strawberry-almond clafoutis

This was my first clafoutis. I'd never had it before, and I'm not entirely sure how to pronounce it, but I've always wanted to make one. Though there is such a thing as vegan clafoutis (see here, for example), I never felt equipped to tackle a dish that is traditionally based on eggs. Replacing one or two eggs in baking is easy; replacing six or eight, not so much. So I was excited to try it with our farm-fresh local eggs.

It's hard to describe what clafoutis is, exactly. It's sort of like a very custardy baked pancake. An egg-based batter is poured over fruit and baked until golden and puffy. It's very easy to make, but also pretty, so I think it would be good for a party. Cherries are the traditional fruit, with the pits intact, which is supposed to make the cake absolutely redolent with the almond scent of the seeds. Most recipes now call for almond extract instead, but I'd love to try it the old-fashioned way. Cherry season is just about over, though, so I used strawberries instead (of course!). I've seen recipes using all sorts of fruit, so feel free to experiment.


This recipe is not gluten-free. Since I had no experience making this dish, I didn't feel comfortable substituting another flour. Next time, I might try almond meal. (UPDATE: I did make it with almond meal, and it was even better! So I updated the recipe.)


Another word of warning: I used a cast iron pan because I don't have any pretty casserole dishes and I didn't want to cook it in glass. Though it tasted fine, the cast iron did discolor the bottom of the cake. So use a casserole dish, if possible.

Strawberry-Almond Clafoutis
8 oz. strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. blanched almonds, chopped

6 eggs
1 c. almond milk (or another milk)
1/3 c. almond meal
1/4 c. unrefined sugar, such as Rapadura
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
pinch of salt
powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F.
Grease a 10" casserole dish.
Arrange the strawberries in a single layer in the bottom of the dish.
Scatter the almonds on top of the berries.
Beat the eggs with sugar and flour.
Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract.
Pour this batter over the fruit and nuts.
Bake 40-45 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
Cool the cake to room temperature, then dust with sugar and serve.
Enjoy!