Cherry Clafoutis

A classic dessert, inspired by Julia Child, this cherry clafoutis is a classic summertime dessert. With its velvety custard-like texture and abundance of fresh cherries, you’ll definitely want to give this cherry dessert a try over your traditional pies and cobblers. I’ve also included a gluten-free option, too!

Classic Cherry Clafoutis

I’d never actually heard of a clafoutis dessert until reading up on Julia Child. Her famed cherry clafoutis dessert caught my eye and I was instantly intrigued.

Clafoutis is a baked French dessert, that’s then covered with a custard or flan-like batter. By outward appearances and name alone, it seems like such an elegant dessert. The more I researched this dish the more I realized how simple, yet elegant, it really was. Clafoutis typically uses cherries, however, you can use other fruits as well.

Ingredients needed for cherry clafoutis

You’ll need the following ingredients to make a cherry clafoutis:

• 3 cups fresh sweet dark cherries
• 3 Tbsp sugar – divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup flour (see notes below for gluten-free option)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Ingredients needed for homemade whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure almond extract

How to make a Cherry Clafoutis

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Generously grease a 9-inch pie plate; sprinkle the bottom with 2 Tbsp. of sugar.
• Pit the fresh cherries and line the bottom of the pie plate with the pitted cherries.
• In a mixing bowl, add the two eggs and one egg yolk and whisk.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and using your hand, mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla.
• Starting with the dry ingredients, add about 1/3 of the mixture to the whisked eggs and whisk to combine. Then, add half of the milk mixture, whisking to combine. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and whisk. Add the remaining milk mixture and whisk. End with the last portion of the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. By doing this, you shouldn’t have any clumps of dry ingredients within your mixture, and you should have a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter over the cherries. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. of sugar and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.
• While the cherry clafoutis is baking, mix the homemade whipped cream. In a small bowl, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Mix on low with a hand mixer until the cream becomes stiff and resembles whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• At the 45 minute mark, test the center of the clafoutis with a knife to ensure it’s done, with the knife coming out clean. If not, continue baking in 5 min. increments until the knife comes out clean from the center. You can also check the internal temperature if preferred, with a desired temperature of 160 degrees F.
• When done, remove the pie plate from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool. Cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm with the homemade whipped cream.

Recipe FAQs

Should clafoutis be refrigerated?

Once the dessert cools, yes, you should cover and refrigerate your cherry clafoutis.

Can you reheat cherry clafoutis?

Yes, you can serve the cherry clafoutis either warm or cold. If you prefer warm, you can briefly reheat in the oven at the same temperature it was orginally baked.

How do you know when a cherry clafoutis is done?

You can test the doneness of your cherry clafoutis with a knife test. Carefully insert the tip of a knife into the center, and when it comes out clean from the center, it’s done. You can also check the internal temperature if preferred, with the desired temperature of 160 degrees F.

Recommended kitchen tools for this recipe

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• The #1 tool I recommend for this recipe is a cherry pitter. I’ve tried pitting cherries without one and it’s hard!

Check out these other fruit dessert recipes!

• Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake – A deliciously moist and dense cake with fresh blood orange juice.
• Gluten-free Peach Galette – The perfect dessert for summertime peaches.
• Gluten-free Blueberry Galette – A delicious galette full of fresh blueberries

Make it a meal with these recipes!

• Air Fryer Gluten-free Chicken Parmesan – A quick dinner for two!
• Sautéed Green Beans & Mushrooms – An easy vegetable side dish
• Mango Blueberry Asiago Kale Salad – Start with a fresh salad

Cherry Clafoutis