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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    French Clafoutis Recipe

    Published: Jan 21, 2022 · Modified: Apr 23, 2022 by Laura Reigel · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Comments Jump To Video
    strawberry clafoutis recipe from scratch in a heart shaped pie dish with fresh strawberries sprinkled around

    If you're looking for a delicious and easy French dessert recipe, look no further than Clafoutis! This dish is made with a simple batter that's poured over fresh fruit, and it's always a hit with guests. This dessert is super special on Valentine's Day.

    Plus, Clafoutis is really easy to make - even if you're not an experienced cook. So get your aprons on, and let's get cooking! This blog post will show you how to make Clafoutis using strawberries as the main ingredient.

    strawberry clafoutis recipe from scratch in a heart shaped pie dish with fresh strawberries sprinkled around

    Clafoutis, sometimes called clafouti, is an easy dessert that looks like a tart but is crustless. Imagine fresh fruit swimming in a tender pancake batter that's baked and then served warm.

    This recipe is inspired by Julia Child's recipe for Clafoutis, aka fruit flans.

    What is Clafoutis, and where does it come from?

    Clafoutis is a fruity flan-like dessert that originated in France. Traditionally, clafouti is made with black cherries at the height of the cherry season, but you can also make this dessert with other fruits. A few of my favorites are peaches, pears, or berries.

    Clafoutis has the texture of a tender baked pancake. It's similar to the American recipe from brown betty but is thicker.

    What You'll Need

    You'll need 3 cups of your favorite in-season fruit and the ingredients below for the batter.

    ingredients needed to make clafoutis batter
    • Fruit. Three cups of in-season fresh fruit. Some of the best choices are cherries, pears, apples, plums, peaches, or berries. You can use almost any fruit that you like. For fruits that have a lot of water, like berries, you will need to add extra flour. [note 1]
    • Milk. Use whole milk. *If you are using liqueur macerated fruit, you will be replacing some of the milk with the juice from the macerated fruit. [note 2]
    • Sugar. Granulated sugar goes into the batter. You will also use more sugar to toss the fruit if you are not using liqueur macerated fruit.
    • Eggs. Three large eggs.
    • Salt. Use fine sea salt. No iodized salt here.
    • Vanilla. Vanilla extract.
    • All-purpose flour.

    How To Make a Clafoutis

    Clafouti is made in a buttered pie dish or gratin ramekin. This dessert takes about an hour to bake. Cherry is the traditional fruit used in this recipe. But, rules are made to be broken.

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare to bake on the middle rack of the oven.
    2. Butter a pie dish or gratin generously. Set aside.
    3. Dice the fruit. If you're using cherries, pit them and slice them in half. [note 1]
    4. Place all of the ingredients listed for the batter into your blender jar. Cover and blend for one minute. [see note 2 if you are using liqueur macerated fruit]
    5. *This step is optional but makes for a better presentation. Add about ¼-inch of batter. Bake the base layer for about 8 to 10 minutes. [note 3]
    6. Toss the fruit in ⅓ cup of sugar. Sprinkle it on the first layer of batter and then pour the remaining batter on top. [note 4] * Skip this step if you use the liqueur macerated fruit.
    7. Place the clafouti into the oven a bake for about 1 hour. [note 5]
    8. Sprinkle the top of the clafouti with powdered sugar.
    close up of a clafoutis made with strawberries and spinkled with powdered sugar

    Variations on the traditional clafoutis recipe

    This recipe is super flexible. Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The batter is simple to make and can be used with any fruits below.

    A few variations are this recipe calls for liqueur macerated fruit. If you choose to use this, there are a few adjustments to the batter. See the recipe card for complete details.

    Clafouti a la liqueur

    Before you make the batter add ⅓ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of liqueur to the fruit. Let the fruit macerate for 1 hour. Substitute this liquid for part of the milk in the batter. Omit the step of tossing the fruit in ⅓ of sugar at the end of the recipe.

    Choosing The Right Liqueur

    Pick a liqueur that matches the flavor profile of your fruit. If you're using liqueur macerated fruit, start by cutting up your fruit and adding ⅓ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of liqueur. Let the fruit sit for 1 hour.

    You will replace some of the milk with the liquid from the fruit.

    • Cherries → Kirsh
    • Peaches → Peach liquer
    • Apples → Calvados apple brandy, Appleton rum, or cognac
    • Berries → Chambord
    • Plums → Orange liqueur, kirsch, or cognac
    • Pears → Sweet whit wine, kirsch, or cognac
    montibisou peches liqueur
    drillaud peach liqueur from france

    Apples

    Follow the master recipe but peel, core, and slice the apples into lengthwise slices. Sauté them in 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter until they are lightly browned. Add the liqueur to the apples and let them sit for about an hour.

    Berries

    Follow the master recipe but increase the amount of flour in the batter. ⅔ of a cup to 1 and ¼ cup of flour can be used. I use the higher end for strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. And a little less if I'm using blueberries.

    How To Serve Clafoutis

    Serve freshly baked clafoutis warm. You can serve it alone or with fresh cream.

    serve clafoutis warm with fresh cream

    A few tips for making perfect clafoutis every time

    • Use the freshest fruit. The fruit is the highlight of this recipe, so you want the freshest fruit.
    • Use a blender to mix the batter. A blender aerates the batter and makes it silky smooth.
    • Use the right baking dish. Use a shallow baking dish such as a pie dish or a gratin. Surprisingly, this dessert is perfect for making in a cast-iron skillet.
    • Adjust the batter for berries. If you are using berries, add an extra ⅓ cup of flour to the batter to account for the high amount of liquid in the berries.
    • Bake the clafoutis until is is puffy and golde brown. Serve right away.

    Hungry For More Fruit Dessert Recipes?

    Fruit desserts are the best. If you want to browse more of our favorite dessert recipes, check out a few of my favorite fruit desserts here.

    We have everything from Blueberry Hand Pies to Pumpkin Pie and everything in between.

    • Persimmon Cookies
    • Cherry Crumble
    • Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
    • Strawberry Nice Cream (Vegan Ice Cream)
    • Perfect Lemon Curd (Sweet, Tart + Creamy)
    • Berry Pavlova Recipe w/ Lemon Curd

    ➽ Did you make this recipe? I love to see what's going on in your kitchen. Please show me what you're cooking. 🍳 Tag me @foodologygeek on your favorite social channel! Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. If you loved ❤︎ this recipe, please leave a five ★ review and a comment!

    A strawberry clafoutis in a heart shaped pie dish. pictured with scattered berries
    Favorite Saved!

    Clafoutis

    Laura Reigel
    Clafoutis sometimes called clafouti is an easy French dessert that looks like a tart but is crustless. Imagine fresh fruit swimming in a tender pancake batter that's baked and then served warm.
    PRINT PIN SAVE SAVED
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine French
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 190 kcal

    Equipment

    • blender
    • 7 to 8 cup fireproof baking dish think pie plate or gratin approximately 1½ inches deep

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups fruit cherries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, pears, plums or apples

    Clafouti Batter

    • 1 ¼ cups milk
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
    • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour

    Additional Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar Toss the fruit in before adding to the batter. Leave out if you are using liqueur.
    • ¼ cup fruit liqueur it should match the flavor profile of the fruit you are using
    • powdered sugar in a sprinkler or a fine mesh sieve
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare to bake on the middle rack of the oven.
    • Butter a pie dish or gratin generously. Set aside.
    • Dice the fruit. If you're using cherries, pit them and slice them in half. [note 1]
    • Place all of the ingredients listed for the batter into your blender jar. Cover and blend for one minute. [see note 2 if you are using liqueur macerated fruit]
    • *This step is optional but makes for a better presentation.
      Add about ¼-inch of batter to the baking dish and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. [note 3]
    • * Skip this step if you are using the liqueur macerated fruit.
      Toss the fruit in ⅓ cup of sugar. Sprinkle it on the layer first layer of batter and then pour the remaining batter on top. [note 4]
    • Place the clafouti into the oven a bake for about 1 hour. [note 5]
    • Sprinkle the top of the clafouti with powdered sugar.

    Video

    Laura's Tips + Notes

    1. Black Cherries are the traditional fruit used in this recipe. If you can't find fresh cherries you can use canned cherries, drained or frozen cherries, thawed. OR you can use a variety of fruit if cherries don't happen to be in season. I love making this recipe with fresh berries in the summer or peaches in the winter. 
    2. This dessert is even better if you take the time to marinate the fruit in liqueur and sugar. The juice from the macerated fruit along with the liqueur is then used in the batter giving it an extra layer of fruity sweetness. Replace ½ cup of milk in the batter with the juice from the macerated fruit. You'll also want to skip the step of tossing the fruit in sugar before you add it to the baking dish. 
    3. Baking this small layer of batter before you add the fruit will give you a foundation to set the layer of fruit on. This allows the fruit to sit closer to the surface and makes for a beautiful presentation. 
    4. There is no need to add additional sugar to the fruit if you have macerated it ahead of time. Skip this step if you're using the liqueur in this recipe. 
    5. You want the batter to be puffy and a nice light golden brown. Serve this dessert warm, plain or with fresh cream. 
    Recipe Variations
    Clafouti a la liqueur
    Before you make the batter add ⅓ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of liqueur to the fruit. Let the fruit macerate for 1 hour. Substitute this liquid for part of the milk in the batter. Omit the step of tossing the fruit in ⅓ of sugar at the end of the recipe.
    Apples
    Follow the master recipe but peel, core, and slice the apples into lengthwise slices. Sauté them in 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter until they are lightly browned. Add the liqueur to the apples and let them sit for about an hour.
    Berries
    Follow the master recipe but increase the amount of flour in the batter. ⅔ of a cup to 1 and ¼ cup of flour can be used. I use the higher end for strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. And a little less if I'm using blueberries.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 119mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword dessert, flan, fruit desserts
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Snap a 📸 and share it. Tag me @foodologygeek and don't forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!

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    About Laura Reigel

    Laura is the owner and CEO of Foodology Geek. She holds a degree in Physiology and Neuroscience as well as a Certification as a Nutrition Coach. Laura uses her love of cooking and science to create healthy real food recipes that you'll love eating.

    As a certified recipe hoarder, and meal prep maven Laura is passionate about sharing her love for cooking easy from-scratch recipes. She also shares the occasional family recipe and all of the technical details.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wendy

      July 03, 2022 at 11:17 am

      5 stars
      Hi, when you use the liquor do you also add that to the dish, or strain the berries and then add them?

      Reply
      • Laura Reigel

        July 03, 2022 at 1:49 pm

        Wendy, you will macerate the fruit with a little sugar + the liqueur. When you are ready to bake, strain the liquid from the fruit. Adjust the amount of milk so you are still using the same amount of total liquid. 🌺

        Reply

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