cherry pie filling will be a bit too runny. I would use frozen cherries, or you can use any of your favorite in-season fruits.
Hello,
May I use a flat baking dish, such as a quiche dish for this recipe, or does it strictly need to be cast iron?
PS…….Always enjoy your recipes!
You can, does not have to be a cast iron. I’ve made this in many dishes including pie dishes.
Just made this, easy and delicious, as promised, thank you!
Hi Jo,
In researching clafoutis recipes I’m noticing that yours is the only one I see that calls for heating the milk/half & half. Just wondering what the reason for this is?
Hi Alice! Not sure exactly but it has something to do with the protein in the whey and the volume of the clafoutis. As you said either can be used, but in true clafoutis recipes, the milk should be scaled first. Of course you could try it both ways and see if there’s really a difference.
Thanks for the input. In the recipe I tried I did not heat the milk and although it was tasty it was rather flat. Next time I will try your method and see if that helps with the volume/“puffiness” of the finished clafoutis. Yours definitely looks prettier!
And PS – made your Cajun shrimp tacos with mango salsa this week. Had to use cod instead of shrimp but it was a delicious hit!!
Looks and tastes so good
I saw lots of cherries at the super mart today. They are very expensive but I am going to go back tomorrow and get some to make a cherry clafoutti using your recipe. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous dessert with us.
Yes you are right, they are expensive. I love cherries though and whenever I do buy them, I make sure I use them all up and don’t throw them away! Good luck with your clafoutis and I hope it turns out excellent.
Yum! I just made my first clafouti just last week and I loved it! I didn’t make a cherry one though and I can’t wait to try it 😀 Yours looks delicious!
Oh it was delicious! I still have some cherries left, I’m very tempted to make another one this weekend. Stop me, I’m trying to lose some weight here!!!