A classic French clafoutis 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! You can put just about anything in them! This version came together with what I had on hand—some rhubarb, a few strawberries, and cherries. Making a clafoutis for a third course helped me pull together an easy dinner by adding some roasted tomato soup from the freezer and a few pieces of dried sausage.
Adding a wholesome dessert as a third course can actually help you figure out what’s for dinner. The clafoutis can bake while you prepare the rest of the meal and while you enjoy the first courses.
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.
About a pint of fruit, any combination you like —here I used cherries, strawberries, and rhubarb.
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup cream
3 eggs
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 to 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 sugar. (optional step — see the notes below)
Add the eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk.
Add the flour and whisk until well combined and the lumps have dissolved.
Add the milk, cream, and vanilla and whisk.
Cut the fruit and arrange it in the baking dish.
Pour the batter over the fruit. 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 at room temperature or warm. To warm leftovers, cover with foil to keep the clafoutis moist.
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 will save you a step when it's time to make dinner, and the batter will be 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.
You may also enjoy experimenting with a few drops of orange blossom water in your clafouti batter.
