This easy apple galette is a super simple version of one of my all-time favourite desserts. It has all the flaky, buttery, fruity goodness of an apple pie, but with half the work!
What is a galette?
Originating in France, a galette is essentially a free-form pie. They’re a little lighter than traditional pies, filled to the brim with a no-cook (!) filling and a cinch to put together. I like to make a double or triple batch of pie dough to keep extra in the freezer. It just makes it so much easier to whip up a wonderfully rustic yet impressive dessert with very little notice. How amazing is that?
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy apple galette
Pastry
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Cold water
Filling
- 3-4 apples (I use Honeycrisp)
- Dark brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- Milk of your choice (including plant-based options)
Other
- Turbinado (coarse) sugar
- Fresh thyme leaves to garnish (optional)
What kind of apples should I use?
I love Honeycrisp apples in this recipe. They’re milder in taste, juicy and well-balanced and have a sweetly-tart flavour profile. Another reason to love them? Honeycrisp apples have a long storage potential, making them ideal for overwintering during our colder months. Granny Smith, Gala and Red Delicious are all delicious alternatives!
Do I need to peel the apples?
It’s really a matter of personal preference. I prefer to bake with the whole apple. It saves time, results in an even more stunning presentation and ensures the apples’ full nutritional value is retained. You can read more about the beneficial nutrients found in fruit and vegetable peels here.
My best tip for making this easy apple galette
The key to creating the perfect crust is to use cold butter and cold water, and to work quickly with the chilled dough. Rather than cutting the butter into tiny beads in a food processor, this hand-mixed recipe leaves larger pieces that result in a flakier crust. No fancy equipment required, and the result is well worth it!
5 more delicious autumn-inspired bakes!
No-Knead Fig & Walnut Artisan Bread
Herbed Cheddar & Apple Focaccia
And you can find the recipe for my Blueberry Cardamom Cream Cheese Galette here!
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see!
And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews. This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!
Easy Apple Galette
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 tablespoons ice cold water, plus more if needed
Filling
- 3-4 apples sliced (about 4 cups) I use Honeycrisp
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Egg Wash
- 1 egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk of your choice including plant-based options
Other
- Turbinado (coarse) sugar
- Fresh thyme leaves to garnish optional
Instructions
- Make the pastry: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it becomes loose and crumbly with pea-sized butter pieces distributed throughout. Drizzle cold water over and mix until the water is evenly distributed. If the dough seems dry, add another tablespoon of water. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and, using your hands, fold the dough into itself gathering any loose pieces and surface flour as you go. Repeat two or three more times until the dough holds together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 3 days if you don’t plan to bake it right away.
- While the dough is chilling, assemble apple filling: In a large bowl, toss together sliced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and prepare a large parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, prepare egg wash by whisking together egg and milk and set aside.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and transfer to a floured surface. Roll out dough into a circular shape measuring roughly 12” in size. If the dough is sticking, lift the edges and add more flour to the surface. To facilitate transferring, roll the dough around your rolling pin then open it up across the parchment. Transfer apple filling to the centre of the dough leaving a 2” border around the edges. Fold the edges up and over the apple slices, then brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar over the edges.
- Bake for 35 minutes until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling. Let cool, top with fresh thyme leaves if desired and serve!
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