Cherry Clafoutis

This Bing cherry clafoutis is a French dessert that combines sweet or sour cherries and a sweet, custard-like eggy batter. It is easy to make and very impressive to anyone who tries it. Add a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy it as-is or paired with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you love cherries, try my cherry blossom cookies, sugar cookie cherry cobbler, cherry pie bars, cherry French toast casserole, and chocolate cherry brownies.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Cherry Clafoutis
• 💭 Tips & Notes
• 🙂 😀 Testimonials
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

Cherry clafoutis reminds me of a cross between Dutch baby pancakes and flan packed with sweet cherries. When cherries are in season, I grab as many as possible to stock up for making tasty cherry desserts.

While I love to snack on fresh cherries, I specifically retain enough to make this clafoutis and cherry pie filling. It's so easy and delicious that there's no need for extra spices or stir-ins.

🥘 Ingredients

• Cherries - I used Bing cherries, but you can use your preferred sweet or sour cherries like Rainer or Montmorency. Remove the pits and stems. I cut mine in half, but you can leave them whole. You can also use frozen cherries, which must be thawed and drained first.
• Milk - I recommend using whole milk or milk with a higher fat percentage.
• Eggs - You'll want your eggs to be at room temperature.
• Sugar - White granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Vanilla - Vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, or a 50/50 combination of vanilla and almond extracts.
• Salt - A bit of salt to even out the sugar.
• Powdered Sugar (optional) - A dusting of powdered sugar makes this clafoutis look extra stunning.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Cherry Clafoutis

This French dessert is so easy to make that you could whip it up on short notice. You will need an electric or stand mixer, a cast iron skillet or baking dish, and measuring utensils.

This recipe will yield 6-8 servings of clafoutis.

Mix the Batter

Step 1: Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and thoroughly butter your 12-inch cast iron skillet or 2- to 2.5-quart baking dish over the bottom and the lower half of the sides.

Step 2: Mix. In your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl (with a hand mixer), combine 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, almond extract (if using), ⅔ cup (133 grams) of sugar, 1¼ cups (296 milliliters) of milk, ½ cup (63 grams) of flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Blend until smooth, creamy, and frothy (about one minute).

Step 3: Pour. Transfer the batter to your prepared baking dish and add 3 cups (414 grams) of halved and pitted cherries into the batter.

Bake & Serve

Step 4: Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 45 minutes to an hour or until the custard is firm and set. The clafoutis should also be browned on the edges and a bit 'puffed.' Your knife should come out clean when inserted into the center of the clafoutis custard.

Step 5: Serve. When done, remove the clafoutis from the oven and allow it to cool until warm in the skillet before serving. Serve warm, with confectioners' sugar dusted over the top.

Alternative Steps

Julia Child included a few extra steps with her clafoutis recipe:

1. Place your baking dish with about a ¼-inch layer of batter (no cherries yet) onto a heated stovetop burner.
2. Heat the dish over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes or until a film is formed over the batter.
3. Remove the baking dish from the burner, add the cherries, sprinkle ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, top with the remaining batter, and bake as directed above.

My written recipe works wonderfully, but you can try this alternative version, too.

💭 Tips & Notes

• Choose your pan. Bake your clafoutis in a 2 - 2.5 quart baking dish, a cast iron skillet, or a pie pan. If you use a smaller dish that makes the custard thicker, the baking time must be adjusted with additional time to bake completely.
• Remove the cherry pits. Prepare your cherries by removing the stems and pitting them. You can use a cherry pitter or cut the cherries in half, as I have here. I prefer this halved method as it evenly distributes my cherries throughout the clafoutis batter.
• Use caution. Traditional cherry clafoutis is made using unpitted cherries. I prefer to remove the pit, making it much easier to eat. If you leave the pits in, ensure your guests are aware so no one chips a tooth.
• Make other variations. Clafoutis can be made with a variety of fruit. Try it with cranberries, apples, pears, plums, or blackberries.
• Storage. Since clafoutis uses eggs, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to four days.

🙂 😀 Testimonials

Great recipe, super easy. Used my Vitamix to blend everything and made it with gluten free flour. Came out delicious! The almond extract really adds a great flavor.

Clarice

📖 Recipe Card