French Apple Galette Recipe
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This Apple Galette brings you all the warm, comforting flavors of apple pie in a rustic, free-form tart.
After training as a French pastry chef, I can tell you the key to the perfect galette is the crust. Luckily, I’ve got the best crust recipe below—one that you can make in the food processor in minutes.
And, there’s no fussy placing of apple slices in concentric circles in this recipe. Just roll the dough, add the apples, and with a little folding, you’ve got this easy dessert that’s a must-have on your Fall table. Once you’re sold on this technique, you’ll want to try my Strawberry Galette in the spring and summer!
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This is the Best Apple Galette Recipe
Argue with me if you must, but I will always pick a galette over a pie. Why? I’m a crust girl, and with a galette, you always get a better crust: filling ratio. To me, the deep layers of syrupy fruit in a pie are just too much. Not so with a galette! Here are some other reasons you should try this one:
- Easy technique that even beginner bakers can master
- Flaky, buttery crust pairs beautifully with the spiced apple filling
- Great for any occasion, from a cozy weekend treat to a holiday dessert (try this instead of apple pie for Thanksgiving!)
Apple Pie Galette Ingredients
- Butter: Very cold butter is the key to a flaky crust. Unsalted preferred, but if you want to use salted, just don’t add the pinch of salt as called for in the recipe.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives you the most tender crust. Feel free to swap out ¼ of the total amount for whole wheat flour to add in a little fiber.
- Apples: Choose fresh apples that are firm enough to hold their shape as they bake, and aren’t too sweet. Honey Crisp, Fuji, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith are all good options.
- Lemon Juice: This prevents the apple slices from browning and adds a little extra-tart flavor, but you can leave it out if you like.
- Sugar: White sugar or brown sugar would both work with this recipe.
- Spices: I love cinnamon and just a pinch of nutmeg in this galette. Feel free to make your own by changing up the spices—try allspice, cardamom, apple pie spice, or ginger.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken up the filling so that the apple juices don’t turn into a runny mess (or a soggy bottom on your crust).
- Sparkling Sugar: This is an optional finish, but it adds crunch and a little pop of sweetness to your galette crust. Also, it looks fancy!
How to Make French Apple Galette
Chop 8 tablespoons butter into small cubes.
Put 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour into bowl of a food processor, then add the butter cubes and a scant pinch of salt. Pulse about 20 times, until the dough has a sandy texture with very very small chunks of butter (no bigger than pea-sized).
Pour in ¼ cup of ice water all at once, then turn on the food processor. Blend until dough has come together, and starts to ball up on the sides of the processor (this should only take 10-20 seconds).
Scrape dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a round disk. Wrap plastic wrap around dough and put into the refrigerator to chill. Chill for at least 4 hours (24 hours is ideal).
Peel, core, and thinly slice 1 pound of firm apples (about 2 large), and put in a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Then stir in ⅓ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Let sit while you roll out the galette dough.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough in the shape of a circle, until it is about ⅛-inch thick. It will be around 12 inches in diameter.
Carefully move dough to a small baking sheet or large cutting board lined with a piece of parchment paper. Use a slotted spoon to take out the apples and then arrange them in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. You can get fancy, and arrange the apples in concentric circles, or keep it more rustic and just pile them on there. Including a bit of the syrup that was created as the apples sat in the sugar is fine, but don’t add all of it, as it can make your galette soggy. Now, moving in a circle, fold up the edges of the galette dough, pinching the together as you fold. Make sure to leave a circle of apples uncovered in the middle.
Move cutting board or baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put a large baking sheet into the oven, and preheat to 400°F. When galette has been chilled, make an egg wash by whisking an egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Using a pastry brush, brush the galette dough (not the apples) with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with 2 tablespoon sparkling sugar, if desired.
Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, and carefully transfer the galette (on its parchment paper) onto it. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.
Let cool 15 minutes before slicing. (This will help the galette to firm up again, so that you can cut a slice without the filling running off.) Galette is delicious warm, but you can serve it room temperature as well. Try adding whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream on top! A drizzle of caramel sauce is also delicious.
How to Store Apple Pie Galette
Refrigerate leftover galette wrapped in foil or placed in an airtight container. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, place it back in a 375° F oven, or try reheating individual slices in an air fryer. Avoid using the microwave, as the crust will not regain its crisp texture.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Apple Galette
Yes! In fact, for best results you need to chill it for at least 4 hours. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the fridge before rolling out.
Firm apples like Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, or Braeburn hold their shape well when baked and aren’t too sweet. Using a combination of apples will give you great depth of flavor. I like to pair a Granny Smith with a Honey Crisp.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- I learned this pie dough recipe and technique when recipe testing for Cathy Barrow for her When Pies Fly book, which is wonderful BTW. I can’t improve on her technique so all credit for this excellent crust goes to her. Speaking of technique, the key to the flakiest pie crust ever is to keep those ingredients cold! Ice cold butter and water are essential. Also, don’t overwork that dough. As soon as it begins to come together in the food processor, you can dump it out and pat it into a disk.
- If you don’t have a food processor and want to make the dough by hand, you can do that easily with a couple of knives or a pastry cutter. See full instructions in my Strawberry Galette post.
- Don’t forget to chill before baking: chilling your galette in the fridge allows the butter to firm up again, which will give you flaky layers once that cold butter hits the hot oven. Putting that cold galette on a preheated baking sheet helps to give you that perfectly browned, crispy bottom crust.
- Since galettes only bake for 40 minutes or so, the apples do not have a chance to really soften. If you want a very soft filling, slice your apples as thinly as possible so they will cook through completely. Personally, I prefer a little bite to the apple slices, so I slice them thinly but not paper-thin.
- Now that you’ve got the basics down, this recipe is very customizable. Change up the spices, as noted in the ingredient list. Add herbs or nuts. Or try different fillings—pear slices also work nicely for the galette.
- Want to make things really easy? Use a store-bought pie crust instead of making your own dough. No shame in that—it’s a great way to practice your galette folding technique with a perfectly rolled crust. Or try puff pastry dough, for a slightly different take on this easy apple galette.
- This galette makes a perfect Thanksgiving dessert. If you're looking for other ideas, why not try this Creme Brulee recipe or this fun Thanksgiving Piecaken. These easy Apple Crisp Bars would also be perfect!
Other Apple Recipes
If it’s apple season, you’re going to want to check out some of my other recipes that make good use of the best apples.
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
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Apple Galette Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
- Scant pinch of salt
- ¼ cup icy cold water
For the filling:
- 1 pound apples about 2 large
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar optional
- Powdered sugar or whipped cream to serve
Instructions
- Chop butter into small cubes.
- Put flour into bowl of a food processor, then add the butter cubes and the salt. Pulse about 20 times, until the dough has a sandy texture with very very small chunks of butter (no bigger than pea-sized).
- Pour in the water all at once, then turn on the food processor. Blend until dough has come together, and starts to ball up on the sides of the processor (this should only take 10-20 seconds).
- Scrape dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a round disk. Wrap plastic wrap around dough and put into the refrigerator to chill. Chill for at least 4 hours (24 hours is ideal).
- Peel, core, and thinly slice 1 pound of firm apples (about 2 large), and put in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Then stir in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Let sit while you roll out the galette dough.
- Flour a large cutting board or clean countertop. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place on the board. Roll out dough in the shape of a circle, until it is about ⅛-inch thick. It will be around 12 inches in diameter. Carefully move dough to a small baking sheet or large cutting board lined with a piece of parchment paper.
- Use a slotted spoon to take out the apples and then arrange them on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Including a bit of the syrup that was created as the apples sat in the sugar is fine, but don’t add all of it, as it can make your galette soggy.
- Now, moving in a circle, fold up the edges of the galette dough, pinching the together as you fold. Make sure to leave a circle of apples uncovered in the middle.
- Move cutting board or baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put a large baking sheet into the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.
- When galette has been chilled, make an egg wash by whisking an egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Using a pastry brush, brush the galette dough (not the apples) with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with sparkling sugar, if desired.
- Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, and carefully transfer the galette (on its parchment paper) onto it. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.
- Let cool 15 minutes before slicing. (This will help the galette to firm up again, so that you can cut a slice without the filling running off.)
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Loved developing this recipe! Planning to make for Thanksgiving this year instead of pie.