This easy Cherry Clafoutis recipe is a classic French dessert featuring fresh cherries baked in a creamy custard-like batter. It's simple, elegant, and comes together in just 55 minutes total, beautifully showcasing the cherries' natural sweetness and juicy texture in every bite. Just like my Italian Cherry Crostata.
🍒 Serves 6 | 🇫🇷 Classic French Dessert | ⏱ Under 1h Total | 🥚 Custard Texture
A perfect classic French dessert and a must-try for summer-you can swap out heavy, typical pastries and whipped cream for a delightful, light twist. It's especially ideal when fresh cherries are perfectly in season.
Combining a tender, custardy batter with sweet, juicy cherries, the easy Cherry Clafoutis delivers a taste of two elegant treats in every bite. As this simple custard dessert bakes, the cherries release their juices, creating an extra-rich and moist texture.
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Looking for some delightful dessert recipes? Try our Brownies Topped with Pink Berry Cream for a rich and fruity twist on a classic treat. If you enjoy layered cakes, you'll love this no-bake mascarpone mille crêpe cake, a beautiful and delicate dessert perfect for any celebration.
For coffee lovers, the Mocha Loaf offers a delicious mix of chocolate and espresso in every bite. Our moist vegan banana bread with carrots is a healthy and tasty option that everyone can enjoy. If you crave something tangy and sweet, the Lemon Cake with Cheese Frosting is a must-try. Lastly, don't miss out on the classic French chocolate éclairs recipe, a classic French dessert that's both simple and elegant.
What is Clafoutis?
Clafoutis is a classic French dessert featuring fresh fruits (usually cherries) baked in a custard-like batter. It's known for its creamy texture and the delightful contrast between the soft fruits and the lightly firm custard base. This dessert is simple yet elegant, often enjoyed warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, perfect for any occasion.
How do you pit cherries without a cherry pitter?
If you don't have a cherry pitter, no worries-you've got options! You can press the cherry with the flat side of a knife to pop the pit out, use a paper clip to scoop it, push it out with a chopstick, or even press the cherry onto the tip of an inverted pastry nozzle. Easy and mess-free enough for a small batch!
🥧 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Cherries: Use fresh, ripe cherries for optimal deliciousness. If using frozen cherries, do not thaw them first; toss them in a tablespoon of flour to absorb extra moisture, which prevents a watery custard.
- Flour: All-purpose (plain) flour is standard. Cake flour results in a slightly lighter, more tender crumb. Gluten-Free flour blend (measurements may need slight adjustment), almond flour (will result in a denser texture), or buckwheat flour (adds a nutty hint).
- Sugar: You can also use brown sugar (adds a subtle molasses depth) or low-glycemic alternatives like stevia or erythritol (adjust quantity according to product instructions).
- Milk: Lactose-free milk or high-fat dairy-free alternatives like oat milk or soy milk (results may vary slightly in texture).
- Butter: Margarine, neutral-tasting vegetable oil, or coconut oil (can add a subtle hint of coconut).
- Vanilla Extract: Almond extract (use sparingly as it's potent) or the seeds/core of a vanilla bean for a stronger aroma.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice, or use apple cider vinegar or a small amount of lime juice for a similar acidic contrast.
- Optional Cherry Syrup: As a topping.
📋 Variations
- Mixed Berry - Swap cherries for a mix of fresh raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries for a tangy twist.
- Almond - Add almond flour or ground almonds to the batter for a subtle nutty hint.
- Chocolate - Stir in chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate for a delicious chocolatey experience in every bite.
- Lemon - Mix in lemon zest for a refreshing, citrusy note that pairs perfectly with the soft cake.
- Coconut - Replace some flour with desiccated coconut to bring in a subtle tropical touch and a bit of crunch.
- Nutella - Swirl in Nutella before baking to create pockets of rich chocolate hazelnut goodness.
- Spiced - Add cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the batter for a warm, cosy hint that's perfect for fall.
👩🍳 How To Make Cherry Clafoutis
Love simple, custard-like desserts? You have to try my simple vanilla peach cake next! Both are comforting, easy to make, and perfect for a weekend treat. Explore more delicious dessert recipes in my collection!
Step 1: Preheat your oven and grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Arrange pitted cherries in a single layer to cover the bottom of the dish.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar.
Step 3: In the same bowl, add milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, whisking continuously until smooth and lump-free.
Step 4: Pour the batter over the cherries in the baking dish, ensuring they are evenly covered.
Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the clafoutis is set and golden brown on top. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the centre - if it comes out clean, it's ready. Once baked, let the clafoutis cool for a few minutes.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- Optional: Drizzle cherry syrup over the clafoutis for extra flavour.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
💭Expert Tips
I highly recommend you always ensure your eggs and milk are at room temperature before mixing the batter. Using cold ingredients can cause the melted butter to seize and leave a lumpy, less smooth custard base. A smooth batter is essential for achieving that signature tender, custardy texture.
❓Easy Classic Cherry Clafoutis FAQs
Just toss the frozen, unthawed cherries with a spoonful of flour before adding them to the batter. This trick absorbs the extra liquid and helps prevent a watery custard.
If your oven is too hot, the cherry clafoutis can easily overcook and become rubbery. Since all ovens run at slightly different temperatures, I'd recommend an internal oven thermometer to ensure your oven is properly heated.
A clafoutis is more like a flan or custardy tart, which is very different from fluffy blueberry pancakes.. The batter is thinner, uses more eggs and sugar than a Dutch baby, and it's usually whisked well or blended until smooth and airy.
It's best when it's slightly warm or at room temperature-within the first hour out of the oven is ideal. But if you've got leftovers, they're just as tasty cold from the fridge too.
Let it cool, then pop it into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to enjoy it again, warm it in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10-15 minutes or microwave it for 30-45 seconds. It tastes best warm or at room temperature.
More Cherry Dessert Recipes You Might Love
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📖 Recipe
Easy Classic Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 500 g Pitted cherries enough to cover the bottom of the tray
- 140 g flour all-purposed or plain
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 240 ml at room temperature milk
- 40 g butter melted
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional: cherry syrup as a topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease a baking dish or tray with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Arrange the pitted cherries in a single layer to cover the bottom of the tray.500 g Pitted cherries
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar.140 g flour, 90 g granulated sugar
- In the same bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, whisking continuously, until you have a smooth batter.240 ml at room temperature, 40 g butter, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pour the batter over the cherries in the baking dish, ensuring that the cherries are evenly covered.
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until the clafoutis is set and golden brown on top. You can test if it's done by inserting a toothpick into the center of the clafoutis - if it comes out clean, it's ready.
- Once cooked, remove the clafoutis from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Optional: Drizzle cherry syrup over the clafoutis as a topping for extra flavor and sweetness.
- Serve the clafoutis warm or at room temperature. It can be enjoyed on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Leftover clafoutis can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
- Enjoy your homemade clafoutis with cherries!
Video
Notes
- Fresh, ripe cherries are best for clafoutis. You can use frozen cherries, but fresh ones will give a better texture and flavour.
- Make sure to butter your baking dish well to prevent the clafoutis from sticking.
- Overmixing the batter can make the texture too dense. Just mix until smooth.
- You can adjust the sugar level in the batter based on the sweetness of the cherries.
- Clafoutis is best served warm or at room temperature. It will firm up as it cools, so don't worry if it looks a bit wobbly straight out of the oven.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. It can also be reheated gently in the oven or microwave.
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!
Criss says
My family loved this!
Leslie says
I know your recipe says fresh cherries are best for this recipe, but I just bought a frozen bag and it still turned out well! 🙂
Tisha says
This recipe was simple to make and a great addition to a brunch get together! Thanks for sharing!
Juyali says
Made this for my family, and everyone loved it—especially the kids! The custard was so creamy, and the cherries made it perfectly sweet. We’ll be making this again!
Nicole Kendrick says
My family loved this!
Sharon says
What a beautiful recipe! I'm excited to try baking it this weekend, thank you for sharing.
Amy Liu Dong says
It looks delicious and looks so easy to make. I will definitely add this to my Thanksgiving menu list.
Jeff says
Exactly what a dessert should be. Just right, not over the top.
Sarah says
What a deliciously easy dessert to make using beautiful fresh ripe cherries. I image this would be delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream, yum!