Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Fruit Base
- 150 g fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried
- 150 g fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 15 g caster sugar
Custard Batter
- 3 eggs, large, room temperature
- 70 g caster sugar
- 1 g salt
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 180 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 60 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 3 g lemon zest
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
To Finish
- 10 g powdered sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 261 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 32 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 117 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 122 mg
- Potassium
- 158 mg
- Calcium
- 67 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Phosphorus
- 102 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 144 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 97 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Liberally grease your baking dish with the 10g of butter and sprinkle with the 15g of caster sugar to create a light crust.
Arrange the blackberries and blueberries in a single layer at the bottom of the prepared dish.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt together until the mixture is pale and slightly frothy, about 2 minutes.
Sift the flour into the egg mixture and whisk gently until just smooth. Do not overwork the batter.
Gradually pour in the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, melted butter, and lemon zest, whisking constantly to create a smooth, thin batter similar to crepe batter.
Pour the batter gently over the berries. Bake in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes. The clafoutis should puff up significantly and turn golden brown, with the center just set but slightly wobbly.
Remove from the oven and let rest on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. It will deflate slightly as it cools; this is normal.
Generously dust with powdered sugar while still warm and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure all dairy and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients can cause the melted butter to seize and create lumps in the batter.
- While this recipe uses berries, the traditional 'Clafoutis' uses cherries with pits intact. Since we are using other fruits, purists might call this a 'Flaugnarde', but the technique remains identical.
- Serve this dish warm, not hot. The flavors of the custard and fruit are most pronounced when the temperature has dropped slightly, about 15 minutes out of the oven.
- For an extra elegant touch, you can brown the butter (beurre noisette) before adding it to the batter for a nutty, toasted aroma.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Texture becomes denser when cold; best reheated gently.
Reheating: Warm in a 150°C/300°F oven for 10 minutes or microwave briefly.
Troubleshooting
Texture is rubbery or tough
Cause: The batter was overmixed after adding the flour, developing too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked
Prevention: Whisk only until ingredients are just combined; stop as soon as the flour disappears
Center is liquid or raw
Cause: Underbaked or fruit released too much juice
Fix: Cover edges with foil to prevent burning and bake for 5-10 more minutes
Prevention: Test for doneness by inserting a knife near the center; it should come out clean
Cultural Context
Originating from the Limousin region of France, Clafoutis was historically a peasant dish designed to make use of abundant seasonal fruit. While the traditional version insists on leaving cherry pits in to enhance the almond-like flavor, modern iterations like this berry version prioritize ease of eating while maintaining the dish's sophisticated simplicity.
