Craving apple pie but short on time? Try this easy apple galette recipe! This rustic, free-form pie has all the warmth and glorious apple flavors you’re looking for but with a fraction of the effort. I love making it when I have guests over because it is always a huge hit.
A galette’s beauty lies in its simplicity. The unfussy folds of crust over the lightly spiced apple filling are very forgiving, and any less-than-perfect crimps are basically unnoticeable and just add to its appeal. Plus, you bake it right on a sheet pan, so you don’t even need a pie pan. For more apple desserts, making my apple tart, fried apples, and apple fritters as well!
What You Need To Make An Apple Galette
Flour — all-purpose flour is great for a tender, flaky crust.
Sugar — you need granulated sugar for the crust and the apple filling, and coarse sugar to sprinkle on the crust before baking for a little crunch.
Butter — for the crust, cube butter and keep it cold for maximum flakiness. Melted butter stirred into the apples add richness to the pie filling.
Apples — peel a few large baking apples (the best apples to use are listed below).
Lemon juice — fresh lemon juice brightens up the apple filling.
Cinnamon — ground cinnamon adds warmth and cozy flavor.
Egg — an egg wash helps the crust turn the perfect golden brown and helps the coarse sugar stick to the crust.
How To Make Apple Galette
1. Combine flour, white sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse a few times to break the pieces down.
2. While pulsing, drizzle in 4 tablespoons of ice water.
3. Continue to pulse until the flour mixture starts to clump together.
4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it together to form a ball. Shape it into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or for up to 3 days.
5. Wash, peel, core, and cut the apples into ⅛-inch thick slices. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice.
6. Sprinkle the apples with sugar and cinnamon and toss.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pie dough into roughly a 12-inch circle with a rolling pin. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet. The dough will likely hang over the edges. Don’t worry about this as it will fit once you fold the dough over the filling later on.
8. Place the apple galette filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 3-inch border all around. Drizzle the apples with melted butter.
9. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling towards the center. The dough will not fully cover the filling, so don’t try to force it.
10. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle it with coarse sugar for a little sparkle. Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the galette filling is bubbly. Let the dessert cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Can I Use Puff Pastry Instead Of The Galette Dough?
Yes, you can use 1 (16-ounce) sheet of thawed store-bought frozen puff pastry or homemade puff pastry to make an apple galette. Roll it into a 12-inch square and trim off the edges to form a rough circle. If you buy a box of frozen puff pastry with two sheets (about 8.5 ounces each), brush one very lightly with water, stack them together, and roll them out. Puff pastry may not hold the folds as well, and the sides of the galette might open up more than pie dough, but it will be delicious!
What Are The Best Baking Apples To Use?
The best apples to use are ones that will hold up when baked and not turn mushy or grainy. My favorite apples to use in this apple galette are Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp.
Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples are quite tart, so you get the ideal sweet-tart balance when you make the filling. Honeycrisp apples are sweeter and a good option if you prefer a sweeter dessert. Or, use a combination. If you prefer a different variety of apples, use it! This recipe works with any type.
Make-Ahead And Storage Tips
To save time the day you plan on serving this dessert, make the dough up to 3 days in advance and store it, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. All that’s left to do is roll out the chilled dough and make the filling!
While this apple galette tastes the best the day you make it, leftovers will keep, covered, on the counter for a day, or refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat the galette in the oven before enjoying leftovers.
You can also freeze the baked galette. Once it cools completely, freeze it on a baking sheet until solid, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours before reheating it in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this apple galette as-is, and it will be delicious. But if you want to add a little something, here are some ideas:
- Brush the apple filling of the baked galette with warm apple jelly or apricot preserves for a glossy finish.
- Drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
- Add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- To save time: You can use store-bought pie dough instead of making galette dough from scratch.
- Weigh the flour. This is the easiest way to avoid using too much flour, which will yield a dry, crumbly crust. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour with a spoon in its container, spoon it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- If you don’t have a food processor: Make the dough by hand using a pastry cutter or your hands. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and work it into the flour until the mixture is very crumbly. Stir in the water with a fork and gently knead the dough into one large mass. Wrap and chill as directed.
- If the chilled pie crust dough starts to tear and crack when you’re rolling it out, let it rest for a few minutes at room temperature before trying to roll it again.
- Peel the apples. While not completely necessary, peeling the apples before slicing them makes a world of difference to the texture of the filling once the apples bake. The peels tend to become wrinkly and rubbery in the oven, which I prefer to avoid.
- For more caramel or molasses notes: Use light brown sugar in the filling in place of granulated sugar.
- Don’t overfill the crust. Lay the apple slices out in an even layer. If there is too much apple filling, the crust may not bake properly and become soggy, and the filling may bubble over.
- Refrigerate the galette once you assemble it: This optional step helps the butter in the pastry dough firm up so that the galette holds its shape nicely and the crust is flaky when baked. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Think of a galette as a rustic, free-form pie. It only has a bottom crust consisting of dough rolled into a circle and then folded over the filling (but the dough does not cover the filling completely). Galettes are baked on baking sheets.
Pies like apple pie require more precision. They are baked in a pie dish and commonly have a top and a bottom crust. Pies also usually have some sort of decoration involved, be it a carefully woven lattice top or decorative crimped edges.
If you overstuff the crust with apple filling, the dough will not bake properly, and you will end up with a soggy bottom. It’s also best not to wait too long after assembling the galette to bake it. To help it hold its shape in the oven, you can refrigerate it for a maximum of 2 hours after assembling, but not longer than that.
To freeze the galette before baking, assemble it, but do not brush it with egg wash or sprinkle it with coarse sugar. Freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. You can freeze the apple galette for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake it, no need to thaw it out. Brush the frozen unbaked galette with egg wash, sprinkle the dough with coarse sugar, and bake as directed in the recipe. Add about 10 minutes to the bake time to account for the galette being frozen.
If you’ve tried this apple galette recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Apple Galette Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Pie Dough:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cubed (113g)
- 4 tablespoons ice water
For the Apple Filling:
- 2 to 3 large baking apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Assembly:
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 egg beaten
- Coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Pie Dough:
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times just to break the pieces down a bit.
- While pulsing, drizzle in 4 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse until dough starts to clump together. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead together to form a ball. Shape into a disk and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
For the Apple Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Peel, core, and slice the apples into ⅛-inch thick slices. Place in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice until well coated.
- Sprinkle apples with sugar and cinnamon and toss until combined.
For the Assembly:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll pie dough into roughly a 12-inch circle. Transfer to the lined baking sheet (the dough will likely hang over the edges.) Arrange the apple filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 3-inch border. Drizzle the apples with melted butter.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the filling towards the center. (The dough will not fully cover the filling). Brush the dough with egg and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- To save time: You can use store-bought pie dough instead of making galette dough from scratch.
- Weigh the flour. This is the easiest way to avoid using too much flour, which will yield a dry, crumbly crust. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour with a spoon in its container, spoon it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- If you don’t have a food processor: Make the dough by hand using a pastry cutter or your hands. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and work it into the flour until the mixture is very crumbly. Stir in the water with a fork and gently knead the dough into one large mass. Wrap and chill as directed.
- If the chilled pie crust dough starts to tear and crack when you’re rolling it out, let it rest for a few minutes at room temperature before trying to roll it again.
- Peel the apples. While not completely necessary, peeling the apples before slicing them makes a world of difference to the texture of the filling once the apples bake. The peels tend to become wrinkly and rubbery in the oven, which I prefer to avoid.
- For more caramel or molasses notes: Use light brown sugar in the filling in place of granulated sugar.
- Don’t overfill the crust. Lay the apple slices out in an even layer. If there is too much apple filling, the crust may not bake properly and become soggy, and the filling may bubble over.
- Refrigerate the galette once you assemble it: This optional step helps the butter in the pastry dough firm up so that the galette holds its shape nicely and the crust is flaky when baked. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.