Apple Galette Recipe

This apple galette recipe is a fantastic Thanksgiving dessert recipe because it has all the fall flavorings you crave in an apple dessert without as much work as an Apple Pie or a classic French Apple Tart.

It’s supposed to be more free-form, more rustic, but equally delicious! Intimidated by making pie dough? Then try my Apple Cinnamon Cake, an even easier apple dessert that whips up in a snap!

a apple galette on a board with a green napkin and silver cake server

Ingredients:

  • Cold Butter The butter must be cold for the dough to perform best. In the USA use salted butter for more flavor. Outside the USA use unsalted and add another pinch of salt to the dry ingredients.
  • All-Purpose Flour Is all you need. Pastry flour is not needed.
  • Sugar To sweeten up the crust and the apples. I use regular white granulated sugar.
  • Salt To boost all the flavors.
  • Gala Apples Are best for this recipe since they are a drier apple and won’t make your crust soggy. I leave the skins on for a prettier presentation.
  • Apple Juice to add more flavor to the apple compote.
  • Lemon Zest will brighten the flavors of the compote.
  • Cinnamon For a little fall flavor to the compote, but you could also use pumpkin pie spice or make your own Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice if you are outside the USA.
  • Apricot Jelly for brushing the apples and crust of the galette after its fully baked. It will add additional flavor and shine.
  • Powdered Sugar for dusting the galette after its done.
  • Vanilla Ice Cream High-quality like Haagen Daz for the best creamy and rich flavor!
apples, butterm sugar, and other ingredients for pie making on a counter.

Step#1: Make the Pastry Dough

  • The best part about this pastry dough is the fact that you can mix it up in a bowl!
  • There’s is no need to drag out the food processor, because it’s a rustic tart, it can be a loose and flakey crust.
  • But do refrigerate it for at least an hour or overnight, because it will be easier to work with that way.
  • The Game Plan: The pastry dough can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
Cubed apples in a pot with cinnamon and sugars.

Step#2: Make the Apple Compote

  • This step does take a bit longer than just using apple sauce forom a jar.
  • But it really does taste 10x better! I promise it’s worth the effort!
  • Just cook the apple mixture until tender and mash with a potato masher.
  • The Game Plan: You can make it ahead of time up to 2 days before.
Cooked apples in a pot being mashed into a chunky apple sauce with a potato masher.
Apple compote should resemble a chunky apple sauce.

Step#3: Assembly the Galette

  • I think this dessert is best made the day of Thanksgiving. I bake it in the morning, right before I put in the turkey.
  • If you plan ahead and make the pastry dough and the apple compote a few days ahead, the assembly will go quickly!
  • Assemble the galette on the baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. A baking sheet that doesn’t have a rim will work best since it will be easier to slide off your board that way.
  • Keep the apples sliced thin, 1/4″ in thickness or less is best.
  • And keep them in their grouping so that you’ll have a pretty design.
  • Once baked, brush with the jelly and dust with sugar, and leave at room temperature until ready to serve later that day. Unless you would like to serve warm, then see serving suggestion notes below.
dough rolled out to a circle with apple compote in the center and apples fanned out in slices on top

Forming the Crust

Forming the crust is easy just crimp the edges over, overlapping them in places to ensure no juices or compote slips out while baking.

a crimped edge of a galette crust

Serving Suggestions:

  • To serve warm, once baked keep the galette on the baking tray, covered with foil.
  • Then pop the galette back in the oven, uncovered, at 350F for 10-15 mins.
  • Then brush with the jelly and dust with the powdered sugar.
  • Transfer your freshly baked galette to a decorative board. I think they look pretty this way and it will make it easier to serve too, since you can slice it right on the board.
  • And don’t forget the good quality vanilla ice cream on top!
a slice of pie on a plate with ice cream
an apple galette garnished with powdered sugar

Apple Galette

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours

This apple galette is easier than apple pie or a French apple tart but just as delicious! Make the components ahead of time and then assemble and bake!

Ingredients

For Pastry:

  • 2 1/3 cups (326 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp ( 26 g) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
  • 1 cup ( 113 g) of cold butter, diced
  • ⅓ cup (ml) very cold water

For the compote:

  • 3 gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp sugar (25 g)
  • ¼ cup of apple juice (60 ml)
  • ¼ cup of water (60 ml)
  • 1/8 tsp (large pinch) of cinnamon
  • zest of 1 lemon

To Assemble:

  • 3 Galas Apples
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Heavy Cream
  • A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on the crust
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) apricot or apple jelly
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, then add the cold butter. Mush the butter into the flour with your fingertips until a coarse meal forms. Then add the water. Stir the dough until it comes together.
  2. Transfer dough to a floured surface, then form into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
  3. For the compote, place all the ingredients in a saucepot, over medium-high heat. Cover for 5-8 minutes or until apples are very tender. Mash apples with a potato masher or fork until a chunky apple sauce forms. Allow to cool completely, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days until ready to assemble the galette.
  4. For the apple topping. Slice the sides of all the apples until the core remains. Then place the flat side down of the apple, slice 1/4" slices on each piece, and keeping the apple intact, transfer to a plate.
  5. Roll out the dough to a large circle about 16" in diameter. Flip the dough over a rolling pin, to transfer it to a flat baking sheet (no lips or rims on it) lined with parchment paper. It will be easier to slide your galette off it once it's baked this way.
  6. Place a 12" (30 cm) plate floured plate in the center face side down and gently press it into the dough to make an impression. Add the compote to the center, then the apples, fanning them out to reveal the interiors a bit. Then trim the edges of the dough to make roughly a more uniform circle. Fold over the edges to make a crust.
  7. At this point, if the dough has become very soft, pop the tray into the freezer or fridge to firm it up before baking. 10-15 mins.
  8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F (180C)
  9. Before placing it in the oven, brush the crust with the heavy cream and sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top.
  10. Bake for 55 min-1 hour until the apples are very tender and the crust is golden brown. Then heat apricot jelly in a saucepan or microwave until liquified. Then brush apples and crust with melted apricot jelly. Dust with powdered sugar.
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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