Cherry Clafoutis is a French cherry custard dessert and this recipe was inspired by our recent trip to Paris. It is one of the easiest desserts because the batter comes together in a blender.
This Clafoutis puffs up beautifully as it bakes and every bite has a juicy cherry in it. If you are a fan of cherries, this recipe will make you very happy.
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Easy Cherry Clafoutis
We were so inspired by French baking after our trip to Paris this spring. I was smitten with their sweet treats, from Crepes to Eclairs, and all of their amazing pastries and bread.
We got home right at the start of cherry season, so I didn’t lose any time flipping through Julia Child’s book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to find the perfect cherry recipe, and there it was – Cherry Clafoutis.
I got to work replicating the dessert and was delighted to discover how incredibly easy it was. Through several rounds of testing, I simplified the baking method, taking tips from the Joy of Cooking and now I have a new favorite cherry dessert.
Cherry Clafoutis Video
Watch Natasha blend together this easy cherry clafoutis recipe in just a few whirs of a blender. I know you’ll fall in love with this quick French dessert!
What is Classic Cherry Clafoutis?
Popular in France, Cherry Clafoutis (pronounced “kla-foo-TEE”) is a rustic dish traditionally made with black cherries covered in batter and baked in a dish until set. The eggy batter sets up to be custardy, more similar to a cherry Flan or Cherry Dutch Baby than a cake-like dessert.
The French usually serve clafoutis for dessert, but I think it also works perfectly as a decadent breakfast dish since it’s not overly sweet. It’s also hard to stop eating this – even though it is supposed to serve 6, my husband and I ate the whole thing two days in a row. True story!
Weird Fact:
In original versions of French Cherry Clafouti, the cherries were left unpitted, which supposedly added a bit of almond flavor. If you want almond flavor, add almond extract, but spare your teeth. We always pit the cherries for every cherry recipe, and I double-check to make sure the pits are out.
Ingredients
We’ve stayed pretty traditional with the ingredients but added a bit of rum (optional) and serve with whipped cream which makes it irresistible. You can use cold ingredients.
- Butter – use unsalted butter to grease the pan so the dish doesn’t become overly salty
- Cherries – black cherries are traditional, but any fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) sweet cherry will work. Avoid cherry pie filling since it’s too wet.
- Milk – we used whole milk, but you can use any milk or even almond milk
- Eggs – this is the basis of the custard
- Baking Staples – sugar, vanilla extract, flour (measured correctly), salt, and confectioners sugar
- Rum, Kirsch, or Cognac – optional but adds tons of flavor. You can replace it with an extra teaspoon of vanilla.
- Whipping cream – Chilled heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract
Variations
You can swap cherries for whatever fruit is in season, but avoid overly juicy fruit such as citrus. Try these substitutions:
- Plums (or even prunes)
- Pears
- Apricots + Raspberries
- Apples + Apples
- Blackberries or blueberries
How to Make Cherry Clafoutis
Once you pit the cherries, cherry clafoutis takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and the oven does the rest.
- Prepare the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F, butter the baking dish, and pit the cherries. Spread the pitted cherries in one layer on the bottom of a generously buttered dish.
- Blend the batter ingredients (milk, sugar, eggs, optional rum, vanilla extract, flour, and salt) in a blender on high speed for 1 minute. It will be foamy on top.
- Pour the batter over the cherries and jostle the dish to be sure the batter gets in all the nooks and crannies.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes. Test the center of the cake with a toothpick to be sure it’s finished cooking. Cool for 20 minutes, dust with powdered sugar and serve with homemade whipped cream.
How to Tell When Clafoutis is Cooked?
You’ll know the clafouti is done when the edges are set, the top is puffed and golden, and the center wobbles when you jolt the pan. When it’s done, a toothpick should come out clean of any wet batter, but poke the top in a few spots to ensure you aren’t hitting a cherry.
Can I Cook Cherry Clafoutis in a Pan?
We used a deep 9” pie dish, but this recipe bakes easily in any well-greased, oven-safe 7 to 8 cup baking dish or even a 10” cast iron pan. Keep in mind if you are using a wider dish, Clafoutis may bake faster since the custard will be thinner.
Make-Ahead
We love to eat Cherry Clafoutis fresh and still a little warm from the oven, but it does keep well. Because of the egg base, it should be refrigerated as soon as it cools.
- To Refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days
- To Reheat: Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes or the microwave for 20 seconds, or until warm, or enjoy it cold.
If you love cherries and French desserts, you’ll fall in love with cherry clafoutis like I did! I’ve already added it to our list of favorites when sweet cherries are in season, along with Cherry Pie and Cherry Sauce.
More Cherry Recipes
Cherries are one of my favorite fruits to cook with! Once you try this cherry clafoutis recipe, put these other cherry recipes on your to-do list.
- Sweet Cherry Buns
- Cherry Pierogi
- Cherry Crumble
- Black Forest Cake
- Cherry Smoothies
- Drunken Cherry Chocolate Cake
- Cherry Upside Down Cake
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Cherry Clafoutis Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, to grease the pan
- 3 cups sweet cherries, (1 lb before pitting), stemmed and pitted
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp rum, kirsch or Cognac, optional, or add an extra 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp Powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 ̊F with a rack in the center of the oven. Generously grease the bottom and sides of your 9-inch pie pan (*see note 1) with 1 Tbsp butter. Pit the cherries with a cherry pitter. Add cherries to the buttered pan and spread out evenly.
- In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients: milk, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, rum (if using), vanilla, flour and salt. Blend on high speed for 1 minute.
- Pour the batter over the cherries and give the pan a jolt to make sure the batter fills in around the cherries properly.
- Bake at 350 ̊F for about 50-55 minutes or until it is puffed and browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes then serve dusted with powdered sugar. Once it’s plated, serve with generous dollops of whipped cream if desired.
How to Make Whipped Cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium/high speed until medium-stiff peaks form.
Notes
- Plums (or even prunes)
- Pears
- Apricots + Raspberries
- Apples + Apples
- Blueberries or blueberries
Nutrition Per Serving
Good Things
I have such lovely memories of our trip to Paris this spring. In case you missed it, I saved all of my Paris highlights at the top of my Instagram profile.
It was the first time my husband and I traveled to Europe, and I think I ate my weight in French pastries, baguettes, and BUTTAH. (Our entire group was smitten with French butter!).
What is your favorite place to travel for food? I’m already dreaming about my next trip, which I hope will be to Italy!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Amazing recipe for breakfast or desert that I can eat over and over again 🥰👏🇫🇷
When the cherry season is over can I use fresh peaches ?
Hi Ania, I’m so glad you loved it! I haven’t tried it with peaches, but that would be fun to try! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
So fast and easy but it kind of tasted like eggs?
Hi Summer, did you make any changes in the recipe? It can have a stronger egg taste if there isn’t enough vanilla extract, sugar, or other flavoring. Overcooking can also amplify the egg taste. I hope that is helpful for next time!
Hi! I followed this recipe to the T and I had the finest ingredients out where. The best cognac the best vanilla, even my milk was the highest quality out there- and it tasted really eggy. What did I do wrong?
Hi Renee! I’m sorry to hear that. Were your eggs larger by chance? This can throw off the ratio. Other things to consider, using an oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to ensure your oven is heating correctly, you may try lowering the temperature by 10 degrees or reducing the cooking time by a few minutes. Also, when it cools, makes sure to keep it away from draft as this can intensity an eggy smell making it taste eggy too. I hope that helps.
Yes! I thought it was a little more well done than it should have been and my oven is very strong. Note taken! Thank you! And the eggs were larger lol correct again
You’re welcome! I hope you try again and have better results with those changes.