If you avoid lactose, you may consider the French Clafoutis off limits. But a non dairy Clafoutis is possible with only a bit of adjustment. Eggy and creamy texture like the original, coconut milk is substituted for the dairy and puffs up like the original without as much effort. Traditionally cherries are the fruit of choice for this dish, but most any fruit works.
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Clafoutis is a French custard. It’s a simple dish, but very popular because it is a bit basic allowing fresh fruits to show. I have done research on substituting for lactose intolerance. Check out my recommendations.
Notes on Ingredients
Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk is notorious for inconsistency. Cans that are labeled with exactly the same nutrition are significantly thinner. In most cases thicker coconut milk is considered best for baking. Both work, but I prefer thicker. The fruit seems to rise and be distributed across the final product better.
Other than opening a can, or knowing a brand it is difficult. This best advice? Shake the can. The more you hear the milk sloshing around, the thinner the milk.
Fruit
Cherries made this dish famous. Any fruit can be used but there is no question a bit of sweet and sour (like cherries) works best. A perfect example is peaches and blackberries. The peach alone would be a little sweet.
Just make sure your total fruit is at least 3 cups.
Notes on Technique
Working with the Fruit
The custard will behave a bit different with the coconut milk. It will expand well even without leavening. I have found that placing the fruit on the bottom of the dish works best. The action of the cooking seems to push much of the fruit towards the top of the dish and is attractive. Another advantage of putting the fruit on the bottom is it seems to keep the custard from over-browning on the bottom.
One issue though is the fruit has a tendency to not interact with the custard and does not gain a great deal of sweetness. I overcome this by sprinkling about a 1/4 of the sugar directly on the fruit before adding to the dish.
Size of Dish is Important
A clafoutis is a thin dessert, perhaps thinner than a fruit cobbler. I find a larger baking dish works best. Oval or rectangular is chosen traditionally.
Related Posts
Non Dairy Clafoutis
A French Clafoutis is not off limits
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherries pitted and sliced, or 2 cups ripe peaches sliced & 1 cup blackberries
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking dish with coconut oil.
- Sprinkle about a ¼ of the sugar on the fruit. Gently toss.
- Layer the fruit on the bottom of the dish.
- In a blender or bowl, mix the eggs, coconut milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the fruit.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden in the center. (Note: check at 30 minutes as the bottom can quickly over-brown.)
- Serve warm or at room temp, optionally with a drizzle of coconut cream or a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
