Pear Clafouti

Every now and then I hit the jackpot with a new recipe. This one took a few attempts to de-glutenise and de-dairy. The end result is a delicious, fresh tasting dessert that even your pickiest of palates will enjoy.

A traditional clafouti is a baked pancake of butter and whole milk, studded with fresh cherries and dusted with icing sugar.

Traditional Clafouti

Good luck finding cherries in April in Ottawa! Pears are more accessible. I throw in slivered almonds for added protein and crunch.  To make a dairy-free clafouti, you'll need a can of coconut milk and some coconut oil.

The coconut oil comes in a jar. It's rock solid, so you'll need to scrape or scoop it out and liquify it. A few seconds in the microwave will do the job.  In place of wheat flour, I use a combo of rice and sorghum flours plus baking powder.

This pseudo-clafouti is easy as pie to make. Actually, it's much easier than pie. Try and let me know how it works out.

Pear Almond Clafouti 

Pear Almond Clafouti dusted with cinnamon

4 firm pears, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
2 TBSP lemon juice
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup  coconut melted oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour




Grease a 10-inch round dish and set aside.
Brush the pears with lemon juice and arrange in the prepared dish.
Grind 1/2 cup of almonds. 
Using a food processor or hand blender, add coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup.
In a small bowl, combine the baking powder with the flours.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  
Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
Pour the batter over the pears.
Sprinkle remaining almonds over the batter.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
Serve warm.

Note: If you prefer dairy milk and butter to coconut milk and coconut oil, use those ingredients in the same measurements. If you prefer wheat flour, replace the dry ingredients with 3/4 cup of cake flour.