In our home, Dutch pancakes are not just breakfast—they’re part of the rhythm of the week. They arrive on the table in cast iron, puffed with pride, dusted with sweetness, and always devoured. But one morning, almost without realizing it, something shifted.
We added ricotta. We stirred in lemon zest. And instead of a lofty Dutch Baby, we pulled from the oven something denser, creamier, quieter in its confidence. A baked custard-meets-cake that felt like a page torn from a handwritten recipe notebook you might find in a French linen drawer.
What we had made—without trying—was Ricotta Clafoutis.
This dish now lives beside our Dutch pancake in the family rotation. We love that it blurs the line. It’s still baked in a hot skillet, but it’s a little more tender, a little more lush. A kiss from the countryside on a dish that began in our Catskills kitchen.
Ricotta Clafoutis
Serves 4–6, if you feel like sharing.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup ricotta cheese (fresh or full-fat)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- ¼ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups fresh berries (we love raspberries + blueberries)
- 1 Tbsp butter (for greasing the skillet)
- Powdered sugar & honey to finish
Instructions
- Heat things up.
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a well-seasoned 8–10” cast iron skillet in the oven while it heats. - Make the batter.
In a blender or mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ricotta, vanilla, lemon zest, sugar, and salt until smooth. Slowly add the flour and mix until just combined—no overbeating here. - Grease the skillet.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Add butter and swirl until melted and lightly browned. - Assemble.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Scatter berries on top—no need to overthink the placement. Let it be rustic. - Bake.
Return skillet to the oven. Bake for 22–26 minutes until puffed, golden at the edges, and just barely set in the center. - Rest & finish.
Let it sit 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with local honey or lavender syrup, and serve warm with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped ricotta.
Why We Love It
It rises like a Dutch pancake but lands softer, silkier.
The ricotta gives it soul.
The berries give it poetry.
And the skillet gives it that irresistible edge of farmhouse warmth.
It’s the kind of breakfast you make in quiet moments—or when you want to make an ordinary day feel a little more like a French Sunday.