French Pear Clafoutis (Clafoutis aux Poires)

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 02/10/23
French pear clafoutis
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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 8 servings

A clafoutis is a classic of the French kitchen and hails from the Limousin region and more usually made with cherries. Here, though, the recipe is adapted using pears and brings more of an autumnal feel to the dessert, but so good you can eat it anytime. A touch of freshly grated nutmeg sets off the fresh flavor of pears to perfection, without being too spicy.

The Clafoutis is considered a dessert and delicious when eaten warm from the oven, however, when cold becomes more cake-like so a lovely treat with a cup of coffee or tea. 

The spelling of clafoutis varies and is often also referred to as a clafouti.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 4 cups pear slices

  • 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat an oven to 350 F.

  3. Butter a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch deep-dish pie round with the softened butter.

  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt until it forms a smooth, thin batter.

  5. Spread 3/4 cup of the batter onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish and bake it for 2 to 4 minutes. Watch the batter closely and remove it before it cooks through completely. It should just start to thicken and set when it is removed from the oven.

  6. Transfer the dish to a heatproof surface and arrange the pears over the hot batter. Pour the remaining batter over the pears and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

  7. Sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar over the finished clafouti and serve it warm.

Recipe Variations

  • Other fruits to consider are summer apricots. To make an apricot clafoutis, cut the apricot in two and remove the stone then proceed with the recipe as above, using the apricot halves instead of the pears. 
  • Strawberries, blackberries, even fat, juicy blueberries work well in this classic recipe. Apples can be used, but add a touch of lemon juice to prevent the apples from browning and spoiling the appearance of the dessert. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
196 Calories
7g Fat
29g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 196
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 85mg 28%
Sodium 120mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 174mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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