For several years, every time cherries came into season I kept seeing recipes for cherry clafoutis. Being a creature of habit, I usually ended up making cherry compote for Black Forest cakes or stirring chopped cherries into brownie batter. I hesitated to try clafoutis because I had never seen or tasted it in real life — and I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce it (it’s pronounced kla-foo-tee).
A clafoutis is a classic French dessert: a simple, thick batter made from milk, eggs, butter and flour, baked with fruit — traditionally stone fruits like cherries, plums, apricots or peaches. The finished dish is often described as somewhere between a flan and a firm custard.
Traditionally clafoutis is baked in an ovenproof skillet or round pan. I decided to make individual portions in a muffin tin and was quite pleased with the results. The slightly brown rim bothered me a bit, but not enough to stop me from sharing the recipe.
Because taste is everything, I kept testing until I loved the result. These mini cherry clafoutis are incredibly simple to make and taste like a cross between a flan and a pancake — light, slightly custardy and full of cherry flavor.
Mini Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 65 grams or 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 50 grams or 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoon butter melted
- 180 ml or 3/4 cup cream low fat
- 60 ml or 1/4 cup milk
- 12- 20 cherries
Instructions
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Pit and chop the cherries into halves or quarters. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
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Butter or grease the wells of a 12-cavity muffin pan.
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In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
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Whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth.
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Whisk in the melted butter.
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Add the milk and cream while whisking constantly until smooth.
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Stir in the vanilla extract.
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Let the batter rest for 20 minutes if you have time (optional).
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Pour about one tablespoon of batter into each prepared muffin well.
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Add 3–4 cherry pieces (halves or quarters) on top of the batter in each well.
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Top each well with another tablespoonful of batter so the cherries are covered.
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Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and set to the touch.
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Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
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The clafoutis will rise in the oven and collapse slightly as they cool; this is normal.
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Gently remove the clafoutis from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
You can bake the same batter in an 8–9 inch skillet or round pan — bake about 30 minutes at 200°C / 400°F.
Clafoutis are best eaten the same day for the best texture and flavor.
My measuring cup is 240 ml.
These mini cherry clafoutis make a light dessert or an elegant sweet option for brunch or breakfast. You can swap the cherries for other fruit if you prefer, and bake the batter in one larger pan instead of individual portions. Have you tried clafoutis before, or will you give it a go now?
