Apple Clafoutis

Apple clafoutis is one of the easiest apple dessert you could possibly make, yet completely irresistible and slightly addictive. It features soft and tender apples cooked in butter, and a delicious creamy custard. A classic French dessert you can make all year round.

There are some classic recipes that never fade. This apple clafoutis is definitely one of them. My grandmother used to make it from time to time, my mom too (yes, it was mostly women cooking and baking in my family by the time), and when I bake it now, I still get the same enthusiasm from everyone trying it, including little L. who claps her hands to get more!

What is an apple clafoutis?

You have probably heard of cherry clafoutis before, a French baked custard dessert featuring cherries. The apple clafoutis is basically the same, except that you use apples instead of cherries.

In the apple version, the apple wedges are previously cooked in butter until they become soft and tender, and then covered with a flan-like custard batter consisting of eggs, sugar, milk and flour. The texture is soft and creamy, with slightly addictive crispy rims.

What do you need to bake an apple clafoutis?

• Apples. Ideally, go for baking apples, offering a balance of sweet and tart flavors as well as a flesh that doesn’t break down in the oven. Think Golden, Gala, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, to name just a few. That being said, any apple variety will do for a clafoutis recipe so you can’t really go wrong. Peel and core the apples, then slice them into medium wedges (not too thick, not too thin).

• Eggs + sugar + melted butter + milk for the custard. Like for a classic custard recipe, you will need a mixture of eggs, sugar and milk. The traditional recipe calls for cow milk but you could use almond milk or oat milk with fairly good results. Melted butter adds richness, flavor and moisture to the recipe, don’t skip it.
• All-purpose flour + cornstarch + baking powder. The combination of flour and cornstarch creates a lighter texture to the custard. Baking powder is the leavening agent that will make the clafoutis rise just a little so it doesn’t end up dense.
• Cinnamon and/or vanilla. You could flavor your apple clafoutis with either cinnamon or vanilla, based on your personal preferences. French people would usually go for vanilla over cinnamon, while in North America cinnamon is often preferred.

Clafoutis: a family-size dessert

A clafoutis is usually the perfect family-size dessert, baked in a shallow pyrex or ceramic pie dish of approx. 9-inch (23 cm) in diameter. Traditionally, the clafoutis baking dish is rectangular or oval, sometimes round. It’s important to grease the pie dish butter beforehand to prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom or the sides.

When ready to serve, do not bother slicing your apple clafoutis like you would do for a cake. Instead, scoop out the portions with a large spoon, or enjoy straight to the dish with a teaspoon!

Endless variations around the apple clafoutis

Once you master the art of apple clafoutis, there are endless variations to navigate around. Here are just a few that comes to mind:

• Make a mix of apples and pears for a slight variation to the apple clafoutis. This works a wonder.
• Flavor with real vanilla. Skip cinnamon, and replace the vanilla extract with vanilla seeds extracted from a vanilla pod to bring some warm notes to the clafoutis and make it very French.
• Add a splash of calva or other brandy to the custard. Calva is a brandy made from apples and originated from Normandie.
• Replace ⅓ of flour with almond flour. This will bring a slightly nutty texture to your apple clafoutis.
• Add slivered almonds on top just before baking. They will be slightly toasted and crispy.
• Dust with confectioners’ sugar on lukewarm clafoutis before serving, and enjoy with a dollop of crème fraîche.
• Drizzle salted caramel on top of your apple clafoutis before serving. Apples and caramel is the ultimate combo.

While I am writing these words, there are many other possible variations that come to mind, from using ground cardamom to the custard for a little exotic version to using pistachios, pecans or maple syrup. Again, use this apple recipe as a base and use your creativity to add your personal touch to the recipe.

Similar recipes you may also like:

• French Cherry Clafoutis
• Apple Dutch Baby Pancake
• Easy Fluffy American Pancakes
• French Toast Casserole

My favorite apple recipes:

• Best Homemade Apple Pie
• Apple Pancakes
• Classic Apple Tarte Tatin
• Apple Ricotta Cake

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