Apple Galette {Quick and Easy!}

While it might look and sound fancy, an apple galette is really just an easier, more rustic version of an apple pie! You don’t need to make your own crust from scratch, and you don’t even need a pie plate. Top each slice of the free-form tart with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect fall dessert!

An apple galette is basically just the lazy gal’s rendition of an apple pie. You get all of the flavor and all of the ingredients that you love in a classic pie…with half of the work! There’s no better way to take advantage of fresh apple season.

What’s the difference between a pie and a galette?

A pie is a sweet (or savory) dish with a crust and a filling. The sides of a pie dish are sloped, and the pie can have a bottom and a top crust, just a bottom crust, or just a top crust. The flaky pastry is usually made with flour, salt, cold water, and lard or butter, and the pie is served directly from its baking dish.

While a galette also includes a flaky pastry crust filled with fruit, it differs from a pie mainly in the way that it’s baked. The galette is a French pastry similar to a tart or pie; however, instead of baking a galette in a pie plate, the galette is “free form,” meaning that it’s just baked on a flat sheet pan. It only has a bottom crust. This gives the galette a more rustic look and feel — and it’s virtually impossible to “mess up.” You don’t have to worry about crimping the edges, creating a lattice top, or blind-baking with pie weights!

Is galette dough the same as pie dough?

Some galette recipes call for puff pastry; however, a more traditional galette uses dough that’s buttery and flaky like a pie crust. You can make your own galette dough recipe from scratch, but I think the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust dough is a really high-quality shortcut. The Pillsbury dough is sold in packs of two, and you’ll only need one crust for this recipe. Stash the extra crust in the freezer or fridge to use for another galette later.

The Best Apples for a Galette

I use Granny Smith apples and/or Honey Crisp apples for my apple pies and apple galettes. These are the best apples for baking for a couple of reasons:

• they offer a nice balance of sweet-and-tart flavors; and
• they have a firm flesh that doesn’t break down and turn to mush as they bake.

Other nice apples for baking include:

• Gala
• Braeburn
• Winesap
• Pink Lady
• Jonagold

How to Cut an Apple for a Galette

First, you’ll need to peel and core the apples. Yes, you could leave the skin on the fruit; however, we think the texture is best when there aren’t any tough bits of peel to work through. Then cut the apples into ¼-inch thick slices. You don’t want them paper-thin, or they’ll totally fall apart in the oven, and you don’t want them too thick, or they won’t be soft and tender by the time the crust is done.

How do you keep the bottom of a galette from getting soggy?

Adding cornstarch to the filling helps to absorb some of the juices that the apples release in the baking process. It’s a great way to prevent a soggy crust on the bottom, keeping the pastry flaky and crisp! I haven’t noticed that this particular recipe yields a soggy crust (berries tend to cause this issue more than apples), but if you want to take even greater measures to avoid the problem, try dusting the dough with semolina flour or breadcrumbs before adding the filling.

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy apple galette. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Pie crust: I use a store-bought refrigerated pie crust dough for this easy recipe, but you can certainly make your own crust from scratch if you prefer. Here’s a crust recipe that works well.
• Apples: pick a firm apple that won’t break down into mush during the cooking process. Good options include Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples, or try Winesap, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Jonagold varieties.
• Sugar: to sweeten the filling.
• Lemon juice: a bright, acidic touch. It balances the sweetness of the fruit and enhances the apples’ natural flavors.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: warm spices that give the dish that classic apple pie flavor. Feel free to add other spices as well, such as ginger, cardamom, allspice, or cloves.
• Salt: balances the sweetness in the filling and enhances the other flavors.
• Cornstarch: a thickening agent that absorbs some of the juices so that you don’t end up with a soggy galette.
• Egg: to brush the crust, helping it brown and shine.
• Apricot jam or preserves: a shiny finishing touch on the fruit.

How to Make an Apple Galette

You’ll need less than 30 minutes of actual hands-on effort, while the oven does the rest of the work. You can’t beat the ease of this simple dessert!

1. Roll Out Dough. Place the pie crust between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. This doesn’t have to be perfect, so don’t stress if it’s slightly uneven! Transfer the dough to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 15-30 minutes.
2. Prepare Filling. In a large bowl, stir together the peeled, sliced apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cornstarch.
3. Assemble Galette. Arrange the apple mixture in the center of the dough, mounding the fruit slightly and leaving a 2-inch border.
4. Fold Edges. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the apples, pleating loosely. Again, we’re going for a rustic look — this doesn’t need to be perfect! Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake. Bake the galette in a 400°F oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender.
6. Brush with Jam. Once the galette is cool, brush the top of the fruit with warm apricot jam. This will add a beautiful shiny finish (and more flavor) to the tart.

How to Serve

The galette slices most easily if you allow it too cool for about an hour before serving. Cut into triangles and top each wedge with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A drizzle of caramel sauce would also be delicious.

Storage Tips

• You can make a galette ahead of time, so it’s a very convenient dessert (especially if you’re entertaining). It’s best enjoyed on the same day that it’s baked, since the crust will start to get soggy the longer it sits.
• Store the galette covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Freeze leftover galette for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• How to Reheat: Place the galette on a baking sheet and warm in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes. The microwave will work for individual slices, but the crust won’t stay as crisp.

Recipe Variations

• Instead of a store-bought pie crust, make your own pastry from scratch to use in this recipe. Here’s an easy homemade crust recipe that works well.
• If you don’t have lemon juice, substitute with vanilla extract for added flavor.
• Swap out the apples and use pears instead.

Tips for the Best Apple Galette Recipe

• Slice the apples about ¼-inch thick, so that they’re thin enough to cook through and become tender by the time the crust is brown.
• It will look like you have a lot of apples piled high in the center of the galette before baking, but don’t worry! The apples cook down quite a bit in the oven.
• Cornstarch helps to thicken the filling (so that you don’t have a soggy, wet mess in the middle), so don’t omit this important ingredient.
• Start checking the galette after about 28 minutes in the oven (to make sure that the crust doesn’t burn), but it will likely require closer to 40 minutes to really achieve a rich brown crust and tender apples.

More Apple Dessert Recipes to Try

• Mom’s Easy Apple Pie
• Old-Fashioned Apple Cake
• Virginia Apple Cobbler
• Dutch Apple Pie {Apple Crumble Pie}
• Easy Apple Crisp
• Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Glaze

Apple Galette

5 from 2 votes

Prep: 25 minutes minutes

Cook: 35 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 hours hours

Total: 3 hours hours

Servings 8 slices

Calories 208 kcal

While it might look and sound fancy, an apple galette is really just an easier, more rustic version of an apple pie!

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Ingredients

  

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• 1 refrigerated pie crust dough (half of a 14.1 ounce package) (I prefer Pillsbury brand)
• 1 ½ – 2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices (I use 4 medium Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Coarse sugar (or additional granulated sugar), for sprinkling
• ¼ cup apricot jam
• For serving: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes. Place the dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured waxed paper and roll out into an 11-inch circle. Brush off the excess flour. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a large bowl, stir together the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch.
• Arrange the apple filling in the center of the dough, mounding the fruit slightly and leaving a 2-inch border. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the apples, pleating loosely. Brush the dough with the beaten egg (you won’t need all of the egg). Lightly sprinkle sugar over the apples and on the crust.
• Bake the galette on the middle rack in the 400 degree F oven until the crust is golden and the apples are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the galette cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Warm the jam in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s a nice, thin consistency. Brush the apples with the jam. Cut the galette into 6-8 slices. Top each slice with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

• Slice the apples about ¼-inch thick, so that they’re thin enough to cook through and become tender by the time the crust is brown.
• It will look like you have a lot of apples piled high in the center of the galette before baking, but don’t worry! The apples cook down quite a bit in the oven.
• Cornstarch helps to thicken the filling (so that you don’t have a soggy, wet mess in the middle), so don’t omit this important ingredient.
• Start checking the galette after about 28 minutes in the oven (to make sure that the crust doesn’t burn), but it will likely require closer to 40 minutes to really achieve a rich brown crust and tender apples.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the galetteCalories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 166mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 68IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

Keyword: apple dessert, apple galette, easy apple dessert

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Author: Blair Lonergan

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This recipe was originally published in August, 2020. The photos were updated in September, 2022.