Strawberry Clafoutis (Clafoutis aux Fraises)

Celebrate Spring with this easy strawberry clafoutis, a delicious twist to the French classic with cherries. A gluten free version with almond flour or ground pistachios, make this one of your go-to strawberry desserts.

Your Recipe is 5 stars my favourite go-to recipe.

Tracy

What is a Clafoutis?

The French Clafoutis (pronounced 'kla-foo-tee') is a speciality of the Limousin in France. It's a light, set eggy custard that's traditionally made with cherries and flour.

For the traditional French classic dessert, see my classic Cherry Clafoutis Recipe. However, I find some clafoutis recipes have too much flour, resembling a stick-to-the-top-of-your-mouth heavy cake-like dessert which can become a bit rubbery.

So, I omitted the flour and replaced it with ground almonds or pistachios, making this a gluten free strawberry clafoutis. It's also a delicious way of enjoying a clafoutis in Spring, before the cherries arrive in early summer.

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 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 when throwing them on maple granola isn't enough. 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!

We add them to:

• rhubarb compote - this recipe works well just with strawberries, based on the same quantities;
• rhubarb and rose jam;
• served with fluffy French brioche;
• topped on French salted butter biscuits, Palets Bretons;
• 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.

Easy Strawberry Clafoutis (Gluten Free)

This gluten free recipe couldn't be easier:

• First butter a gratin ovenproof dish then scatter over the fresh fruit on one single layer;
• In a bowl, mix together the eggs, yolk, ground almonds/pistachios, cream, little sugar and some vanilla extract.
• Pour over the strawberries. Scatter over some slivered almonds and bake for about 30 minutes.

Add 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 surprised to now see strawberries popping up in all nooks and crannies, as we say in Scotland. They taste like voilet 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.

Strawberry Clafoutis and More Fruity Ideas

What we love about this fresh strawberry clafoutis recipe is that it's so versatile. By replacing the fruit, this ends up having many delicious variations on a Clafoutis theme all throughout the spring and summer.

So here are some ideas using the same recipe batter (gluten free) using ground almonds  (almond flour) instead of pistachios:

• Blueberry and Lemon Clafoutis
• Apricot & Lavender Clafoutis (chop up 3-4 apricots & add ¼ teaspoon dried lavender)
• Raspberry Clafoutis with lemon verbena;
• Mirabelle Plum & Almond Clafoutis
• The French classic, Cherry Clafoutis (this recipe is not gluten free, but traditional using flour)

Add 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 - Quick Tip

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.

Strawberry Clafoutis (Gluten Free)

Jill Colonna

Strawberry Clafoutis with almond flour - a delicious gluten free twist to the classic cherry baked custard French recipe. Serve slightly warm or chilled for breakfast, dessert or teatime. Also great with ground pistachios.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, teatime

Cuisine French

Servings 6 people

Calories 273 kcal

Equipment

• 20cm pie dish (5cm deep)

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/ ⅓ cup) sugar + 1 tablespoon for the dish
• 170 g (6oz / ⅓ cup) single or pouring cream (I use half fat cream 12%)
• 50 g (1.75oz) ground pistachios (or ground almonds)
• ½ tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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 fresh strawberries over the surface in one layer.
• In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sugar, cream, ground almonds or pistachios 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.

Video

Notes

To serve: 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 Clafoutis with Lemon Verbena
• Blueberry Clafoutis with Lemon
• Apricot & Lavender Clafoutis (chop 3 apricots & add ¼ teaspoon dried lavender)
• Mirabelle Plum & Almond Clafoutis
• The French classic, Cherry Clafoutis

Recipe also demonstrated on Video.

Measures: Please note that all my recipes are best made using digital kitchen scales in precise metric grams. Both ounces (and cups) are given as a guide. 

Keyword gluten free clafoutis, strawberry almond clafoutis, strawberry clafoutis gluten free, strawberry clafoutis recipe

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).