Life is a Bowl of Cherries a Recipe for Clafoutis from Provence
Carolyne Kauser-Abbott · Dessert · Flans, Puddings · Provencal Recipes · TasteSpring starts early in the south of France. Nutmeg was shocked to learn that the cherries on the neighbours’ tree would be ready to eat by the middle of May! Under perfect conditions, local BC cherries only start arriving in Calgary farmers markets in mid-July. Sure enough the white flowering trees quickly turned to producing the luscious red fruit, and all of a sudden the orchards were laden with produce.
…Continue reading here for Nutmeg’s introduction to Clafoutis aux Cerises, an easy flan-style dessert that is a perfect way to use up a bounty of cherries. You can also make this with a variety of other seasonal fruit. It’s equally good with pears, grapes (seeded), plums, or peaches.

Clafoutis aux Cerises
A clafoutis is a very easy recipe to make. You leave the cherry pits in the fruit, otherwise they will change the colour of the desert.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds Ripe Cherries washed
- 5 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup crème fraîche or heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- butter to coat the pan
- sugar to coat the pan
Instructions
- Butter the pan (preference is in clay but a glass dish will work)
- Coat with a bit of sugar and discard the excess
- Remove the stocks from the cherries (not the pits) and place them in the pan
- Mix all the other ingredients (eggs, milk, crème fraîche, sugar, flour, vanilla sugar) and pour over the cherries
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes
- Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown
- Sprinkle sugar on the top when you remove it from the oven.
Notes
Use vanilla sugar as extract will change the colour of the clafoutis.Make sure to warn your guests that the cherries are not pitted.The great thing about this recipe is you can use other fruit in season such as: apricots, grapes, pears.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Related Provence Articles
My Recipe for a Perfect Caramel Flan
December 16, 2022
A flâneur is not the maker of flans. A flâneur is French for one who observes, idles, saunters, and loafs, preferably along a Parisian boulevard. Not me. I am a doer, and I am in perpetual motion, much to the disappointment of many around me. There are advantages to this. One is that dinner makes …
Recipe for Clafoutis aux Cerises from Provence
April 20, 2015
This dessert originates from the Limousin region of France but is often seen on Provencal menus. The beauty of this easy dessert is that it can be prepared with almost any fruit, although strawberries are not recommended. The traditional version is made with whole cherries (not pitted); otherwise, the juice will change the colour of …
Lemongrass Crème Brûlée a Delicious Variation
May 7, 2021
Chef Liz Thompson and I had lots of fun delivering “Baking with Herbs,” an online cooking demonstration. One of the recipes was a twist on the French classic a Lemongrass Crème Brûlée. In just over an hour, we showed participants how to use fresh herbs and flowers from their garden to infuse sugar, heavy cream …
Egg Whites and Angel Food Cake with Citrus Sauce
July 30, 2018
Angel Food Cake is not a French creation. Although French chefs cannot claim the invention of this white sponge cake, they have always worked with the essential ingredients: stiff egg whites, cream of tartar, cake flour, and sugar. Stiffly, beaten egg whites are the key to the delicate light texture of souffles…
No Comment