Cherries come to the farmers’ market for about three weeks every summer, and every year I make a small, embarrassing promise to use more than one bag. This year I kept it. Mostly.
What I didn’t expect was falling for clafoutis, a French dessert I’d seen on other people’s blogs but never tried. It’s puffy like a Dutch baby pancake, creamy like custard, and made with fresh fruit like a classic tart. And like a lot of French baking, the ingredient list is suspiciously short.
My first batch went the traditional route, which means the cherry pits went in with the fruit. The tradition says leaving them in adds flavor. The tradition does not say anyone will enjoy spitting pits out of a dessert over dinner. I removed them after that one. I am not a purist.
Why this one is worth your time
Clafoutis works with almost any fruit. Fall apples and pears, summer raspberries and peaches, strawberries when they’re in. But the cherry version is the one I’d make again on a busy week, for three reasons:
- One bowl. The batter is whisked together in a single bowl and poured over the fruit. No stand mixer, no creaming, no fuss.
- Light, not heavy. This isn’t a rich, decadent dessert. It’s the kind of thing that feels right in July, when a big slice of cake asks a lot of you.
- Easy to serve. Individual ramekins mean you can just hand someone one at a dinner party. No slicing, no plating anxiety.
What you’ll need
The full measurements are in the recipe card below. A few notes on the ingredients, since this is the part where I talk too much:
Fresh cherries, pitted and halved. Rainier or Bing both work. You want sweet cherries here, not tart ones. I pit mine by hand, which is slow and a little meditative. If you have a pitter, fine, take it.
Eggs. Clafoutis is a custard at its heart, so the eggs are doing a lot of the work. Don’t sub them out.
Raw sugar. Monk fruit sweetener works fine as a swap if that’s what’s in your pantry.
Unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted. It gives the batter its structure. Sifting keeps it light.
A pinch of salt. Balances the sweetness. You’d taste the difference without it.
Fat-free milk. This is my one lightening tweak from the traditional recipe. Whole milk works too, but I like the result to stay light.
Vanilla extract. Or almond extract, if you want a different spin. More on that in the variations.
Powdered sugar for dusting at the end, and baking spray so the ramekins don’t hold on to the edges.
How I make it
Preheat the oven to 350°F. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes, 15 of which are prep. This one passed the Tuesday test, which for me means it’s makeable on the night I’d rather not be in the kitchen at all.
Prep the ramekins. Lightly coat four 5-ounce ramekins with baking spray and dust them with a little flour.
Add the cherries. Divide the halved cherries among the ramekins. Don’t pack them in; a loose layer is enough.
Make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and flour until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until the batter is pourable.
Pour and bake. Pour the batter evenly over the cherries and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Here’s the part that looks like a mistake: when you pull the ramekins out of the oven, they’ll be puffed up and wobbly, and then they’ll deflate while they cool. That’s normal. That’s clafoutis. Let them cool on a wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
Recipe card
Cherry Clafoutis
Course: Dessert · Cuisine: French · Yield: 4 servings (1 ramekin each) · Prep: 15 minutes · Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups pitted cherries, halved
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Baking spray
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly spray four 5-ounce ramekins with baking spray and dust with a little flour. Toss in the cherries.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and flour in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, then pour evenly over the cherries.
- Bake 25 to 28 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- When you pull them out of the oven they’ll be puffed and wobbly, and they’ll deflate as they cool. That’s fine. Cool on a wire rack.
- When cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Nutrition (per serving, 1 ramekin): 156 calories · 27.8 g carbohydrates · 5.5 g protein · 2.6 g fat · 1.3 g fiber
What I’d tell you if you’re standing at my kitchen counter
Don’t stress the deflating. Just like Dutch babies, clafoutis puffs up tall in the oven and settles as it cools. The puffed version is the oven version. The settled version is the version you eat, and it’s still good.
Dust with powdered sugar right before serving. If you dust it while it’s fresh out of the oven, the sugar melts straight into the top and you lose that little cloud of it.
Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature. I think the texture is best when it’s just a little warm. Not hot. Warm.
Swaps I’ve made
Swap the cherries for fresh blueberries, raspberries, or sliced peaches. Same batter, same timing. If you use almond extract instead of vanilla, sprinkle sliced or slivered almonds over the top before baking. It adds a little crunch and it works really well. A dollop of whipped cream on the side is also a good idea, if you’re feeling like it.
Storing leftovers
Cover the clafoutis and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Eat it chilled, or let it come back to room temperature first. You can also nudge it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to warm it up. I haven’t tested that one as much as I should have, so your mileage may vary.
A note from Nora: My first batch was a teaching moment about cherry pits. Sam ate two bites, stopped, and asked me to “explain.” I explained. We did not make it again that way. The good news is that this version is the kind of dessert that makes an ordinary Wednesday feel a little like a Friday, and that’s about the point of it.
Leave a Reply