Indulge in a plateful of custardy, chocolate goodness with this Chocolate Fig Clafoutis. A flavorful spin on a classic French dessert, this recipe features sweet figs, rich cocoa powder, and can be made in just over 30 minutes!
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⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Can you think of anything better than chocolate and figs for breakfast? This perfect combination comes together in a Chocolate Fig Clafoutis. Served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, this elegant, pancake-like French recipe can be enjoyed as a decadent breakfast or light dessert.
I know French desserts can seem intimidating, but a clafoutis can be made by almost everyone. All you need is a cake pan or cast-iron skillet, pantry-staple ingredients, fresh figs, and 30 minutes to get it all done. In the end, you’ll have a rich and decadent dessert that’s a level above your typical Dutch baby or stack of pancakes.
Craving more rich and decadent French desserts? Then you must try my Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart and Dark Chocolate Macarons!
❓ What is a clafoutis?
Clafoutis (pronounced “cla-foo-tee”) is a French dessert that strikes the perfect balance between being easy and elegant. The batter is closer to a custard than a traditional cake batter and is traditionally decorated with fresh cherries or berries. The finished texture is similar to a Dutch baby or a thick pancake and is best served warm with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or ice cream on top.
🍴Ingredients
This French dessert is made from simple pantry-staple ingredients and sweetened with fresh figs instead of berries. This is what you need:
- All purpose flour - A little of this goes a long way; overdo it and the clafoutis will be too dry. Whole wheat flour or a 1:1 gluten free flour blend should also work.
- Cocoa powder - Use Dutch processed cocoa powder for a deep and rich chocolate flavor.
- Figs - When baked, this colorful fruit will add a honey-like sweetness to your chocolate clafoutis. Fig skin is edible, but you can peel them if you prefer.
- Brown sugar - For a light caramel flavor and, of course, sweetness!
- Vanilla - Balances the other rich and tart flavors in the clafoutis. Enhance these flavors even more by making your own vanilla extract!
📖 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the batter. In a blender, combine the eggs, whole milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Step 2: Prepare and assemble. Pour the blended batter into a buttered baking dish or cast iron skillet. Lightly press the fig halves into the batter.
Step 3: Bake, top, and serve. Bake your clafoutis until puffed and golden. Allow the cake to cool slightly before topping with powdered sugar, then slice and enjoy!
⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
I love the balance of sweet figs and bitter cocoa in this easy clafoutis recipe, however, you can easily make it your own by swapping the figs for the fresh fruit of your choice. Use any of the following suggestions for inspiration:
- Cherries
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Pears
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Cranberries
Expert Tips
- For an authentic touch inspired by Julia Child's "Art of French Cooking", use a large bowl to whisk your batter ingredients to the right texture, ensuring your large eggs are at room temperature to create a perfect thick custard.
- Almond flour is a great alternative to regular flour if you're catering to a gluten-free diet, and it complements the almond extract, enhancing the overall almond flavor in the clafoutis.
- While the traditional clafoutis from the Limousin region of France uses black cherries with pits intact, black mission figs make for a delightful twist; just remember to sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking until golden brown.
- Serving the clafoutis with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of icing sugar is a sweet treat on its own, but consider adding a little bit of orange zest or extra cherries for a burst of flavor.
💭 Recipe FAQs
By using the toothpick test! When it’s done baking, insert a toothpick in the center of the clafoutis. If the toothpick comes out clean, the clafoutis is ready to enjoy.
Clafoutis is a custardy, almost flan-like dessert with a light fruity flavor. The texture will likely remind you of a thick pancake or chocolate soufflé.
I like to bake my clafoutis in a well-buttered 10-inch cast-iron skillet. If you don’t own a cast iron or oven-safe pan, you can use a high-sided pie pan or small baking dish instead.
Assemble and bake the chocolate clafoutis up to 1 day ahead of time. Keep it covered in the fridge until it’s time to serve, then reheat it for a few minutes in the oven so it can be served warm.
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Looking for more decadent chocolate recipes?
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Easy Chocolate & Fig Clafoutis Dessert
Equipment
- 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet or 10 inch cake pan lined with parchment
- Knife, Plates & Forks for serving
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (250 g) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups figs, halved
- 1 Tablespoon demerara or turbinado sugar
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease your 10-inch cast-iron skillet or baking pan using a baking spray or softened butter
- Add the eggs, whole milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Then, pour the batter into the prepared skillet.4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, ¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Arrange the figs, sliced in half, by laying them skin side down into the batter ever so gently. Then, sprinkle with demerara sugar before baking.3 cups figs, 1 Tablespoon demerara or turbinado sugar
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the clafoutis is puffed and a dark, golden brown on top. It may be a bit challenging to establish a cooked color as the clafoutis is chocolate - use a toothpick to test if the clafoutis is fully baked by placing it into the middle of the clafoutis. If you do not see any wet batter when removing the toothpick, you are good to go!
- Once cooled, sprinkle with confectioners sugar to serve.1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
Video
Notes
- How can you tell a clafoutis is done baking? By using the toothpick test! When it’s done baking, insert a toothpick in the center of the clafoutis. If the toothpick comes out clean, the clafoutis is ready to enjoy.
- What does a clafoutis taste like? Clafoutis is a custardy, almost flan-like dessert with a light fruity flavor. The texture will likely remind you of a thick pancake or chocolate soufflé.
- What kind of pan or equipment do you need to bake a clafoutis? I like to bake my clafoutis in a well-buttered 10-inch cast iron skillet. If you don’t own a cast iron or oven-safe pan, you can use a high-sided pie pan or small baking dish instead.
- Can you make a clafoutis ahead of time? Assemble and bake the chocolate clafoutis up to 1 day ahead of time. Keep it covered in the fridge until it’s time to serve, then reheat it for a few minutes in the oven so it can be served warm.
- How do you store leftover clafoutis? You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Madison
Haven’t made yet but want to try! Can I substitute melted chocolate for the powder if I have some I want to use?
Emily Laurae
Sadly, I don't believe that will work!! Can't wait to hear what you think! Thanks for your question!
Pam
Hi! How high does the pie vessel need to be. I have a ceramic 10" round galette type of vessel and just over an inch high. What do you think?
Emily Laurae
A ten inch pie vessel should work perfectly!