Cherry Clafoutis is a classic French cherry dessert made with a flan-like batter.
I share our authentic easy cherry clafoutis recipe further below with how to process shots.
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📕 What is clafoutis?
Clafoutis is a French baked dessert that consists of a layer of fruits and a layer of flan-like batter.
A clafoutis is rich in eggs and is not overly sweet.
The classic clafoutis is prepared with whole unpitted cherries because it is said that the seeds add flavor to the dessert.
In french the cherry clafoutis is known as clafoutis aux cerises.
Other variations of clafoutis with other fruits may exist and conservative thinkers may call those flan desserts and not clafoutis.
Clafoutis is sometimes spelled as clafouti in English speaking countries and is pronounced kläfütē.
🍒 Choice of cherries
Black sweet cherries or even sour cherries, so-called "pie cherries", are often while used to balance the sweetness and flavors in a classic cherry clafoutis.
I used our sour cherries form the tree behind the house in the pictures.
You can use fresh cherries, canned cherries or frozen cherries.
I like to use canned cherries because they are more flavor intense, however, they are juicy so excess juice needs to be pressed out a bit.
When using frozen cherries, make sure to defrost your cherries completely before using the fruits in your clafoutis because the dessert might get soggy otherwise.
It is said that whole unpitted cherries need to be used for a tastier clafoutis result.
This is a personal choice but I do prefer to keep the pit in the cherries because the clafoutis tastes better that way.
You can use a cherry pitter to take out the seed core before using your cherries in your clafoutis.
🔪 How to make it?
To make a clafoutis with cherries from scratch is fairly easy.
I use whole unpitted cherries and infused the dessert with whole vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract.
Step 1
Combine flour, sugar, salt and egg.
Infuse the milk with the vanilla bean and mix into the pastry.
Step 2
Grease your baking dish and pour ¼ of the pastry into the dish.
Bake for 5 minutes to create a semi baked bottom, which will hold the cherries better.
Step 3
Spread cherries eavenly over the semi baked pastry and sprinkle with sugar.
Pour remaining pastry batter over the cherries and place your clafoutis into the oven to bake.
👁️ More french desserts
📖 Recipe
French Cherry Clafoutis Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Vanilla Bean
- 2½ cup Milk
- 1¼ cup All-purpose Flour
- ½ cup Sugar make two halves
- pinch Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 14.1 ounces Cherries
- Butter
Instructions
- Slit open a Vanilla Bean and scratch out the seeds.
- Place the vanilla bean with the scratched out seeds into a pot with the milk and heat up but do not bring to a boil. Allow the milk to get infused with the vanilla bean and leave the milk to cool down. Pick out the vanilla bean and discard.
- Combine in a bowl the flour, half of the sugar (¼ cup/50 grams) and a pinch of salt.
- Make a well and add in the eggs. Combine everything to a smooth pastry.
- Pour the vanilla-flavored milk into the egg flour pastry mixture.
- Grease your baking shape with butter.
- Heat up your oven to 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius.
- Pour a ¼of the pastry into the baking shape. Take it into the oven and bake it first for 5 minutes. That's important because we need the bottom to be a bit hard before we add in the rest.
- Spread the cherries over the semi baked pastry.
- Sprinkle the remaining half of the sugar over the cherries and semi baked pastry.
- Pour the rest of the pastry blend over the cherries and spread evenly.
- Bake at 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius for about 30 minutes.
Notes
- I prefer to use home canned cherries, they tend to have a more intense flavor. Of course you may use fresh or frozen ones too, and you can use pitted or unpitted cherries. The seeds give flavor to the whole dish and the traditional recipe is made this way.
Looks simply amazing, Helene. And that colour, I'm so in love with it. The best part is that you're using your own cherries! Thank you so much for mention the Kouign Amann from LinsFood.
Hi there, today I'm collecting recipes using cherries and/or almonds. Please drop me a line on [email protected] if you are ok with me linking to your post on Carole's Chatter. Cheers
For some reason, any clafoutis makes me nervous. I'll have to buck up and make your version to get over my weariness.
no need to be nervous! it's pretty easy, just follow my step by step instructions and you will be totaly fine, you ll see! Any qyestions, just ask me, I ll be happy to help!
I just told my husband I want to go to Austria now, your pictures make me so happy! I need to make clafoutis, it does sound peaceful.....AND looks DELISH!!! Hugs, Terra
Such lovely recollections of the time you spent with your grandparents. I remember the smell of my grandmother's spice drawer and her ginger cookies. You've inspired me to make another clafoutis...it's been a couple years and your cherry version looks divine.
Lovely memories, and a wonderful recipe. LOVE cherry clafoutis, and I will try your recipe very soon! Btw, the last photo makes me dream... of this sweet dessert, of nature, of vacation that is still to come 🙂
Lovely memories, Helena..makes me crave for your cherry clafoutis now 🙂
This looks very yummy. The perfect thing for me to make for the next family dinner dessert 🙂
Hi Helene! Cherry season just came and I'm excited when you posted this. I received a comment from a French reader today on my Cherry Clafoutis post (I used one of my blogger's recipe) and he said French does keep the seeds inside! I got to try this method!
Love clafoutis so much, I made one a while back - a bit different, though my final photo was bad. Is that where you live? Whoa!
Sorry I've missed your recent posts - did you make some changes to your RSS feed? They weren't showing up at all in my feed reader... the last post showing there is still the ivy gourd one!
yep thats where I am from. =)
ha!? I didnt do any changes to the RSS feeds, though I ll check out if there is any problem with it. Thanks for bringing that issue to my attention Charles!
What a gorgeous and rustic dish!
What a lovely post Helene. I have never actually made Cherry Clafoutis but I fondly remember a friend of my grandmother's baking one for my birthday when I was just a tot.
Thank you so much for sharing...enjoy your time off:)
I love cherry clafoutis. Great photos.. and today is cherry dessert day. Perfect! Fresh cherries are ready!
Love the presentation and the memories attached. Made for such a good read. I have to try this dessert. Seems too good to resist
My French grandmother used to make this for us and we all loved it. I haven't made it for 20 years I don't think. It will be on the menu soon!
Love how such a wonderful dish holds so many memories for you 😀
It looks delicious my friend, like a slice of heaven!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru