Apple clafoutis – Comforting fall dessert
I absolutely love clafoutis! It’s simple, quick, and budget-friendly, making it one of my favorite desserts to start the autumn season. This apple clafoutis is full of rich vanilla flavor, creamy flan-like custard, and tender, melt-in-your-mouth apple pieces. You can enjoy it warm or cold, dusted with powdered sugar, on its own, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
For those who don’t know, clafoutis is a traditional French dessert made by baking fruit, most often cherries, as in the classic cherry clafoutis, in a smooth, creamy custard mixture. The result is soft, silky, and slightly caramelized on top.
Traditionally, only the version made with cherries is called clafoutis. When prepared with other fruits like apples, pears, or apricots, it’s technically called a flognarde. But most people still use the word clafoutis, simply because it’s more familiar (and easier to pronounce!).
Table of Contents
Details about the ingredients
Apple clafoutis is made with simple ingredients you’re sure to have at home: eggs, sugar, flour, milk and, of course, apples.
Apples: Take varieties like Golden or Reine des Reinettes, but you can also use more tart apples, like Granny Smith, for a sweet-tart contrast.
Milk: Use whole milk, which adds creaminess. You can use a mixture of milk and heavy cream for an even smoother texture. Vegetable milk is also suitable, such as almond or soy milk;
Sugar: I use a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar. The brown sugar goes very well with the apples, adding a very subtle caramel taste and extra flavour.
Vanilla: In addition to vanilla sugar, I like to add the seeds of a vanilla bean when I have some at home, or vanilla powder, which is cheaper and perfumes just as well. You can flavor your clafoutis batter with cinnamon for a slightly spicy taste.
Control the thickness of the clafoutis: If you want a clafoutis that is taller like a flan, use a smaller, deeper pan or adjust the quantities based on the height and diameter of the pan.
Your clafoutis will have a final thickness equal to its height before baking. The clafoutis rises in the oven like a soufflé but will deflate once out of the oven, returning to its original height.
If you make it taller, you will have a thicker flan-like layer with the apples on top.
Avoid lumps: I prepare this clafoutis using the same method I use for making crepes but you can also start by whisking the eggs and sugar until they foam a little, then stir in the flour and then the milk. If, despite the method you’ve chosen, you still get lumps, strain the batter.
Ingredients :
Note: Find the full printable recipe card at the end of the article.
For a round ceramic tart pan, 27 cm (10.5 in) diameter and 4 cm (1.5 in) deep
- 4 eggs
- 60 g granulated sugar (2 oz)
- 60 g brown sugar (2 oz) – can be replaced with granulated sugar
- 2 packets of vanilla sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or seeds from 1 vanilla pod
- A pinch of salt
- 100 g all-purpose flour (3.5 oz)
- 60 g unsalted butter (2 oz)
- 400 ml whole milk, or half milk and half cream (13.5 fl oz)
- 1 kg Golden or Reine des Reinettes apples (2.2 lbs) – about 650 g (1.4 lbs) once peeled and sliced
Preparation steps :
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with static/conventional heat.
Grease and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour.
Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into slices about 1 cm (0.4 in) thick. Arrange the slices in the pan.
Melt the butter.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and mix with the sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla powder, and a pinch of salt.
Make a well in the center of the flour, crack the eggs into it, and mix from the center outwards to avoid lumps. Whisk thoroughly.
Add the warm melted butter and stir to combine.
Stir in half the milk, then add the rest, mixing well.
Note: You should have a smooth, lump-free batter. If desired, strain it through a fine sieve before pouring it over the apples.
Pour the batter over the apples and bake for about 50 minutes, depending on your oven. Start checking for doneness about 15 minutes before the end of the indicated time.
The clafoutis should be set and golden brown on top. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; it should come out clean.
Remove the clafoutis from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. For a chilled version, let it cool completely before refrigerating.
Optionally, dust with a little powdered sugar before serving.
Storage
This apple clafoutis keeps well for 3 to 4 days, covered, in the refrigerator. You can reheat it slightly in the microwave before serving.
Other Clafoutis recipes
Easy Apple Clafoutis Recipe
INGREDIENTS
For a round ceramic tart pan, 27 cm (10.5 in) diameter and 4 cm (1.5 in) deep
- 4 eggs
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 60 g brown sugar can be replaced with granulated sugar
- 2 packets of vanilla sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or seeds from 1 vanilla pod
- A pinch of salt
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 400 ml whole milk or half milk and half cream
- 1 kg Golden or Reine des Reinettes apples about 650 g (1.4 lbs) once peeled and sliced
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with static/conventional heat.
- Grease and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour.
- Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into slices about 1 cm (0.4 in) thick. Arrange the slices in the pan.
- Melt the butter.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl and mix with the sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Make a well in the center of the flour, crack the eggs into it, and mix from the center outwards to avoid lumps. Whisk thoroughly.
- Add the warm melted butter and stir to combine.
- Stir in half the milk, then add the rest, mixing well.
- Note: You should have a smooth, lump-free batter. If desired, strain it through a fine sieve before pouring it over the apples.
- Pour the batter over the apples and bake for about 50 minutes, depending on your oven. Start checking for doneness about 15 minutes before the end of the indicated time.
- The clafoutis should be set and golden brown on top. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; it should come out clean.
- Remove the clafoutis from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. For a chilled version, let it cool completely before refrigerating.
- Optionally, dust with a little powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
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2 comments
How can a ROUND dish have measurements such that you provided? Round pans have ONE number measurements because they are the DIAMETER. 27 cm × 4 cm (10.5 in × 1.5 in) doesn’t make sense. Can you please tell us the diameter? Thank you.
Hi , Thank you so much for your comment! You’re absolutely right — it can be confusing and might make it seem like I was referring to a rectangular pan. Since the pan I used is round (27 cm / 10.5 in in diameter), I also mentioned the depth (4 cm / 1.5 in) because it’s an important detail to help prevent overflow during baking. I’ll make sure to correct this for better accuracy. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks again for your helpful comment!