If you’ve never made clafoutis before, you’re in for a treat. This impressive-looking but simple French dessert is somewhere between a custard and a pancake. It’s soft, dense, chewy, just a little bit sweet, and incredibly easy to make. Similar to a dutch baby, a clafoutis will puff up dramatically in the oven before falling back down into a dense, custardy pancake-like treat.
This Brown Butter Pear Clafoutis is one of my favorite fall bakes. The nutty aroma of browned butter pairs beautifully with sweet, tender pears and warm spices, making this a dish that screams autumn. It’s such a versatile and easy recipe, you’ll want to enjoy it again and again. You can serve it warm, cold, or at room temperature – you really can’t go wrong.
Recipe highlights
- Simple yet impressive. This dessert looks elegant, but it’s
as easy aseven easier than making pancake batter. - Perfect for any time of day. Serve it as dessert with a dollop of whipped cream, or as a cozy brunch centerpiece with maple syrup.
- Brown butter magic. Browning the butter deepens the flavor, adding a warm, nutty note that elevates the whole dish and feels quintessential fall.
- Seasonal versatility. A great way to use ripe pears during pear season, but adaptable to just about any other fruit.
Recipe overview
⏱️Prep: ~40 min • Bake: 25-30 min • Total: ~1 hr 10 minutes
🍴Serves: About 4 people
💪Skill level: Beginner. Browning butter can be a little intimidating, but it’s easy and only takes a few minutes. You can find tips for browning butter here. Making clafoutis batter couldn’t be easier – just throw everything in a blender!
How to make brown butter pear clafoutis
Here’s a quick step-by-step overview to make this lovely fall clafoutis (see the recipe card for full instructions):
- Brown the butter. Cook butter in a small pan until it turns golden and smells nutty. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Prep the pears. Slice pears thinly and saute them in brown butter, vanilla bean, and spices.
- Mix the batter. Blend together eggs, sugar, milk, flour, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and frothy. Meanwhile, melt some of the brown butter in your pan.
- Pour and bake. Pour batter into the hot pan on top of melted butter, add the pears, and bake until puffed and golden.
Serve. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup, or let cool to room temperature.
Top tips for success
Use ripe but firm pears. Overripe pears can release too much liquid and make the clafoutis soggy.
Arrange the pears in a single layer. When adding the pears to the clafoutis batter, work quickly but make sure the pears don’t clump and stick together so the batter can bake properly.
Blend for a smooth batter. A blender or immersion blender helps get the perfect lump-free texture in the clafoutis batter.
Don’t skip browning the butter. It only takes a few minutes but makes a HUGE flavor difference.
Serve fresh for drama. Clafoutis is most impressive right when it comes out of the oven. It will rise dramatically but then fall into a dense, almost pancake-like custard. That being said, leftovers are still delicious. I love this pear clafoutis cold straight from the fridge!
Variations & substitutions
Clafoutis is such a versatile dessert! Traditionally, it’s made with cherries, but it’s so easy to adapt it to any fruit and season.
Fruit suggestions: Try thinly sliced apples (prepare them the same as the pears in this recipe), fresh raspberries, raw thinly sliced peaches, nectarines or plums, or cherries to keep it classic.
Seasoning ideas: Switch out the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla for your favorite fall spices. Or try adding lemon zest, almond extract, or even a splash of pear brandy, amaretto, or bourbon to the batter.
Make it dairy-free: Use plant-based butter and milk for a dairy-free version (the process for browning vegan butter is a little different, so you may need to do some research if you want to brown the butter).
Serving & storage
Clafoutis is best enjoyed right after it comes out of the oven, once it’s cool enough to dig into. However, you can refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days. Serve cold, at room temperature, or gently rewarm in a low oven – it’s delicious in any and every way.
If you’re serving it for breakfast or brunch, I recommend dusting it lightly with powdered sugar and offering it with maple syrup. For a more dessert feeling, serving it with a dollop of whipped cream takes it to the next level. If you want to get really crazy, drizzle some salted caramel sauce on it. WOW.
More delicious brown butter desserts:
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Brown Butter Pecan Galette
- Grapefruit Curd Tarts with Brown Butter Crust
- Strawberry Rhubarb Brown Butter Cake
If you make this Brown Butter Pear Clafoutis, please leave a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments!
Brown Butter Pear Clafoutis
Equipment
- 10 inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Brown Butter
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Brown Butter Spiced Pears
- 2 ripe pears, peeled and sliced thin
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Clafoutis
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup half & half or whole milk
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
Brown the butter:
- Add butter to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until butter smells toasty and takes on a caramel color, about 3-5 minutes.
- Pour into a clean bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the pears:
- Peel and core the pears, then slice thin.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the brown butter in a clean saucepan. Add pears, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds into the saucepan. Toss the vanilla bean into the pan for additional flavor. Sauté pears until lightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Allow pears to cool while making the clafoutis filling.
For the clafoutis:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Add remaining brown butter (about 2 tablespoons) to a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Place skillet in the oven and allow butter to melt.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs, half & half, sugar, salt, and flour to a blender and mix on medium speed until thoroughly blended and frothy, 2-3 minutes.
- Pour batter into hot pan on top of melted butter.
- Quickly place sautéed pears on top of batter in an even layer.
- Bake clafoutis until center is set, top is golden brown, and edges have puffed up, about 25-30 minutes.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes, then dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm with any leftover sautéed pears, maple syrup, and/or soft whipped cream.
Did you try this recipe?
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