Apple Galette

Tender caramelized fresh baked apple slices are layered on top and encased in a super flakey buttery pie crust to make this divinely delicious Apple Galette! It’s a simple pastry like an easy to make rustic pie that goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Best Apple Galette Recipe

Easier to make and a lot less fussy than pie, galettes are a rustic French dessert that basically resembles a cross between an open-faced pie and a free-form tart. It’s a terrific dessert for beginners who want to give pie crust a go. You can make it by hand if you like and there is no latticework or complicated technique like my Classic Apple Pie. It’s rustic and it’s supposed to look that way!

And like most galettes, this apple galette recipe is super simple! Just like my Mini Blueberry Galettes and Plum Galette, it’s made by simply tossing fruit with a bit of sugar, then layering it on top of a simple pie crust, and baking it to golden brown perfection. 

For a fancy French pastry, you really can’t go wrong with this apple galette! It’s both delicious and impressive while quick to make! 

Pastry

• Flour – Basic all-purpose flour is all you need to make the crust. Pastry flour also works well.
• Cornmeal – Adds both a bit of texture and flavor to the crust.
• Salt – Just a bit of salt is essential to help balance all the flavors.
• Sugar – Just a touch of white granulated sugar for some sweetness.
• Butter – Use cold unsalted butter in all your baking to control the saltiness. And it must be nice and cold to make this pastry dough.
• Ice Water – Helps to bind the dough. You must use ice-cold water so that the butter stays cold. 

Apple Filling

• Apples – You can use any type of apples you like. I like granny smith, Honeycrisp or golden delicious.
• Brown Sugar – Sweetens the apples beautifully with its natural bit of molasses.
• Flour – A pinch of all-purpose flour helps to thicken the apple filling.
• Lemon Juice – The acidity in lemon boosts the natural flavor of almost all fruit. 

Topping

• Brown Sugar – Creates a sweet finish combined with the cinnamon.
• Ground Cinnamon – Adds a bit of warm flavor that blends beautifully with the baked caramelized apples.
• Egg – Used to make an egg wash to help the crust brown and add shine.

There are 3 parts to this recipe, which include the pastry, apple filling, and topping. It’s really quite simple and each part only takes a few minutes to make. Yet, I always recommend that you have all your pastry ingredients measured out and ready to go before you start. It not only helps making pastry go more smoothly but it also makes cleanup a breeze!

Make The Pastry And Chill

There are 2 ways to make this crust. You can either do it by hand with a pastry cutter or using a food processor. How you make it is completely up to you and will come out great either way.

However, before you even begin, make sure that your chunks of butter are nice and cold. The crust is not hard to make, but for the pastry to form properly the butter must be really cold or it will not work. In fact, if needed, you can just put it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up before you start the recipe.

1. By hand: Put the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and cold butter into a large mixing bowl. Then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut in the chunks of butter until it looks like coarse sand. Next, add the cold water a little bit at a time and mix until the dough comes together. But do not overwork the pastry dough.
2. Food Processor: Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and cold cubed butter to the bowl of a food processor. Then pulse everything together until it resembles coarse sand. Next, slowly add the ice-cold water and keep pulsing until the pastry dough comes together and starts to form a ball.

When the dough is done, put it on a lightly floured work surface and form it into a ball. Then cut the ball you just formed into 2 pieces and flatten them into discs. Now, wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least one hour to chill. Your dough must be fully chilled to roll out, fill, and form. 

Make The Filling

Once your dough is chilled, it’s time to make the apple galette filling! And it’s so easy to make it’s not even really a step! All you have to do is toss your sliced apples with the brown sugar, flour, and lemon juice. That’s it! The magic happens in the oven as the sugar melts into the apples and the flour helps to thicken the filling.

Heat The Oven

Now that you’ve got your dough chilled and filling made you will want to heat your oven while you are forming the galette. So turn your oven on to 375°F (190°C) to get it nice and hot. Then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to keep the galette from sticking to the pan.

Shape The Galette

To mold the galette, take the chilled discs of dough and use a rolling pin to form each one into a circle that is about 12 inches in diameter. Then spoon half of the apple filling on each one leaving a border of about 2 to 3 inches. It’s important to keep the filling towards the middle of the rolled-out circles. Now, slowly fold up the sides of the dough over the apples all the way around to form the galettes. 

Egg Wash And Bake

Before baking, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Now, brush your beaten egg all over the edges of the pastry crust. Then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the galettes. And that’s it! The apple galettes are formed.

Then to bake, carefully transfer the apple galettes to the prepared baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown in color.

Can I Use Pears Instead Of Apples?

Yes! You can easily substitute pears in place of the apples. Just follow the easy galette recipe exactly using the same ratios and it will come out great.

Can I Make The Galette Dough Gluten Free?

Probably yes, but I’ve not tried. Just make sure to use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour that has xanthan gum in it, which acts as a replacement for the gluten that is naturally in all-purpose flour.

Can I Use Store Bought Pie Crust?

Yes! Of course, you can! If you just don’t have time to make your own pastry dough you can always use store bought crust. However, I always recommend choosing a pre-made crust that is made with butter for the most flavorful and flakey crust. 

How Do I Serve Apple Galette?

Just like pie, you can serve galette with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream, caramel topping, or even dusted with powdered sugar. It’s even fantastic with a London Fog or just a simple cup of coffee. 

How To Store

Leftover baked apple galette will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days when covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. To reheat, I recommend putting it in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5 to 10 minutes or until warm. 

Make Ahead

This rustic apple galette recipe can easily be made ahead of time. You can bake it, then wrap it super well in plastic wrap, and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Then just let it thaw out unwrapped at room temperature and serve.

Or, you can freeze unbaked galettes that are well wrapped. Then allow them to thaw out loosely covered in the fridge before baking as stated in the recipe.

Other Delicious Recipes To Try

• Apple Hand Pies
• Strawberry Galette
• Zucchini Ricotta Galette
• Easy Apple Cake
• Apple Crumble
• Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars