Gluten Free 
Market Produce
Strawberries (Fraises)
Have lots of strawberries? Baking them in a strawberry clafoutis is a delicious twist to the French classic cherry baked custard and concentrates their flavours. With pistachios or almonds for a gluten free breakfast, dessert or teatime treat.
What is a Clafoutis?
The French Clafoutis is a speciality of the Limousin in France. It’s a light, set eggy custard that’s traditionally made with cherries – see this classic Cherry Clafoutis Recipe with a little flour. However, I find some clafoutis recipes have too much flour, resembling a stick-to-the-top-of-your-mouth heavy cake-like dessert.
Do try this gluten free twist to the classic using the ground almonds or pistachios – it’s a delicious way of enjoying a clafoutis before the cherries arrive.
This recipe is so versatile during Summer made with mirabelle plums and apricots too! See ideal fruit combinations below. I do stress that you use fresh strawberries if possible rather than frozen for this recipe, so that all the flavours are at their best.
What Can I do with a Lot of Strawberries?
It happens often. At our local French market in Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris, the sellers tend to sell boxes of them towards the end of the morning for a special price. Well, tell a Scot there’s a promotion and it’s a deal! I love adding them to this rhubarb compote, in this jam, and in our favourite elegant strawberry desserts such as these rhubarb and strawberry crumbles with rose and white chocolate mousse.
However, the result of buying many strawberries in bulk means that there are a few that are already a bit fatigué – slightly tired and starting to wilt. So baking them at this ‘just becoming tired’ stage is perfect for making this Strawberry Clafoutis.
Are Strawberries Good for Baking?
Absolutely! As baking strawberries intensifies their naturally sweet flavours, this is utterly delicious. It’s the strawberries that dominate in this dessert. The ground pistachios or almond flour are quite subtle but adds that extra intrigue to the fruit, plus helps to soak up the juices.
As well as this strawberry clafoutis, we love them baked in this strawberry and elderflower gratin – either just with strawberries or with other berries added too.
Wild Strawberries (Fraises des Bois)
We’ve been blessed by the birds spreading a carpet of wild strawberries (fraises des bois) in the garden. I thought that mint in the herb garden took over the other plants, but I’m now surprised to see the strawberries popping up in all nooks and crannies, as we say in Scotland. They’re like tiny voilet-tasting candy (bonbons).
Can You Eat Clafoutis Cold?
The French normally serve a Clafoutis dessert still slightly warm from the oven or serve it at room temperature – NEVER hot. So this also makes it an ideal addition to your picnic basket.
However, my (French/Corsican) husband adores a chilled Clafoutis for breakfast. Try it – you’ll discover just how delicious it is cold vs warm.
Measurements in cups by volume are only given as a guide. I encourage you to weigh out your ingredients using a digital scale for continued successful results each time you make this.
Summer Fruit French Clafoutis Ideas
What we love about this recipe is that it’s so versatile. By replacing the fruit, this French Clafoutis ends up having its delicious variations on a Clafoutis theme all throughout the summer.
So here are some ideas using the same recipe batter (gluten free) using ground almonds (almond flour) instead of pistachios:
- Raspberry & Lemon Verbena Clafoutis
- Blueberry & Lemon Clafoutis
- Apricot & Lavender Clafoutis (chop up 3-4 apricots & add 1/4 tsp dried lavender)
- Mirabelle Plum & Almond Clafoutis
- The French classic, Cherry Clafoutis (this recipe is not gluten free, but more traditional using flour)
Adding A Touch of Fruity Liqueur for that Oh-là-là
Want to add that extra (optional) oh-là-là? Then pick a fruity liqueur that matches the fruit used: e.g. Chambord liqueur with raspberries, Kirsch for cherries – although Kirsch is great with all fruits!
Strawberry Clafoutis on Video
For the amount of fruit used, my general rule of thumb is to lay just enough fruit in a single layer in the pie dish then just pour over the batter. To show how easy this recipe is to make, see my video below.
Strawberry Clafoutis (Gluten Free Recipe)
Strawberry Clafoutis (Gluten Free)
Servings : 6 people
Calories : 273kcal
Description
Strawberry Clafoutis with pistachio or almonds - a delicious gluten free twist to the classic cherry baked custard French recipe. Serve slightly warm or chilled for breakfast, dessert or teatime.
Ingredients
- 275 g (10 oz) fresh strawberries washed, hulled & cut in 2 if big (about 1½ cups)
- 4 medium organic eggs (or 3 large eggs)
- 1 organic egg yolk
- 70 g (2.5oz/ 1/3 cup) sugar + 1 tbsp for the dish
- 170 g (6oz /1/3 cup) single or pouring cream (I use half fat cream 12%)
- 50 g (1.75oz) ground pistachios (or ground almonds)
- 1/2 tbsp Amaretto or Kirsch liqueur (or other liqueur, depending on fruit chosen) (optional)
- few drops almond extract (or vanilla powder/extract)
- 15 g (1 tbsp) butter for the dish
- 1 tbsp almond slivers (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C / 400°F (gas 6).
- Butter a gratin or pie dish and top with about a tablespoon of sugar, shaking the dish to spread it evenly. Lay the strawberries over the surface in one layer.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sugar, cream, ground pistachios (or almonds) and extract, if using.
- Pour this egg mixture over the strawberries and if using, sprinkle over some slivered almonds.Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked in the middle (it shouldn't sink in the middle). I'd suggest placing the dish on a baking tray to catch any sticky juices that could run out, if too full.
- Set aside to cool and either serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
This recipe is just as good using ground almonds (almond flour) instead of pistachios. Serve warm or chilled for breakfast, teatime or for dessert.
Dessert matching wines with strawberries: this is great with a light fruity red such as a Pinot Noir (from Alsace or a Burgundy), or a gamay Beaujolais Cru as it brings out the fruitiness yet light enough not to overpower the dessert. Otherwise a chilled rosé Champagne or New World fizz.
Variations using the same recipe batter (gluten free) with ground almonds:
- Raspberry & Lemon Verbena Clafoutis
- Blueberry & Lemon Clafoutis
- Apricot & Lavender Clafoutis (chop 3 apricots & add 1/4 tsp dried lavender)
- Mirabelle Plum & Almond Clafoutis
- The French classic, Cherry Clafoutis
This post was first published on 31 May 2018 but is now updated to include a video and demonstrate the different variations of the classic clafoutis recipe using ground almonds (gluten free).
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Comments (6)
Guess what? Yes! I’m one that always waited for those glorious cherries to hit the markets so I could make clafoutis, definitely making these !
It’s brilliant as the classic cherry recipe but somehow I personally adore this strawberry version. Enjoy it, Bea x
I’m going to make this. Local farm shop Craigie has just announced that pick-your-own is now up and running. Happy memories Jill of picking fruit at Pencaitland. AND they have just started jam making for children on specific days in July. They are to pick the fruit then make the jam.
How wonderful – it’s pick-your-own season in Scotland! What happy memories, Mum. Glad you’ll make this.
I can just taste the flavor of those beautiful strawberries! That’s one of the things I miss the most: the really good strawberries. Even the ones I grow myself aren’t the same 🙁 Like many fruit and veg here, it seems as though they’ve been watered down or the flavor taken away; I don’t know how else to put it. Your strawberry clafoutis looks wonderful, especially in your strawberry bed! 🙂 Thank you, Jill!
So sorry to hear about Californian strawberries, Christina. Thought with all of that sunshine they’d be lovely. At least you’ll have good ones in Italy on your travels soon. With all the sun and rain we’ve been having, they’re whoppers this year!