Blueberry Clafoutis Recipe (‘Impossibly’ Easy!)

The easiest, most delicious desert

Hands up who looks for something super easy when you’re planning dessert for a dinner party, or even just for your family? Two hands up here!

Clafoutis is a classic french fruit and custard dessert that fits firmly into this category. You quite literally just blend together flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and a few other very simple ingredients to make a batter – almost as if you’re making pancakes. You’ll use a blender or food processor if you have one, otherwise a whisk will work too.

Then you pour it over blueberries and bake. The result is a soft, creamy and custardy fruit tart. It’s almost like a flan, but there is also a very thin pancake-like base which reminds me of an impossible custard pie, if you’ve ever tried that!

Traditionally, a clafoutis is made with cherries, but I most often make mine with blueberries instead because they’re easier to get all year round. Another great thing about this amazing dessert, however, is that it works with many different kinds of fruit – from fresh peaches to frozen mixed berries and even canned fruit. It’s a perfect recipe for experimenting with!

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

As you’ll see from the list of ingredients below that you’ll need to make your blueberry clafoutis, it’s simply a few pantry staples!

Blueberries: You’ll need around 1.5 cups for the perfect balance of custard and fruit – fresh or frozen. If frozen, it’s best to let them defrost, drain any water off them, and blot with kitchen paper to remove excess liquid. If you’re wondering whether frozen blueberries will stain the batter, well, they will slightly – but I don’t think this matters!

Flour: This gives the dessert a slightly more substantial, pancake-like structure than, say, a regular custard or flan.

Sugar: Half a cup of regular white sugar will lightly sweeten the dessert.

Milk: This, along with the eggs, is what combines to form the delicious custard-like texture. Some clafoutis recipes include cream, but I don’t think this is necessary for a perfectly creamy texture.

I suggest whole milk if possible, but other types of milk will work too.

Melted butter: Just 2 tablespoons of butter adds richness and flavor, and helps to keep the clafoutis soft and custardy.

Eggs

Salt: Just a large pinch, for balance and to help bring out all the other flavors.

Vanilla essence: This goes really well with blueberries. I like to add a full tablespoon for a rich vanilla flavor.

Lemon zest (optional): If you happen to have a lemon, a teaspoon or two of lemon zest adds brightness and subtle lemon flavor.

How to make blueberry clafoutis

This blueberry clafoutis recipe will make you look like a top chef with very little effort! Here’s how easy it is to make.

Start by greasing a round 9-inch baking dish with butter. I use a ceramic pan. A cast-iron pan works, too.

Then make the batter. If you have a blender or food processor, simply add all the batter ingredients and pulse for about 30 seconds. If you don’t, simply use a whisk or even a fork to blend the eggs into the flour, then slowly add the milk and other ingredients to make a smooth batter.

It’s very similar to pancake batter!

Scatter the blueberries all over the bottom of the dish. Then pour the batter over them.

Bake at 350F (or 320F in a convection/fan oven) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center of the clafoutis is ‘just’ set. It may still be slightly jiggly in the center. That’s OK as it will continue to firm up after you take it out of the oven.

Variations

A clafoutis is easy to customize by using different seasonal fruits. Here are some ideas to try. Simply replace the blueberries with any of the fruits suggested below.

• A classic cherry clafoutis with fresh or frozen cherries. Traditionally, cherry clafoutis uses cherries with the stones still in as they impart a hint of almond flavor into the custardy batter. Instead (we don’t want any cracked teeth!) I suggest taking out the stones and adding a quarter teaspoon of almond extract to the batter to compensate. If using frozen cherries, remember to let defrost, drain, and dry with kitchen paper before using.
• Other berries such as raspberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries, or a mixture.
• Stone fruits such as plums, apricots, peaches or nectarines (slice thinly or chop into cubes).
• Pears or apples. Slice thinly or cut into small cubes. The perfect choice for Fall!
• Flavoring: Try adding a large pinch of either cinnamon or nutmeg either as well as or instead of the vanilla and/or lemon zest.

More very simple desserts

• I’ve been making this 6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake for many years, and it never lets me down.
• This self-saucing lemon pudding ‘magically’ separates into two layers in the oven – cake and sauce.
• Have you ever tried a burnt basque cheesecake? No crust, dramatic looking, and so so easy to make!
• Don’t even want to turn on the oven? Try this 10-minute no-bake chocolate truffle cake!