Need a quick and easy treat? It only takes ten minutes to prepare this clafoutis without sugar and less than ten ingredients. Make it with sweet cherries, sour cherries or experiment with other seasonal fruits.
Ingredients for a sugar-free and gluten-free clafoutis
Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert that can be prepared at the last minute. Usually made from eggs, milk and cream, sugar and flour, this dessert is surprisingly easy to transform into a gluten-free, lectin-free, sugar-free and even dairy-free cake.
You only need a few common and accessible ingredients to make a healthier clafoutis:
- pastured eggs
- coconut cream
- almond flour
- a plant paradox compatible sweetener (I used inulin powder)
- fresh cherries (you can also use frozen cherries and you can also make it with other fruits)
- salt, vanilla, and if you want that intense almond flavor, add pure almond extract (I love the intense almond flavor, but only use it if I can find pure almond extract).
Of all the gluten-free flours, almond flour is the most natural for this cake, as it is always part of the original recipe. But, if you can’t have nuts, cassava flour can be used. You will need about 2/3 cup of cassava flour for a thicker batter. And if you use cassava flour instead of almond flour, be sure to add pure almond extract, to give it the specific almond flavor.
how to do it
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a round pan about 7 inches in diameter, or something equivalent in any shape. Thick glass is great, a cake plate or even cast iron. The dish should be covered with coconut oil.
- Add the eggs, coconut cream, sweetener, salt and vanilla and almond extract, if using, to a bowl and beat until creamy.
- Add the almond flour and mix until everything is incorporated. You should get a thick, fluffy and creamy batter.
- Pour the batter into the greased dish, level it and place the cherries on top, pushing them slightly down into the batter. They just need a little space in between.
- Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.
This type of cake is more like a Dutch pancake and is usually eaten warm and sometimes with cream. It has a custard-like texture; I almost felt it was like a cheesecake (I don’t eat cheese so maybe it’s just me dreaming of a cheesecake 😃).
The cakes I make aren’t usually very sweet, so if you feel like you’re craving something sweet, add more sweetener. You can also sprinkle more on top.
The texture and consistency
Usually the clafoutis dough is very thin, but I don’t think it will work in this case. The final consistency should be similar to a custard or custard, so a thin dough works in the traditional version.
But in this gluten-free and sugar-free version, I think we need a slightly thicker batter so that the cake doesn’t come out too wet.
The cherries
There are two schools of thought when it comes to clafoutis. One prefers whole cherries, with the pit, and the other without. The reason for the whole cherry tribe is that this way, the cherries won’t let their moisture run out. Which makes sense to me, but I wouldn’t want to run into potholes while enjoying my sweet treat. You can try either.
Use a cherry picker to remove the breasts.
Some cover the bottom of the dish with cherries and then pour the batter on top. First I poured the batter and arranged the cherries on top, gently pushing them down into the batter. Either way it would work.
Frozen cherries will release more moisture than fresh, so make sure the batter isn’t too thin if using frozen cherries.
This lectin-free, sugar-free clafoutis can easily be sliced, but I love it straight from the baking dish. This is a great dessert or weekend breakfast if your family likes to share.
A nut-free version of lectin-free and sugar-free clafoutis
Some of you always ask for nut-free versions, and that’s very easy with this cake. Use cassava flour, but you’ll need to add a little more flour, about 2/3 cup. The dough should not be too soft.
More fruit cake recipes
For more fruit cake ideas, check out these recipes:
For a similar idea, but executed differently, check out this recipe:
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Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to cover the baking dish
- 3 pastured eggs
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons inulin powder (or other plant paradox compatible sweetener), more if you have a sweet tooth
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (if you like the strong almond flavor)
- 1/2 cup almond flour (packaged)
- about 45-50 pitted cherries (you need to cover the surface)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a round pan about 7 inches in diameter, or something equivalent in any shape. Thick glass is great, a cake plate or even cast iron. The dish should be covered with coconut oil.
Add the eggs, coconut cream, sweetener, salt and vanilla and almond extract, if using, to a bowl and beat until creamy.
Add the almond flour and mix until everything is incorporated. You should get a thick, fluffy and creamy batter.
Pour the batter into the greased dish, level it and place the cherries on top, pushing them slightly down into the batter. They just need a little space in between.
Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.
notes
Note: Make sure the flour is measured after packing it into the cup. Egg size can vary and you want to have enough flour. If the dough seems too thin, add a little more flour. Substitutions: You can make this cake with cassava flour, but you need to add 2/3 cup of cassava flour instead. 1/2 cup is not enough.