The easiest and most delicious baked dessert ever! Made with either dried or fresh cherries, so you can make it year round! Cherries, eggs, milk, butter, sugar, flour and vanilla are all you need for this delightful cherry clafoutis.
What is a Clafoutis?
You might be one of the millions of people who don't know what a Clafoutis is. It is a classic French dessert. Basically fruit topped with a batter and then baked until it forms the most amazing custard like pie.
It is sprinkled with powdered sugar and served still just a little warm. You can top it with cream if you'd like, but you don't really need to.
Ingredients in a Clafoutis
Once you learn how to make a clafoutis, you will be making them all the time. They are so easy and they use mostly pantry ingredients that almost everyone always has in their pantry and fridge.
- Fruit - can be dried (then you'll need a soaking liqueur) or fresh
- Eggs - free range will give you those deep orange yolks
- Milk - full fat makes the creamiest
- Butter - softened
- Sugar - granulated and powdered (for serving)
- Flour - all purpose
- Vanilla - use vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds
- Salt - I use kosher
How to Make a Clafoutis
Once you find out how easy it is to make a clafoutis, you will be making them all the time with what ever fruit you have on hand.
You begin with your fruit. If using fresh cherries, pit and dice them (I use this cherry pitter - it's also great for pitting kalamata olives.) If you are using dried cherries, you need to plump them. You can use orange juice, cherry juice, water or in my case homemade cherry liqueur. The dried cherries need to soak for about 30 minutes.
Make the batter by combining the eggs, milk, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt in a food processor until smooth. No food processor? No problem, just whisk everything.
Pour the batter into a buttered baking dish and top with the fruit (don't use the soaking liquid.) Bake.
Other Fruit Ideas for a Clafoutis
See how crazy easy it is to make a clafoutis? You'll want to make them all the time. Really, it will become your go to dessert.
I found this recipe for a basic clafouti in Home Made Winter
a stunning cookbook. She gives some suggestions for other fruits you might try, like prunes soaked in rum or or pears and raisins soaked in brandy...hmm... might be a good thing for my Homemade Pear Liqueur.
Julia Child's recipe for Berry Clafoutis is also on my list to try.
Some other easy desserts you might like:
If you make this Cherry Clafoutis or use some other type of fruit, be sure and let me know! I'd love to know what you thought of it!
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Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried cherries or fresh cherries diced
- ½ cup cherry brandy if using dried fruit
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 5 tablespoons butter softened, plus more for greasing
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- 1 vanilla bean scrape seeds from bean or 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- confectioner’s sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the dried fruit in the spirit or liqueur for 30 minutes, or dice the fresh fruit.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Butter your baking dishes. Can use one big one or various small sizes (you will have a total volume of about 3 cups).
- In a food processor or bowl, process or whisk the eggs, milk, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla seeds, and salt into a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the baking dishes and arrange the fruit top (without the soaking liquid).
- Bake the clafouti for about 25 minutes or until set.
- Let it cool and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
- (If you are making the recipe for children, replace the alcohol with orange juice.)
Notes
- Use other fruits.
- Apples, pears, berries, plums, peaches all work.
- If using dried fruit, soak in a complimentary liqueur, juice or water for 30 minutes.
- Some ideas: prunes in rum, pears in brandy, berries in fruit liqueur like Chambord.
DeeDee Varner says
I adore Clafoutis! This recipe looks like a winner, but I'm wondering why the ingredients list 1/2 Cup sugar, and 2 TBSP sugar next to each other? The confectioner's as garnish is at the bottom; should I make a guess that 2 TBSP refers to the confectioner's? Please advise 🙂
Pam Greer says
No, it's one of those weird recipes where it needed a little more sugar. So, it's 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons. I should probably just make it 3/4 cup of sugar!
Susan says
I've never made a clafoutis because I thought it would be too difficult. I sit corrected! Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to make this. Pinned!
Ramona says
This is such a great idea for weekend breakfasts - my kids will be delighted. I will definitely make this - saved!
Jacqueline Debono says
I live in a cherry growing area in Northern Italy and always have more cherries than I know what to do with! (we get boxes from the farmers as presents!) I've never thought to use them in a clafouti. This year, I'm going to make it! Thanks for the inspiration!
Beth Neels says
That sounds delicious! I have never made a clafouti! I love any fruit dessert for my breakfast! Makes me feel like I'm getting one serving of fruits and veges, early in the day!
Caroline says
I love clafoutis, it really is so easy and tasty too - I typically make it with blueberries but cherry is the classic I know. Wouldn't have thought of using dried so intrigued to try those too.
Cheryl Crotty says
I have seen this word before but honestly never knew what it was. I wish I had this recipe in December when the theme of my G.F. tea party was Paris...I am going to make this though. Sounds super easy but then again...the cherries sound great and maybe I'll soak them in some Amaretto. Yum...
Thanks, Pam for always sharing such a nice recip
Pam Greer says
It really is so good and so easy!
Ellen Pilch says
I did not know what a clafoutis was. It looks good.
Ann says
Such a wonderful dessert, the Clafoutis. Have you tried apricots or prunes? I can recommend them both.
Pam Greer says
I plan on trying all the fruits!
Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says
I love clafoutis! This looks so delicious!
Healing Tomato says
Baking is soooo hard for me too. You are making the Clafouti look so easy to make. I like your recipe and cherries are my new favorite way to enjoy good desserts.
Barbara @ Spirited Cook says
I will definitely make this -- and I love me some boozy cherries! YUM!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I love fruit clafoutis and this one looks like a winner. I'd say you do bake, but you're welcome to say you don't as along as you keep posting recipes and pictures of baked goods as wonderful as this one.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
I love a clafouti for breakfast or dessert!