Apple Galette Recipe: So easy! -Baking a Moment (2024)

Apple galette: Juicy apples & a hint of cinnamon, in a buttery, flaky crust. Easier than a pie because it’s free-form. Takes minutes!

Today I’m going to show you a trick to make pie even easier: How to make an apple galette!

Pies are so good but they aren’t always the easiest to make. I’m not sure where that phrase ever came from, because honestly when I go to make most pie recipes, they’re usually a project!

I mean, it’s always worth it, don’t get me wrong. To enjoy a freshly baked slice of blueberry pie, peach pie, or lemon meringue pie is an experience like none other. And they are fun to make!

But if you’re in a hurry or you just don’t feel like fussing around, an apple galette recipe is so much quicker and easier!

Table of Contents

• What is an apple galette?
• What’s great about this apple galette recipe
• What does it taste like?
• Ingredients
• Special equipment
• How to make this apple galette recipe
• How to serve an apple galette
• Expert tips
• Frequently asked questions
• A few more of my favorite apple recipes

Jump to Recipe

What is an apple galette?

Think of a galette (also called a crostata) as a free-form pie.

There’s a pastry base and a filling that’s contained within it.

You don’t need a pie dish, and you don’t have to mess around with a crimped edge. There’s no trimming involved, so there’s zero waste.

And really you can make it with just about any kind of filling, but today we’re using juicy, seasonal apples, lightly sweetened and gently spiced with warm holiday flavors.

What’s great about this apple galette recipe

What does it taste like?

When you first take a bite, you’ll notice the sweetness of the apples. They’re also slightly tart, and there’s a low hum of cinnamon spice.

Next, you’ll get the buttery taste of the pastry.

Together, the sweet and juicy combined with the buttery and flaky are a perfect match!

Ingredients

Apples: Apples should be peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices. Use any variety of apple that is firm and good for cooking. My favorites are Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. Stay away from red delicious or golden delicious, they’ll turn to mush as they cook.

Sugar: Regular white sugar is fine, or sub for another type of sweetener if you like. As long as it swaps 1:1 for granulated sugar it should work.

Flour: All-purpose flour will help to thicken the juices. For a gluten-free apple galette, use half the amount of cornstarch instead.

Lemon juice: This ingredient prevents the apples from browning and brightens up the flavors. Your apples will taste more apple-y! Fresh squeezed is best, but the bottled kind will work in a pinch.

Spice: Apple pie spice is a blend of seasonings that works really well in apple pie (duh). Depending on the brand, it’s usually made with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sometimes cardamom and/or ginger. If you don’t have it, you can order it here: Apple Pie Spice, or just substitute with ground cinnamon.

Pastry: For the galette pictured here, I used my favorite pie crust recipe, which can be found here: Homemade Pie Crust Recipe. You could also use pre-made, store-bought pie dough or puff pastry.

Special equipment

How to make this apple galette recipe

This recipe is made in just 4 simple steps.

Step 1: Make the filling

Put your peeled, cored, and sliced apples in a big bowl, and add in the sugar, flour, lemon juice, and apple pie spice.

Then just stir everything together to get every perfect slice of apple coated.

Step 2: Assemble the galette

Next, just roll out your pie dough to a big circle, and place it on your baking sheet.

Plop the filling in a big pile in the middle, allowing a generous margin around the outer edge.

And then just pull up the sides…

Pleating and folding them as needed to shape the dough around the filling.

Step 3: Decorate

This step is completely optional, but it gives the galette a really beautiful shine and helps it to brown.

Just brush a little egg wash on the crust.

Egg wash is nothing more than an egg, beaten with a few teaspoons of water to thin it out to a brush-able consistency.

After that, you can sprinkle on some extra adornment if you like.

I sprinkled on some sliced almonds, but any kind of nut would work! As would a sprinkling of coarse sugar.

Step 4: Bake

Now just slide it into the oven, and bake! You’ll know it’s done when the apples are tender. Slide in the point of a sharp knife to check.

How to serve an apple galette

To make this extra pretty, I like to dust the outside edge with a little powdered sugar.

You can also give it a drizzle of salted caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream if you really want to gild the lily!

Expert tips

Let it collapse: At first, it might seem like there’s too much filling. You really need to pile it high, and almost shingle the apple slices in like pieces of a puzzle. The galette will be tall! But as it bakes, the apples soften and everything slumps and settles and becomes more flat.

Cover the edges: If you like your apples really soft and tender, you may find the edges of the galette are getting too brown before the filling is cooked to your liking. If you notice this happening, cover the edges lightly with foil to prevent them from burning.

Frequently asked questions

A few more of my favorite apple recipes

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