Cherry Clafoutis
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Clafoutis is one of the easiest ways to make the most of cherry season—a quick batter, a pile of fruit, and you’ve got a charming French dessert that feels special.
Clafoutis (pronounced kla-foo-TEE) is a simple French dessert made by baking fruit in a sweet, custardy batter. The texture is wonderful yet hard to describe—think of it as somewhere between a flan and a Dutch baby. Cherries are the classic choice, but you can make it with all kinds of fruit: berries, plums, apricots, even apples. Like crepes, the batter comes together in seconds in a blender, so the only real work is pitting the cherries.
Many traditional recipes actually call for leaving the pits in, with the idea that they add a subtle almond flavor. But who wants to spit out cherry pits (or, worse, crack a tooth!) at the dinner table? As a workaround, I pit the cherries and add a dash of almond extract instead. Same flavor, minus the fuss.
My trick for a really good clafoutis is using both milk and heavy cream in the batter. Most recipes call for just milk, but a little cream makes the texture extra rich and silky instead of rubbery. Serve it warm or at room temp, plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
“A great dessert to make when cherries are in season! I’ve made a few versions of clafoutis in the past but this one is my new favorite!”
What You’ll Need To Make Cherry Clafoutis
- Unsalted butter – For greasing the pan and adding rich flavor to the base of the dessert.
- Cherries – Sweet varieties like Bing or Rainier are great, but tart cherries work too if you prefer a bit more tang. Just be sure they’re stemmed and pitted.
- Eggs, milk, and cream – Form the base of the custard. The eggs give it structure, while the combination of milk and cream makes it rich and silky.
- Flour and salt – The flour gives the clafoutis body and a slight puff; the salt balances the sweetness.
- Sugar – Sweetens the custard and adds a light crust when sprinkled on top.
- Vanilla and almond extracts – Add warm, aromatic flavor; the almond plays especially well with cherries.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Pit the cherries. I use the Leifheit Cherry Stoner, and it makes quick work of the task. If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you can press the pits out with a metal straw, chopstick, or even a pastry tip. Or, just slice the cherries in half and twist them apart to remove the pits by hand. It’s a little messier and takes a bit more time, but it works.
Step 2: Melt the butter. Preheat the oven to 375°F and set a rack in the center. Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat and swirl it around so it coats the sides of the pan. (If you don’t have the right skillet, no problem—just pop a 2-quart baking dish in the oven with the butter until it melts.)
Step 2: Layer the cherries. Place the pitted cherries in an even layer in the skillet (or baking dish).
Step 4: Whip up the batter. In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, cream, ½ cup of the sugar, flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Blend on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Step 5: Assemble and bake. Pour the batter evenly over the cherries. Carefully slide the skillet into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is just set.
Step 6: Sprinkle with sugar. Take the clafoutis out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top. This gives it a light, golden crust as it finishes baking.
Step 7: Finish baking. Return the clafoutis to the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s golden brown and just set. It should still have a slight jiggle, but a toothpick or knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Let it cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar (if using), and serve directly from the pan. Enjoy!
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Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2½ cups (12 oz) cherries, stemmed and pitted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole or 2% milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Melt the butter in a 10-in (25-cm) cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. (Alternatively, if you don't have the right skillet, melt the butter in the oven in a 2-qt baking dish.) Swirl the butter so that it coats the sides of the pan. Place the cherries in an even layer in the skillet (or baking dish).
- In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, cream, ½ cup (100 g) of the sugar, the flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Pour the batter over the cherries.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the clafoutis from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place back in the oven and continue baking until just set and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Note that clafoutis will wiggle just a bit when done, but a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Let cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar (if using), and serve directly from the pan.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn – I do not care for almond extract. Can I sub more vanilla extract or omits the almond extract? Thanks.
Hi Kathy, It’s perfectly fine to replace the almond extract with more vanilla. Enjoy!
Ok,
I’ve been put in the chief cook and cleaning position since I’ve become caregiver for my wife.
I’m learning how to pay attention to what goes in and out of the kitchen. Lol
I just gotta try this one! I’ll be a hero
Jenn,
Could you tell me how to use apples in this recipe? My family doesnt care for cherries and the apples would be great, Thank you so much.
Hi Kimberly, I would peel and thinly slice the apples and then sauté them in the butter for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Then you can just proceed with the recipe. I would use a tart baking apple, like Granny Smith, if you can. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you so much for responding to me. I am going to make this over the weekend. I will let you know how it turns out… after I most likely eat all of it🤣😂
Take care
Should frozen cherries be thawed before use?
Yes 🙂
Delicious! I love this and so does my husband who usually only likes chocolate. He likes cherry pie so thought I would give it a try. Easy and quick. I have a hand held cherry pitter which did the job quickly. Thanks for such a lovely dessert!
Could this recipe be halved? I’m cooking for 2 people and it’s really too much for us.
Sure, Linda – I would just use a smaller skillet or baking dish.
Do you recommend sweet cherries or tart cherries? Tart cherries from Door County, Wisconsin are in season and they are spectacular in cherry pie. Thank you.
Hi Mary, I use sweet cherries but I think tart will work, too, as the clafoutis is quite sweet.
Thaw frozen cherries first?
Yep 🙂
Hi Jen, can I use peaches or nectarines since I don’t have cherries? Will that make a difference in baking time since I don’t want the fruit to be mushy. Thanks
Hi Marianne, I think you can use either peaches or nectarines without any other modifications. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Looks Delicious but 29 g of Carbs for only one serving, YIKES!! For Keto followers, its way to much. But I do Love your marinades for grilled chicken!! The Best I’ve ever had & tender !!!
Hi Jennifer, I just came back from France and loved having clafoutis there. Was excited to see this recipe! I’ve never pitted cherries before and not sure I want to buy a tool for this. Can we sub in frozen already pitted cherries for the fresh ones? If yes, should they be thawed first? Love your recipes and hope I can make this one work!
Hi Allen, For best results, I would use fresh in-season cherries, but frozen will work too.
Hi Allen:
I remove stem on fresh cherries, then use a hard plastic straw to pit the cherry. Works like a charm.
wondering if could use frozen cherries in place of fresh and if anything would need to be adjusted to be able to make year around
Hi Nancy, I’ve made this with both. Fresh cherries are best but frozen works, too.
Looks amazing – would it work with raspberries or plums ? Thx
Yes, I think either would work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with either of these!