This super Quick and Easy Cherry Clafoutis with Morello Cherries is always a hit with the whole family. The classic French dessert, made from a Baked Custard and Cherries, is simply a deliciously comforting dessert that can be served warm or cold. Perfect for afternoon tea treat or for dessert!
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What is a Clafoutis
A Clafoutis is a super quick and easy traditional French Dessert. This rustic looking dessert combines a baked custard-like batter with seasonal fruits.
To explain how a clafoutis tastes, I will say that it is like a Flan and a Baked Pancake had a baby! Although the Cherry Clafoutis is the most commonly found, you can basically use any fruit to make a clafoutis (also sometimes called a "Flaugnarde") like Plums for example.
The sweet custardy batter mixed with the flavour of fruits is simply heaven. It creates a deliciously soft and silky, almost pudding-like dessert that is best enjoyed still warm, straight out of the oven.
It is such a versatile dessert and for me - the ultimate comfort food. I personally love those Cherry Custard Cakes, and I hope you will soon too!
More Cherry Desserts:
Basic Clafoutis Recipe
For me, comfort food equals super quick and easy recipe. Well, it doesn't get easier than a Clafoutis! No fancy ingredients or utensils here; it all get mixed up and poured over the fruit of your choice in a large baking dish.
To make a Basic Clafoutis, you will need (scroll down to recipe card for all quantities):
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk
- Caster Sugar
- Plain Flour
- Salt
- Fruits
Basically, ingredients you should all already have in your pantry, right!?
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How to make Cherry Clafoutis
The steps to follow to make a clafoutis are just as easy.
- Chop the Cherries and set aside (if not using whole cherries)
- Whisk the Eggs and Sugar
- Sift in the Flour and Salt
- Finally, add the melted Butter and Milk.
- Place the chopped fruits at the bottom of a large baking dish and pour over the clafoutis batter.
- Bake until set.
- Done!
Recipe FAQs
The type of cherries used to make a clafoutis highly depends on the recipe you find, and family traditions. Some like to use whole fresh cherries, other go for pitted ones.
Using un-pitted cherries supposedly create a much stronger fruit flavour and helps to keep the juices in. I have made this recipe with frozen pitted cherries before and found the taste to be quite blend, so I would highly recommend using either fresh cherries or like here, Pitted Morello Cherries.
It is a such great Morello Cherries Recipe if you love those types of cherries! They are known for they strong sweet and sour taste that I personally love in clafoutis.
The tart flavour of morello cherries simply balances the relatively sweet dessert perfectly. Morello Cherries (known as "Griottes" in French) are easily found in jars in the canned fruit section of your supermarket. They usually come already pitted and are kept in a syrup that I love to use to top the baked dessert.
Clafoutis need to be stored in the fridge, covered with wrap or foil. They will last for up to 3 days.
The best way to enjoy this French dessert is still warm, just out of the oven! If stored in the fridge, I highly recommend reheating it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Easy Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Easy Chocolate Brownie Bites
- Pear Crumble Cake
- Easy French Apple Cake
- Easy Peach Galette
- Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets
Made this recipe?
Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment below, and tag us on Instagram @a.baking.journey with a photo of your creation!
Recipe
Easy Cherry Clafoutis
Ingredients
Cherry Clafoutis
- 80 gr (1/3 cup) Butter, melted and cool
- 5 Eggs, medium size
- 500 ml (2 cups) Full Cream Milk
- 50 gr (3,5 tbsp) Caster Sugar
- 200 gr (1 1/3 cup) Plain / All Purpose Flour
- 1 pinch Salt
- 200 gr (7 oz) Pitted Morello Cherries
Cherry Compote (optional)
- 300 gr (10,5 oz) Pitted Morello Cherries with the jar syrup
- 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven on 180'C/350'C.
- Whisk the Eggs and Sugar until foamy. Sift in the Flour and Salt and stir until combined.
- Slowly pour in the cool melted Butter, then the Milk. Whisk to obtain a rather liquid batter.
- Grease a large round ceramic baking dish (see note 1 and 2).Place the pitted Morello Cherries at the bottom of the baking dish, and cover with with the clafoutis batter (see note 3). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the custard is set (see note 4).
- Serve warm straight away, or keep in the fridge for 48 hours. I recommend re-heating the dessert after being kept in the fridge.Optionally, top the dessert with a Cherry Compote.
Cherry Compote
- Use the rest of the cherries and syrup from your Morello Cherries Jar to make the compote. Pour the fruits and the liquid in a small pot. Add the Caster Sugar and Lemon Juice, and leave to slowly reduce on a low-heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- When ready to serve, slice the Cherry Clafoutis and serve topped with some Cherry Compote.
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Notes
- I use a large round oven-safe ceramic dish. You can also use a square or rectangular ceramic or glass dish.
- Note that the quantities of this recipe will make a large cherry clafoutis for 10 to 12 people. Simply divide the ingredients by two to make a smaller version of the dessert.
- You can also pour the batter first and place the cherries over it - or do half at the bottom, half at the top. It is a rustic dessert, so make your own rules!
- The exact baking time can vary depending on the size of your baking pan and your oven. To know the clafoutis is set, gently move the pan back and forth. You shouldn't see movement in the baked batter.
Liz Cooper says
I want to make this starting with fresh Morello cherries. I wonder if I need to cook them with sugar first. Could you tell me if the jar of Morello cherries you used contained sugar and if so, approximately the proportion sugar to fruit?
Sylvie says
Hi Liz, you could absolutely use fresh morello cherries instead of canned ones. I'd say you might only want to cook them with water and a bit of sugar if they are too sour for you. The exact quantity of sugar will depend on the level of sweetness you are after...
If you like the taste of the sour cherries, then you can use fresh ones straight away (with or without the pit - traditional French cherry clafoutis are baked with pits!). Hope that helps!
Tamara says
Very happy with how it turned out especially my first time making a clafoutis. I did have to change a few things. Didn't have whole milk so used heavy willing cream in place of the milk. Had to bake it 35 min. Took it out when the knife came out clean. I also dusted it with confectioner's sugar after baking 20 min and then put it back in like another recipe suggested. It puffed up really big and then after cooling 5 min it flattened and looked nice. Great taste. I did the syrup on top and some whipped cream.
Next time I may add vanilla syrup and try using a cast iron. My husband also said he prefers a little more sugar but I thought it was perfectly sweet. It really came out impressively well and I'm excited to make this again and take it to a party or potluck to impress everyone. Also a great way to go through all our chicken in eggs.
Rebecca says
I had never heard of a clafoutis until a couple of days ago. I had a jar of morello cherries and looked for a recipe for them. I saw a lot of recipes for clafoutis but settled on this one. I am very happy with it. You must have used a much larger pan than I did, though. I used an 8-inch glass cake pan, and it was nowhere near set up at 25 minutes. I think I added five more minutes at least five times. I feared the bottom and sides would burn before it was done, but it came out perfectly. When it first came out of the oven, the top had risen higher than the pan and looked almost like a soufflé. I posted photos in one of my Facebook baking groups, and everyone was wowed by it and wanted the recipe so, of course, I shared this one. Thank you.
Sylvie says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Brenda Blair says
It took longer to bake. There was butter floating on top, why is that?
Ruth says
I made this yesterday & it turned out perfectly. I added some vanilla, because I like it in any custardy recipe, & everyone loved it. It set beautifully but I did cook it for a bit longer than the recipe stated. I also made the compote & it turned it into a an extra special dessert.
Sylvie says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Sandy says
Wish I had read all the comments before making. I used large eggs. Perhaps the size of the eggs should have been listed in the ingredients. Needed to be baked approximately 10 mins longer.
A Baking Journey says
Hi Sandy, I will add a note re: egg size in the recipe now 🙂 Cheers!
Roberta says
Horrible recipe. Too much liquid, not enough fruit. Never set properly. After reading other clafouti recipes I wished I'd done any of them but this one.
A Baking Journey says
Hi Roberta, I'm sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe! This is my mum's clafoutis recipe and we have been making it for over 30 years; we never had any issues with it being too liquid or not setting. The batter should look very liquid before you bake it but will set as a custard when baked. I wonder if you maybe underbaked it a bit?
B says
My clafoutis tastes like flour...why!
A Baking Journey says
Hi B, could it be a bit underbaked?
Dee says
To half this recipe how many eggs would be needed and what size. Recipe sounds great but a bit too large.
A Baking Journey says
Hi Dee, you would still need 2,5 eggs. You can simply crack the last one in a separate bowl, whisk it then use about half of it. I used medium sized eggs for this recipe so if using large eggs, 2 will probably be fine too. Cheers
Kala says
I have a large jar of morello cherries in my fridge and I've been wondering what to make with them (I usually just put them on top of some Greek yogurt). Thinking of making this cherry dessert for christmas morning.
A Baking Journey says
It would make a delicious Christmas breakfast, hope you enjoy it 🙂