Mini caramel apple clafoutis

I’d somehow never heard of clafoutis until my husband introduced it to me this year. The flan-like French dessert reminds him of visiting his grandparents at their idyllic cottage home in Chilleurs-aux-Bois, located in the Loire region. I was lucky enough to visit and meet them once, try Ricard for the first time, and even harvest a beet from their charming garden. We would both love to go back–but since the timeline for safe travel is unknown, we’re doing our best to reimagine family favorites here. This mini caramel apple clafoutis is a dreamlike bite of those gatherings and a sweet celebration for the coming new year.

Jump to recipe

mini clafoutis
mini clafoutis prep

Originally from the Limousin region and baked with black cherries, clafoutis is sometimes referred to as flaugnarde when made with other types of fruits. Over the summer when first developing the recipe, we enjoyed countless blueberry and blackberry versions with fresh chopped garden mint, dusted with opulent amounts of powdered sugar. 

To make the batter plant-based, I used firm silken tofu and tapioca starch to create the thick, traditional clafoutis texture seen here. I’ve also tested and loved this recipe with a cup of aquafaba leftover from a batch of tender lovin’ chickpeas in place of the tofu. So don’t toss that beautiful bean broth! It will produce a thinner batter that is easier to pour into the tins and works wonders to create an airy, cake-like texture.

For this seasonal rendition, think candy apple but easier to eat. Decadent caramel, chocolate, apple and crunchy hazelnuts form celebratory clafoutis cuties that are perfect for enjoying at home any day of the week or leaving as a furoshiki wrapped special treat on your friend’s doorstep. Swap out apple for pear (or any seasonal fruit), hazelnuts for walnuts, or caramel for your favorite sweet sauce. For a full size clafoutis, simply double the baking time and cook in cast iron or other nonstick oven-safe pan. Faites vous plaisir!

Mini caramel apple clafoutis   by

This mini caramel apple clafoutis is a dreamlike bite of those gatherings and a sweet celebration for the coming new year. Decadent caramel, chocolate, apple and crunchy hazelnuts that are perfect for enjoying at home any day of the week.

makes: 6 mini clafoutis or 1 large clafoutis | prep time: 15 min | cook time: 25 min | total time: 40 min

Closed Loop Cooking Icon
mini clafoutis

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour or white rice flour
  • 1 ½ tbsp tapioca or cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch himalayan or kosher salt
  • 1 package extra firm silken tofu OR 1 c aquafaba* (350g tofu OR 225g aquafaba)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup plant milk
  • ½ apple, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp cacao powder (optional)
  • toasted hazelnuts (optional)

Date caramel syrup

  • 4 soft medjool dates, pitted
  • ½ cup plant milk
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp tapioca or cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp himalayan or kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp refined coconut oil, melted

To-Do's

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. To a blender add tofu, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and plant milk and blend until smooth. 
  4. Add wet blended mixture to dry ingredient bowl and begin to mix with a spoon or spatula. Once mostly combined, whisk vigorously until you have a completely smooth batter.⁣⁣**
  5. Distribute batter evenly between six 3-4″ tins, keeping in mind when you want to add optional cocoa powder.***
  6. Add apple slices and chocolate chips, pushing them slightly down into the batter so they aren’t sitting on the very top.⁣⁣ Bake for 22-25 minutes**** or until tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
  7. Start caramel sauce in the meantime by blending all ingredients except coconut oil together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Once smooth, keep blending and stream in coconut oil. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat until sauce has reduced to half of its original volume, about 2-3 minutes. Keep in mind that sauce will continue to harden as it cools and you’ll have more than you need for this recipe.
  8. Remove clafoutis from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
  9. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Slice and enjoy! 
  10. Although best devoured the day of baking, these will last a couple days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

*If using aquafaba, skip the blender and just whisk it along with the other wet ingredients in a medium bowl before adding to dry ingredients. You do not need to whip it into white foam.
**I used an electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment.
**I sifted in 2 tbsp cocoa powder after filling 4 tins in order to create two of each plain, marbled, and chocolate clafoutis.
***Remember to double the bake time to about 50 min if baking one large clafoutis. I recommend using a cast iron pan.

Rated [awcr_rating type="averageRating"]/5 based on 0 reviews

Comments

Leave a Comment