This classic French dessert is made by pouring a sweet batter over fruit. It’s simple to make and absolutely delicious—but those are just two reasons I’m sharing this recipe with you.
What I love most about clafoutis is the endless variations. You can put just about anything in them! They’re wholesome, family-friendly, and they make a satisfying third course. Perfect for when there’s not much planned for dinner — you can whip one up with minimal effort. And they’re impressive for entertaining or summer picnics.
To prepare the batter, simply mix eggs, milk, cream, a few tablespoons of flour, and some sugar. Then pour the batter over the fruit and bake. I have a few tips after the recipe to make claufoutis even easier to prepare.
You might also be interested in this post about why the French and Italians don’t serve milk with dinner — but instead, a calcium-rich third course.
1 pound ripe apricots — about 8-10 medium
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup cream
3 eggs
1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Butter a 9- to 10-inch banking dish, then dust it with powdered sugar (optional).
Add the eggs and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk for a minute or two.
Add the milk, cream, and vanilla and whisk.
Add the flour and whisk until well combined and the lumps have dissolved.
Slice or quarter the apricots; remove the pits and discard.
Arrange the apricots in the baking dish.
Pour the batter over the apricots. Push the fruit around to distribute it evenly.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm and golden on top. The result should be soft, creamy, and moist but firm like a custard.
Optional: Dust the top with about a tablespoon of powdered sugar. It's convenient to use a small sieve to sprinkle the sugar.
Serve the clafoutis cold, room temperature, or warm. To warm leftovers in the oven, cover with foil to keep the moisture in.
Baking dish, buttered and sugared
Apricot clafoutis, dusted with powdered sugar
Preparing the baking dish with butter and sugar prevents the clafoutis from sticking to the dish. However, I often skip this step to save time, and it's fine!
Make the clafoutis batter ahead of time and store it in the fridge to use later. This saves you a step when it's time to make dinner, and the batter is better after it sits for a while — the lumps will dissolve.
This recipe produces a very light and custard-like result. Some prefer clafoutis that are denser and more cake-like. To try this, use a measurement of 1/3 cup of flour instead of 3 tablespoons.
You may also enjoy experimenting with a few drops of orange water in your clafoutis batter.
Rhubarb
Mixed fruit — made with what I had at the time
Leftover chicken and Gruyère
Leftover ham and cheese
