Easy French Peach Clafoutis

This Easy Peach Clafoutis recipe is one of the greatest recipes of French family-style baking. Quick and easy to make, sliced seasonal peaches are baked in a flan-like custard batter producing the best peach dessert.

I grew up with Clafoutis at home, my French mum made the more traditional version with cherries all the time, and I adore it. I'm so excited to share my version of this Peach Clafoutis with you today.

Julia Childs spearheaded the education of French Baking to the Americans, and since then, clafoutis has become a much-loved dessert. Understandably so, this one, in particular, is a fantastic recipe using the season's freshest peaches.

If you love stone-fruit recipes, then try my Peach Crumble Bars and Plum Frangipane Tart.

What is Clafoutis?

But first, I hear you ask, how do you say that name, where does it come from, and what is it?! Let's deep dive into this easy dessert.

How do you pronounce clafoutis? The easiest way to pronounce Clafoutis, or clafouti, is 'cla-foo-tea'

Where does it come from? It's a traditional French dessert originating from the Limousin region of France. It's a family cake passed down from generation to generation and loved by all.

What is it? Made from a custard base of eggs, milk, flour and sugar, the batter is poured over the peaches and baked until just set. It's light, simple and nostalgic. The unique texture is smooth and silky, and flan-like.

What does it taste like? It tastes like a sweet set custard interspersed with fruit, such as fresh peaches as in today's recipe.

The classic version is made with black cherries, with the stones still in it. The pits add additional almond-like flavour to the batter, but nowadays, it's common practice to pit the cherries as no one likes biting down on a stone!

Ingredients needed

The ingredient is short and basic, similar to making a pancake batter but without a leavening agent such as baking powder.

• Butter - you need a small amount of butter to grease the baking dish and within the batter. I recommend browning the butter. Yes, it's an extra step but a simple one that produces maximum results in flavour. The nuttiness is next level with the peaches.
• Flour - just a small amount of sugar is needed to give a little structure to the flan. Not too much, though, as it makes the cake too 'cakey'.
• Sugar and brown sugar - I recommend white sugar in the batter and tossing the peach slices in brown sugar. Along with browned butter, the extra flavour the brown sugar generates is epic. You can substitute for all granulated or caster sugar if that's all you have.
• Salt - just a small amount to help season the batter.
• Vanilla extract - the batter needs flavouring to prevent it from tasting eggy. Almond extract, orange blossom water or rum can also be used.
• Eggs - use large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature. Pop them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to bring them up to room temp if you need to.
• Milk - Use whole fat milk. The custard needs the rich fat content in the milk for flavour and to help provide the structure in the baked cake. You can sub half the milk for double (heavy cream) if you prefer a richer taste. I didn't want to add to the ingredient list, so kept it simple with full-fat milk.
• Peaches - Yellow or white flesh peaches are perfect. But you can also use other stone fruit as a substitute or combine them with the peaches.

How to serve Clafoutis

Any variations of Clafoutis are best served warm. That's how it's traditionally eaten in France. My grandmother would pop the clafoutis in the oven whilst we ate dinner. Then by the time we'd cleared the main course and had a little break, the clafoutis was baked and had a bit of time out of the oven to cool slightly.

The best way to enjoy this Peach Clafoutis is served with any of the following:

• drizzle of double (heavy) cream
• a dollop of sweetened whipped cream (Crème Chantilly)
• a scoop of vanilla ice cream

My favourite is to serve it with crème chantilly, a drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of thyme leaves and some fresh peach slices. The flavours work incredibly well with the peach.

Variations

I absolutely love a recipe that can be adapted to create other versions. The base custard batter can be used alongside many types of fruit to create delicious recipes. Here is my favourite:

• Peach and Raspberry Clafoutis: The sweet, tart tang of juicy raspberries teamed with the peach is delightful.
• Cherry and Almond Clafoutis: Add half a teaspoon of almond extract into the batter and use fresh cherries as the fruit. Serve with toasted flaked almonds to highlight the almond flavour.
• Peach and Cherry Clafoutis. Combine traditional cherry's classic flavours with peaches' sweet juicy taste.
• Nectarine Clafoutis: Sub the peaches with nectarines for another stone-fruit forward recipe.
• Plum and Rosemary Clafoutis: Yes, yes, yes! One of my favourite iterations of this dessert, perfect for that Summer/Autumn in-between period. Rub finely chopped rosemary into the sugar to release its oils.

Frequently asked questions

How to store and freeze

To store: Store leftover clafoutis either in an airtight container or wrapped well with plastic wrap in the fridge. It will last 3-4 days and is best if reheated. Zap the clafoutis for 15-second intervals until it’s warm. You can also cover it with foil and bake at 180C (350F) for 5-10 minutes or until warm.

To freeze: Clafoutis does not freeze well. Because of the fruit, it can get very soggy and ruin the custardy texture.

Equipment you’ll need

• Large mixing bowl: This is a one-bowl wonder. Don't you love a recipe with minimal washing up!
• Baking dish: And shape dish is suitable to bake the clafoutis in. The batter and fruit shouldn't come up more than halfway up the sides before baking. The clafoutis does rise and puff up quite a bit in the oven but will deflate dramatically when taken out.
• Whisk: The recipe is very simple to make with a hand whisk. But you can use an electric hand-held whisk or standmixer fitted with the whisk attachment if you prefer.