This Mixed Berry Clafoutis reimagines a French classic that has been part of my spring dessert repertoire for decades. The combination of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries beautifully captures the brief berry season.
As a teenager, I was captivated by Julia Child and saved gift money to buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking*. I treasured that masterwork as I learned to cook, carrying it from kitchen to kitchen over the years and reading it cover to cover several times. As a fledgling cook, I worked through Julia’s recipes, starting with the simplest. Her Cherry Clafoutis—with its straightforward ingredients and technique—soon became a family favorite. Building on that success, I prepared different versions with pears, plums, apples, and berries, as described in Mastering the Art. This recipe revisits that classic with a fresh combination of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
My first cookbook
Clafoutis originated in the Limousin region of rural France in the 16th century or earlier. It began as a practical way to use abundant sour black cherries, baked in a simple batter of eggs, milk, and flour. Over time, the dessert evolved to include other fruits such as plums, prunes, and apples. In recent decades, savory variations have emerged, incorporating vegetables and cheese into the same classic batter (see Corn, Peppers, and Goat Cheese Clafoutis). Whether sweet or savory, clafoutis remains rustic, satisfying, and economical.
This Mixed Berry Clafoutis stands out for two reasons. First, the batter absorbs the fruit juices, creating a custardy texture that is both appealing and visually elegant. Second, the combination of berries delivers a balanced flavor—sweet, bright, and lightly tart.
As with many country desserts, high-quality, fresh ingredients are essential. The batter, enriched with milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla, pairs excellently with the berries to produce a rich, layered flavor.
Mixed Berry Clafoutis ingredients
Preparation is straightforward, making this an approachable dessert for both beginners and experienced bakers. The result is a lightly sweet, moist, crustless tart—somewhere between a flan and a pancake—best served warm with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Mixed Berry Clafoutis, adapted from Julia Child* and Julia Moskin**
Butter for baking dish
1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (62.5 ml) heavy cream
⅔ cup ( 120 g) granulated sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup each (110 g) strawberries (if large, sliced, halved or quartered), (98.7 g) blueberries and (82 g) raspberries, rinsed and well drained
Confectioner’s sugar in a shaker
Preparing the batter: Set the oven rack in the center and heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Lightly butter a 7-8 cup (1656 – 1893 ml) ovenproof dish at least 1 ½ inches (3.8 cm) deep.
Place the milk, cream, ⅓ cup (60 g) granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour in a food processor or blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute.
Pour a ¼-inch (0.6 cm) layer of batter in the baking dish. Turn on a stove burner to low. Place a rimmed baking sheet over the burner. (The baking sheet will diffuse the direct flame and protect the baking dish from cracking.) Then place the baking dish on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, until a film of batter sets on the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat and cool.
Mixed berries on filmed batter
Adding the berries: Distribute the berries over the filmed batter and sprinkle with the remaining ⅓ cup (60 g) of granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until the top is puffed and browned and a tester plunged into its center comes out clean.
Baked Mixed Berry Clafoutis
Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving. Clafoutis need not be served hot but is best served warm. The berries will shrink, and the clafoutis will sink slightly as it cools.
Clafoutis dusted with confectioner’s sugar
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Perfect slice
*Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Alfred A.Knopf, New York, 1961.
**https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12688-julia-childs-berry-clafoutis
Photo credits: All photos: Slava Johnson
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