Clafoutis (French Baked Cherry Custard Dessert)

Quick answer

Total time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert from the Limousin region made by arranging fresh cherries in a buttered baking dish, then pouring over a thin batter of eggs, sugar, milk, and flour and baking at 180 degrees Celsius for thirty to thirty-five minutes.

The batter is considerably thinner than pancake batter, and the result when baked is a texture that sits between a creamy custard and a light sponge -- the edges puff and turn golden while the center around the cherries stays moist and yielding. Using unpitted cherries is the traditional method: the pits release a faint almond scent during baking that perfumes the surrounding batter in a way that pitted fruit cannot replicate. The cherries also hold their shape better with the pits in. Vanilla extract deepens the egg-and-milk base, and the cherries' own tart juice seeps into the batter during baking, creating concentrated pockets of fruit flavor that balance the overall sweetness. Clafoutis is served directly from the baking dish, typically dusted with powdered sugar and brought to the table while still warm, because the custard texture softens and loosens slightly as it cools, making the warm version noticeably more appealing. Made with blueberries, plums, or apricots instead of cherries, the dessert takes a different name -- flaugnarde -- though the technique remains identical.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

cherries250 gg

eggs3 eaea

milk250 mlml

cake flour80 gg

sugar70 gg

butter20 gg

vanilla extract1 tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Preheat the oven fully to 180 degrees Celsius, and coat the baking dish evenly with the 20 g butter.

Cover the corners and sides well so the puffed custard edges do not stick as they brown.
2

Step

Dry the cherries well and spread them in one even layer across the bottom of the buttered dish.

Arrange them so they do not collect on one side.
3

Season

In a bowl, whisk the 3 eggs with the 70 g sugar until the sugar grains begin to dissolve and the mixture looks even.

Avoid whipping in too much air, or the custard can rise unevenly.
4

Prep

Add the 250 ml milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then whisk until blended.

Sift in the 80 g cake flour and mix just until the batter is thin and smooth, with no visible flour lumps.
5

Step

Pour the batter slowly over the cherries so the fruit does not drift to one side.

Tap the dish gently on the counter to release large air bubbles before it goes into the oven.
6

Finish

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are puffed, golden, and lightly set.

Remove it while the center still has a slight wobble, then serve it from the dish while warm.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Batter of eggs, milk, sugar, and flour poured over fresh cherries bakes at 180 degrees until puffed and set.
Finish cue: Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are puffed, golden, and lightly set.
Avoid this: Cover the corners and sides well so the puffed custard edges do not stick as they brown.
Substitution: Made with blueberries, plums, or apricots instead of cherries, the dessert takes a different name -- flaugnarde -- though the technique remains identical.