Creamy, dense custard dotted with cheerful cherries, cherry clafoutis is a traditional French dessert that is well adored. Elegant and absolutely stunning, this is one way to make a huge impression while barely lifting a finger.
What Goes Into Cherry Clafoutis?
Cherry clafoutis is all about that custard base. Made with the usual suspects (eggs, butter, flour, heavy cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract) plus lemon zest, it forms a very dense, egg-centric center while the top and bottom form a crust of sorts.
Mixed in with all of that joy, fresh cherries shine with their naturally subtle sweetness. The bright colors pop for a beautiful presentation, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, that makes guests think you spent hours upon hours fussing in the kitchen.
But that can be our little secret. It only takes 10 minutes of your time to put the cherry clafoutis together and into the oven. After that, all it takes is waiting 40 minutes for it to bake to absolute perfection.
Common Questions
Cherry clafoutis, and clafoutis in general (which is pronounced ‘klah-foo-TEE’ in case you’ve never studied French), hails from France’s Limousin region. Black cherries are the traditional choice though other variations exist with other fruits.
If you have ever made oven-baked pancakes, cherry clafoutis has a similar taste. It’s sweet without being overpowering and the fresh bits of cherry are refreshing.
Take your pick as cherry clafoutis can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.
No, it shouldn’t. The center should be moist rather than runny. If your cherry clafoutis comes out runny, it may be your baking conditions or that the cherries you used were too watery.
Absolutely! Take your leftover cherry clafoutis from the fridge and then microwave it for 15 seconds at a time until it’s warm. Alternatively, you can bake it at 350F for 5 to 10 minutes.
Chopnotch Tips
- Make sure you remove the pits from your cherries. You can use a chopstick to push them out to make the job a whole lot easier.
- Out of powdered sugar? No need to make a special trip to the store. You can use your food processor to finely-grind granulated sugar.
- Be careful not to over-bake cherry clafoutis. The texture inside should melt in your mouth with a creaminess. Check it with a toothpick so it comes out slightly clean and it will be ready.
Oui, Oui, Oui!
Simple French Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ lemon, zest grated
- 2 cups cherries, pitted
- Powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
- Mix eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl, whisk until combined. Add flour and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly add melted butter, milk, and heavy cream. Add vanilla and lemon zest, mix well until smooth.
- Pour mixture into the pan and top with cherries. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with powdered sugar.