Anna Louise Clafoutis is a French baked pudding from the Limousin region — fresh cherries baked in a lightly sweetened batter that sets to something between a thick crêpe and a baked custard.
It is effortless to make, beautiful to look at, and gives a dessert that is simultaneously rustic and genuinely elegant. The batter takes five minutes to make.
The cherries go in unpitted — the traditional way, which gives additional flavour from the stones during baking. The whole thing bakes in forty minutes.
The key detail that most British recipes miss is leaving the cherry stones in. The stones contain a small amount of a compound that gives a very subtle almond flavour during baking — which is why a clafoutis made with unpitted cherries has a depth and fragrance that one made with pitted cherries does not quite replicate. Warn your guests before serving, and let them enjoy the superior flavour.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Clafoutis
For the Clafoutis
- 500g fresh cherries — left unpitted, stalks removed, or pitted if preferred
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 100g golden caster sugar — plus 1 tbsp for the dish and top
- 250ml whole milk
- 100ml double cream
- 75g plain flour, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract — reinforces the subtle almond note from the cherry stones
- 30g unsalted butter, melted — for the dish and stirred into the batter
- Pinch of fine salt
- Icing sugar — for generous dusting before serving
How to Make Mary Berry Clafoutis
Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare the Dish
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Brush a 30cm round ceramic gratin dish or shallow ovenproof dish generously with the melted butter. Scatter one tablespoon of caster sugar evenly over the buttered surface — this gives a slightly caramelised, slightly sweet base.
Arrange the cherries in a single layer over the sugared base.
Step 2 — Make the Batter
Whisk the eggs and golden caster sugar together for one to two minutes until combined and slightly thickened. Add the whole milk, double cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, and remaining melted butter. Whisk briefly until smooth.
Sift the flour and salt into the liquid mixture. Whisk until a smooth, lump-free batter forms — similar in consistency to a thin crêpe batter. Leave to rest for ten minutes.
Step 3 — Pour and Bake
Pour the rested batter evenly over the cherries in the prepared dish — the cherries will be partially submerged.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the clafoutis is puffed, golden at the edges, set throughout, and a skewer inserted into the centre of the batter comes out clean. The centre should be just set — still slightly wobbly when shaken, which is correct. It will firm slightly as it cools.
Step 4 — Finish and Serve
Dust generously with icing sugar immediately before serving. Serve warm from the dish — clafoutis deflates slightly as it cools, which is normal and expected.
My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry Clafoutis
Leave the cherry stones in for better flavour. The traditional method gives a clafoutis with a subtle almond depth that pitted cherries do not replicate. Always warn guests before serving.
Rest the batter for ten minutes. A brief rest allows the gluten to relax and gives a smoother, more even set. It takes no effort and makes a small but noticeable difference.
Butter and sugar the dish generously. The buttered, sugared surface gives the characteristic slightly caramelised base that is one of the pleasures of clafoutis. Do not skip this step.
Serve warm — not hot. Straight from the oven the clafoutis is slightly too puffed and slightly too hot to eat at its best. Ten minutes of resting gives the right temperature and the right slight deflation for the most satisfying eating.
The batter should be thin — like crêpe batter. A thick batter gives a more bread-like, less custardy result. Thin batter gives the characteristic light, custardy set that makes a clafoutis specifically itself.
Serving Suggestions
Warm from the dish with a spoonful of crème fraîche alongside. As a summer dinner party dessert made while the main course is being eaten. As a pudding served directly from the dish at the table.
How to Store Mary Berry Clafoutis
Best eaten on the day. Clafoutis can be refrigerated for up to 1 day and eaten cold — which is pleasant — but is specifically best warm on the day it is made.
Mary Berry Clafoutis Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Brush dish with melted butter — scatter 1 tbsp sugar. Arrange cherries in single layer.
- Whisk eggs and sugar 1–2 minutes. Add milk, cream, vanilla, almond extract, and remaining melted butter — whisk smooth. Sift in flour and salt — whisk to a thin, lump-free batter. Rest 10 minutes.
- Pour batter evenly over cherries. Bake 35–45 minutes until puffed, golden at edges, and set with a slight central wobble. Cool 10 minutes.
- Dust generously with icing sugar. Serve warm from the dish with crème fraîche.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other fruit?
Yes — pitted plums, apricots, blueberries, or raspberries all work very well. Reduce the baking time by five minutes for soft fruit like raspberries.
Can I use tinned cherries?
Yes — drain thoroughly and pat dry. The flavour is slightly less vivid than fresh but very good.
Can I make individual clafoutis?
Yes — divide between six buttered and sugared individual gratin dishes. Reduce the baking time to 20 to 25 minutes.
Is it meant to deflate after baking?
Yes — completely normal. The puffed clafoutis straight from the oven sinks slightly as it cools. This does not affect the flavour.
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