Banana Clafoutis Recipe

Banana… what? A clafoutis (claf – ooh – TEE) is a classic French dish that is one of my favorite things to make. It’s sweet, but not too rich. It’s a little like a pancake around the edges, but an eggy custard in the middle.

This is perfect as a light dessert or even as a breakfast or brunch dish. Traditionally, clafoutis is made with cherries, but the most beautiful thing about it is you can use just about any type of fruit you want. The water content of the fruit can affect the overall texture, but not by much. I have yet to make a bad one.

You’ll love how easy this dish is!

*Heads up. This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3        very ripe bananas

1        cup all purpose flour

4       Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2     tsp salt

1        tsp vanilla extract

4       large eggs

1 1/2  cups coconut milk or any milk you like (unsweetened kind in the refrigerated section, not in a can)

2       Tbsp melted butter

2       Tbsp butter

*You’ll also need an oven safe baking dish or skillet. I love to use my 12″ Le Creuset Signature Skillet for this, but an 8×8 glass baking dish will be fine too. Just make sure you butter the glass dish before adding your fruit and batter.

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Now we need to make the batter. You can use a food processor or stand mixer to make quick work of it, or do it by hand. I like the batter to be as smooth as possible, so I use a stand mixer because I don’t want my arm to fall off from whisking.

Add the milk to the mixing bowl. I have a dairy intolerance (butter is the exception) so I use coconut milk for baking. You can use any kind of milk you prefer.

Add the eggs to the milk. Always crack your eggs into a separate bowl. Occasionally, you’ll get a bad one with blood in it. Yuck! I’ve only seen a couple in my adult life, but I’d hate to crack one of those right into my mixture.

Add your vanilla extract. I usually get a little carried away and give it a teeny bit extra. Today, I made it with exact measurements to make sure it’s going to taste right for you.

Add melted butter. Save the other 2 tablespoons of non-melted butter. We’ll use that in a minute. Butter is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?

Mix all the wet ingredients well. If you’re using a stand mixer like me, you’ll want to switch out to a whisk attachment after this.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed. I had to switch to a whisk attachment to get the batter smooth. It should take less than a minute.

Crank up the speed a little bit and whisk until smooth. It should take less than a minute.

I have several bananas that are past the point of anyone wanting to eat them, but they aren’t black yet. This means they’re perfect for baking! If you catch a whiff of them when you walk by, they’re ready!

Peel the bananas (duh!) and put them in a small mixing bowl. Mash them with the back of a big spoon. If they’re ripe enough, this won’t be difficult at all. Leave them slightly chunky.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once butter is melted and slightly sizzling, use the back of a rubber spatula to spread the butter up around the sides. This is so the clafoutis won’t stick if you’re going to be transferring this skillet to the oven. Otherwise, just butter the dish you’ll be using to bake it.

Add the bananas and gently break them up, folding in some of the excess butter. This should take about a minute or two. It’s a quick process. If your skillet is hot enough, the butter should be getting brown and coloring the bananas as you combine them. Don’t mix the bananas and butter completely though. We’re not trying to cook the bananas. Just brown the butter and combine with the bananas slightly.

Spread the bananas out somewhat evenly, but keep them a bit broken up. Don’t smash them down to make a flat layer.

Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly pour the batter over the bananas. The batter should slightly mix with the bananas on its own as you pour. It’s better not to try to mix them together. The extra butter from browning the bananas could mix with the batter and change the texture. You want it to stay a little separated so it keeps things from sticking.

Transfer the skillet to the oven, uncovered. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Insert a butter knife into the center and if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Seriously, how gorgeous is this? If you know me personally, I talk a lot about Le Creuset. Is your cookware this versatile? Can you sear a steak, saute vegetables and make dessert in your skillets?

Clafoutis is best served when it’s still warm. If you have any left over, the bananas will turn brown a bit, but they’ll still taste awesome.

I love making this for dessert and then having leftovers for breakfast. Bacon, fresh coffee and a slice of this Banana Clafoutis… yes.

Please leave me a comment if you have any questions! If you make this, come back and tell me what you think!