Cherry Clafoutis Recipe

There’s nothing more quintessentially French during the summer than a French cherry clafoutis recipe for dessert! While French pastries like eclairs and macarons are often the most talked about, a cherry clafoutis like this is actually the real star in French homes during the summer season.

What is cherry clafoutis made of?

Cherry clafoutis is a delicious dessert recipe made of essentially custard, flour, and fresh cherries. While you can technically make a cherry clafoutis with frozen cherries, or even a cherry clafoutis with canned cherries, it defies the authenticity of a real French cherry clafoutis.

This rustic Limousin-originating dessert is all about using fresh, sweet cherries. In fact, in France, it’s custom to not remove the pits from the cherries. That’s just how very rustic and true to nature it’s supposed to be.

What does cherry clafoutis taste like?

A classic cherry clafoutis recipe actually has a bit of an almond flavor to it. This is because the pits in the cherries contribute a nutty, almond flavor to the custard as the dessert bakes.

I personally don’t love the idea of biting down on a cherry pit so I remove the pits before incorporating my cherries into the batter. You can use a simple cherry pitter to make this task easy for you.

If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you can try using a wooden chopstick or a metal straw to pierce straight through the top of the cherry and out the bottom (just be warned that this can get a little messy and some cherries may get a bit deformed if the pit is stubborn).

To compensate for the lack of pit flavor in the dessert, I simply add almond extract.

Is clafoutis supposed to be rubbery?

Cherry clafoutis should not be rubbery. While clafoutis does not have the same texture as cake (it’s more of a cross between flan and cake), it should remain silky and moist.

If your clafoutis is rubbery, it could be because of the recipe you’re using, specifically the ratio of eggs and milk to flour.

With the cherry clafoutis recipe I’m sharing below, you should get a moist, custard-y, almost-cake like texture, especially if you bake the clafoutis to the right point, which I describe below.

In a way, this recipe is a cross between the cherry clafoutis Julia Child shared and the cherry clafoutis Ina Garten has. My recipe has a mix of both whole milk and heavy cream (whereas the other two ladies only use milk or only cream, respectively).

How do you know when clafoutis is done?

A cherry clafoutis is done when only the center wobbles slightly but the rest of the dessert is set. The top should look deeply golden for best flavor, in my opinion.

People get nervous sometimes with custard desserts and how long to bake them. While you may worry that a slight wobble in the center of the clafoutis would mean the center is undone, you should know that the clafoutis will further bake once it’s outside of the oven and just beginning to cool down.

That said, some people bake clafoutis until the whole dessert has a slight wobble versus just the center. I personally prefer my clafoutis more set, and like I mentioned, love the crisp top that forms. It adds so much flavor.

This cherry clafoutis recipe is the same recipe I use for my pear clafoutis, minus the fall spices, and it’s delicious! I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think!

Cherry Clafoutis Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

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Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup + 2 tsp sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups cherries, pitted
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• whipped cream, ice cream, or powdered sugar to top or serve with (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prep a 10-inch oven-safe pan (preferably cast iron but a ceramic baking dish works too!) by rubbing the unsalted butter all along the bottom and sides of the pan. Sprinkle the 2 tsp of sugar all over the pan as well.
2. To a large bowl, add the eggs and sugar and whisk with an electric mixer until combined and foamy.
3. Add in the cream, milk, and extract, and continue whisking until smooth and combined.
4. Add in the flour and salt, and again whisk just until smooth and combined.
5. Dump the cherries into the prepared pan and spread them out. Pour the batter all over the cherries. The batter will slightly puff up but not too much so you can fill the pan until it just about reaches the rim of the pan.
6. Bake the clafoutis for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets. The clafoutis should look golden brown on top and have a wobble in the center. When you take the clafoutis out of the oven, let it rest on the counter until it's just slightly warm or room temperature. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Alternatively, you can also dust the top with powdered sugar.

Notes

Be sure to wait for the clafoutis to cool until it's just slightly warm or room temperature. It will have the right texture and flavor at that time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 5g