Celebrate spring and summer with this quick and easy strawberry clafoutis, a delicious twist to the French classic with cherries. A gluten-free dessert with almond flour or ground pistachios, make this one of your go-to strawberry recipes.
I make this every strawberry season and we love it! Thank you for the almond flour substitute. We are not gluten free, but we prefer the texture almond flour brings. Thank you for another lower sugar, winning recipe and for your willingness to share! - Norma
What is a Clafoutis and Why We Love this Strawberry Version
The French Clafoutis (pronounced 'kla-foo-tee')or Clafouti is a speciality of the Limousin region in France. It's a light, set eggy custard that's traditionally made with cherries and flour.
For the classic French classic dessert, see my traditional 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 replaced wheat flour 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.
Use fresh strawberries if you can, as they give the best flavour and texture. Frozen strawberries can work, but need to be thawed and well drained first (see tips below).
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 baked French 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 brûlée - either just with strawberries or with other berries added too.
Easy Strawberry Clafoutis (Gluten Free)
This gluten free clafoutis recipe couldn't be easier:
- First butter a gratin ovenproof dish then scatter over the fresh fruit in a 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.
This recipe is also delicious with wild strawberries - called mara des bois in French. 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.
Almond Flour Clafoutis with Alcohol
Want to add that extra clafouti 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!
Don't want to add any alcohol? Then simply omit it, as it's entirely optional.
Strawberry Clafoutis Recipe - 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.
Recipes for 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! These recipes work for both fresh and frozen strawberries:
- Strawberry mousse
- Strawberry panna cotta with pistachio
- Rhubarb compote - use the same quantities for strawberries using this recipe
- Rhubarb and rose jam
- Top on French salted butter biscuits, Palets Bretons
- Rhubarb and strawberry crumbles with rose and white chocolate mousse.
What To Do When Stawberries are Starting to Wilt
However, the result of buying many strawberries in bulk means that there are a few that are already a bit fatigué or tired and starting to wilt. So this clafoutis recipe is ideal if your strobs are a bit on the tired side, as they're brought back to life!
Strawberry Clafoutis: Quick Questions
Fresh strawberries give the best flavour and texture. If using frozen, thaw and drain them well first, as they release more liquid and can soften the custard. The juices can be reduced into a sauce to serve alongside.
It should be lightly golden and just set in the centre with a slight wobble. It will firm up as it cools.
Usually from too much flour or overbaking. Using ground almonds keeps the texture softer and more delicate.
What's the Best Fruit for Clafoutis?
Strawberries give clafoutis a softer, juicier texture and a naturally sweeter finish than the traditional cherry version. Other fruits work beautifully depending on the season. Here are some ideas using the same gluten-free recipe batter with almond flour:
- Traditional cherry clafoutis - the classic French dessert
- Raspberry Clafoutis - sharper and more vibrant
- Blueberry clafoutis with lemon - if you have frozen berries to use up, my blueberry clafoutis works well with frozen fruit.
- Or go savoury with my white asparagus clafoutis with lemon.
Looking for more custard desserts like this? My e-book, Master Crème Caramel shows you how to make simple French custards that actually work at home - including seasonal fruit versions like rhubarb - without the usual guesswork.
Or join my French custard e-mail list for a quick free guide and more ideas.
Strawberry Clafoutis (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- ceramic pie dish 20cm/8-9 inches (5cm/2-inches deep)
Ingredients
- 15 g (1 tbsp) butter for the dish
- 70 g (2.5oz/ ⅓ cup) sugar + 1 tablespoon for the dish
- 275 g (10 oz/1½ cups) fresh strawberries washed, hulled & cut in 2 if big
- 4 eggs organic/free-range
- 1 egg yolk
- 170 ml (6 floz/ ⅓ cup) single or pouring cream ('half and half') (I use half fat crème fleurette 12% in France)
- 50 g (1.75oz/ ½ cup) ground pistachios (or ground almonds)
- ½ tablespoon Amaretto or Kirsch liqueur (or other liqueur, depending on fruit chosen) (optional)
- pinch salt (fleur de sel) or celtic sea salt
- few drops almond extract (or vanilla powder/extract)
- 1 tablespoon almond flakes (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/gas 6).
- Butter an ovenproof pie or baking dish and top with about a tablespoon of sugar, shaking the dish to spread it evenly. Lay the fresh ripe strawberries over the surface in one layer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sugar, cream, ground almonds or pistachios, salt and extract, if using.
- Pour this egg mixture over the strawberries and if using, sprinkle over some flaked almonds.Bake in the oven for about 35 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
- Raspberry Clafoutis
- Blueberry Clafoutis with Lemon
- The French classic, Cherry Clafoutis
- See more, including a rhubarb clafoutis in my French custard desserts e-book.
This post was first published on 31 May 2018 but is now completely updated
Andrea
Is it same to double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan? Trying to make this for a group. Thanks!
Jill Colonna
Hi Andrea,
Yes you can double this clafoutis recipe. For best results, I recommend making it in two dishes of the same size, as this keeps the texture beautifully soft and custardy. A 9×13-inch pan will also work, but the clafoutis will be thinner and will bake more quickly, so you’ll need to keep a close eye on it to avoid over-baking. Let me know how you get on.
Scott
I’ve been making this recipe for years now and love it. Congratulations on your latest book with the rhubarb clafoutis too. It’s divine - made it this weekend with our first rhubarb of the season and everyone loved it. Thank you for all the work you do Jill! I have to try the other recipes in your custard book - they look super.
Jill Colonna
Hi Scott,
You've no idea how happy I am that you love these clafoutis recipes - both the strawberry and roasted rhubarb one. Thank you for getting my eBook! It means the world, as I put a lot of myself into it and so it's great to hear you're excited at making the other custard recipes too. Merci x
Gloria
I have so many frozen strawberries I froze actually flash froze because they were on sale. would I be able to use Frozen and then thawed strawberries in this? if yes what I need to drain them first? thank you for your opinion
Jill Colonna
Hi Gloria,
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries, but I’ll be honest — this clafoutis really is at its best with fresh strawberries if you can.
If you do use frozen, make sure they’re fully thawed and well drained first, otherwise they release too much liquid and the texture can become a bit soft. I’d recommend keeping the juices though — you can reduce them in a small pan and serve as a lovely sauce alongside.
That said, frozen strawberries tend to go quite soft once defrosted, so I personally prefer using them in purées or desserts like this strawberry mousse, compote or panna cotta where the texture works better.
Hope that helps — and enjoy your strawberries!
Faye Rivkin
is there an easy sustition to make this dairy free?
Jill Colonna
Hi Faye,
You could substitute the cream with your favourite non-dairy milk such as coconut milk or almond milk but to be honest, many brands are very liquid and watery which will not give the same result. However, it does work but aim to pick, say a coconut milk that's thick from a can. You can replace the butter with a little olive oil. Again, the taste will be different but will be dairy-free. Let me know how you get on.
Norma Krahe
I make this every strawberry season and we love it! Thank you for the almond flour substitute. We are not gluten free, but we prefer the texture almond flour brings. Thank you for another lower sugar, winning recipe and for your willingness to share!!!
Jill Colonna
It's a great pleasure, Norma. We make this every season too - that's why I really wanted to share this. It's so good! Thanks for your lovely words.
Kate
My favourite kid’s dessert ! Thank you Jill Colonna
Jill Colonna
Glad you like this - as an adult, I do too 🙂
Fidelma McGee Ormsby
I make your clafoutis from Spring though Autumn with whatever is in season never failed me yet. Love your recipes Jill.
Jill Colonna
Thrilled to hear this, Fidelma. This is one of our family favourites and yes, it's so adaptable with different fruits. Thanks for your lovely words.
Thomasina
Love this! A chilled rose champagne sounds just wonderful to drink with this delicious dessert.
Jill Colonna
The perfect treat for strawberry season - et la vie en rose! Thanks Thomasina.
Tracy Welgemoed
Your Recipe is 5 stars my favourite go-to recipe.
Jill Colonna
Thrilled you like this, Tracy. Thanks for your feedback.
Bea
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 !
Jill Colonna
It's brilliant as the classic cherry recipe but somehow I personally adore this strawberry version. Enjoy it, Bea x
June Stobie
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.
Jill Colonna
How wonderful - it's pick-your-own season in Scotland! What happy memories, Mum. Glad you'll make this.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
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!
Jill Colonna
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!