A clafoutis is a traditional French dessert that is a cross between a custard and a pancake (think Dutch baby). It is typically made by pouring a simple batter of eggs, sugar, milk, flour, and sometimes cream over fruit (most commonly cherries) and then baking it until golden and set.
The traditional version uses whole, unpitted cherries, as the pits are believed to enhance the flavor during baking. However, modern versions (like this one) often use pitted cherries or other fruits like plums, peaches, berries, or apples for convenience.
The texture is custardy and slightly spongy, with the fruit creating juicy bursts of flavor. Clafoutis is usually dusted with powdered sugar before serving and can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
I’ve made a few changes to the traditional recipe:
- For one, I bake it in a skillet, which is a little faster than using a pie dish (and allows you to make a mini-clafoutis for one person in a small skillet).
- Next, I use ricotta cheese to boost the protein and calcium content of the dish.
- Instead of flour, I use oat flour (higher in fiber than flour and gluten-free) and add a little flax meal (to bind the batter and further boost fiber content).
- I add a touch of almond extract and lemon zest for their delicious aromas (optional).
- Lastly, I use little sugar since the fruit already supplies delicious sweetness; feel free to add more if you like.
I have made this with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and frozen cherries, and each was a hit. The only one that was a bit disappointing was a clafoutis I made with blueberries — because they are relatively sweet and low in acidity, it tasted a little bland. My next project is to use butter-sauteed apple slices; I’ll let you know how that goes. 🙂
Breakfast Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup ricotta cheese whole-milk or part-skim -- up to you
- ¼ cup granulated sugar when I make this for breakfast, I use half as much sugar, but for dessert, ¼ cup tastes more satisfying
- â…“ cup oat flour if you don't have this, you can grind oats in a blender; alternatively, use any other flour you like, incl. almond flour if you want to keep carbs low
- 2 tbsp flax meal a.k.a. ground flaxseed; golden or brown
- 1 tsp baking powder
- a generous pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a few drops almond extract optional
- a generous pinch of lemon zest finely grated on a lemon zester (I use a Microplane zester)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups frozen cherries pitted
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. If using a baking dish, butter generously and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, sugar, oat flour, flax meal, baking powder and salt. If the mixture is very thick, add a tablespoon or tewo of milk until you get a slightly looser batter.
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet and pour in the batter. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes (to build a base that prevents the cherries from sinking to the bottom) and sprinkle the cherries evenly over the surface (they can be frozen). (This is why I prefer using a skillet to a pie dish.)
- Slide the skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the center of the clafoutis is set (cooking time depends on the diameter of your skillet -- the wider the skillet, the thinner the batter, and the shorter the cooking time).
- Once the clafoutis has risen and is golden on top, remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve; delicious warm or at room temperature. (And cold leftovers make a delicious breakfast, perhaps served with a generous dollop of Greek yogurt.)