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Classic Cherry Clafoutis (pronounced “klafuti”) is a traditional French dessert with a thick, rich, eggy custard and plenty of fresh cherries.
The easy to make, delicious custard filling comes together in just minutes making this a perfect, anytime dessert. The almond and cherry flavor combination is one of my favorites and this recipe does not disappoint. Next time you want to serve a rustic, but elegant dessert without spending much time in the kitchen, whisk up this terrific French favorite.
We adore cherry season!
Whether snacking on a bowl of fresh cherries or soaking them in Kirsch for a batch of homemade Cherry Ice Cream, cherry season is a welcome event at our house. These beautiful little stone fruits with the vibrant red color are low in calories and good for you too! Cherries can promote healthy sleep, are loaded with antioxidants, and can help lower bad cholesterol. Click HERE to read more about the amazing health benefits of cherries. For longer storage and better flavor, keep your fresh cherries in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator. Rinse with cold water just before eating.
Traditionally, the French leave the pit in the cherry when baking clafoutis.
Cherry pits are said to add a touch of almond flavor to the dish. Personally I don’t want my company spitting out pits while trying to eat dessert, or cracking a tooth at the table. So we pit our cherries and add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to bring the almond flavor to the front. Feel free to make your clafoutis with or without the pits and let us know how it goes!
Cherry Clafoutis is also delicious topped with sliced almonds before baking.
My husband’s favorite way to enjoy Cherry Clafoutis is with the optional topping of sliced almonds. I divide the simple batter between two smaller shallow baking dishes and top one with sliced almonds. We love it both ways so if you’re an almond fan, I recommend adding almonds. The crisp toasted almonds are a nice contrast to the soft, warm, juicy cherries and eggy custard. So good.
Our Cherry Clafoutis puffs up almost like a German pancake or Dutch Baby.
The clafoutis grows almost twice its size then collapses immediately once removed from the oven. But don’t let it bother you; it’s supposed to do that! Allow the clafoutis to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice and serve slightly warm dusted with powdered sugar.
I also enjoy my slice of Cherry Clafoutis served with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. It’s so good, and warm, sweet, creamy, and delicious with pops of juicy cherries in every bite!!
Pick up some fresh cherries at the market and bake this Cherry Clafoutis today!
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PRINT THE RECIPE!
Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- granulated sugar for coating the baking dish
- 3 cups cleaned, pitted, whole cherries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)
- powdered sugar for serving
- Lightly whipped cream for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Butter an 8 cup shallow baking/casserole pan, or combination of smaller baking dishes for individual servings. Lightly sprinkle the buttered dish with granulated sugar to coat. Spread the cherries evenly across the bottom of the pan(s). Set aside.
- In the carafe of a blender combine ½ cup granulated sugar, almond and vanilla extracts, eggs, milk, cream, flour and salt. Blend for 1 minute or until frothy. Alternatively, whisk, blend or beat the ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined and frothy.
- Gently pour the custard mixture into the dish with the fruit. Try not to cover the cherries completely. The dessert is prettiest when the cherries peek through the top of the custard. Sprinkle with sliced almonds if using. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the middle has a slight jiggle.
- Cool the clafoutis for 15-20 minutes and serve warm dusted with powdered sugar and soft whipped cream if desired.
Recipe Notes
- The base custard recipe was originally adapted from Woman’s Day
Nutrition
Kitchen Essentials – the Cherry Pitter
I’ve been using this same cherry and olive pitter for years and it’s still going strong. It’s easy to use, clean and store, and is priced under $10 on Amazon. Click on the photo for more information or to order on Amazon.
Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.
Looking for more delicious recipes?
This summer churn up a batch of our homemade fresh Cherry Ice Cream with dark chocolate! Click HERE to get the recipe.
Our Peach & Raspberry Clafoutis is based on a traditional French dessert made with seasonal fresh fruit, covered in a thick custard-like batter, then baked. Click HERE to get the recipe for Peach & Raspberry Clafoutis.
I’m smitten with this recipe for Fresh Cherry Relish from Cooking Light. It’s great on pork or lamb and even chicken. We all know chocolate and cherries pair perfectly together so I feel pretty positive these Chocolate Chip Cherry Bars from Averie Cooks are phenomenal. Averie says they’re easy to make too! Bonus 🙂 And finally, check out this post from The Pioneer Woman for Individual Cherry Almond Crisps. Bet they are good served warm with a scoop or two of vanilla 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by! Tricia
DS says
Super delicious and very easy!! The only mixing was in the blender! Can we share a recipe here as a guest?
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for the feedback DS.
Ben Grounds says
Great article
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Ben 🙂
T says
Hello, Tricia!
Would you happen to have measurements for scaling this down to a single serving dish? I’m cooking for one and don’t want to guess at how to scale it down appropriately as I feel I could possibly mess it up.
Tricia Buice says
Hi T! When you go to print the recipe, you will get an option to scale the recipe down, or up. It’s not perfect but may help. You might try cutting it in half and freezing individual slices. Good luck and enjoy!
Chris says
Do you think you could substitute almond flour?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Chris. That’s a great question but I’m not sure. The texture would not be same, not as creamy I think. The flavor would be terrific however. Let me know if you try it – I’d love to know how it comes out!
Mary Cook says
Can this be made in an 8″ square metal cake pan? I have a 9.5 inch pie plate but it doesn’t hold 8 cups..
Thanks!
Tricia Buice says
Hi Mary – you will need two pans about that size and could use one 8-inch square and one pie plate. You don’t want to completely cover the cherries with custard. They should be peeking out of the filling. I have not tried using metal pans for any of the clafoutis I’ve made over the years. I would stick with glass or ceramic if you have it. Hope you enjoy this recipe! It’s a keeper and so easy to make too. Thanks for the great question.
sue says
I’ve got a bag of gorgeous cherries in the fridge, so I’m all set to make this amazing recipe…pulling out my cherry pitter now 🙂
Tricia Buice says
Enjoy!!!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I always think of a clafoutis when I think of cherries. It’s just a classic! Yours looks absolutely perfect 🙂
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Jennifer 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
I can eat my weight in sweet cherries and I’m pretty sure I could do the same with this clafoutis! It looks perfect!
Tricia Buice says
Me too Chris – they are addictive 🙂 I bet you would love this dessert – thanks!
angiesrecipes says
This looks sensational and the batter is so easy to prepare too!
Tricia Buice says
It’s as easy as pancake batter Angie – thank you!