Weeknight Cooking

Easy Apple Galette

by:
July 20, 2021
4.7
26 Ratings
Easy Apple Galette
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

The galette is my go-to dessert for company. It's beyond simple to make—dough by hand! Use any fruit! No perfect circles needed!—and allows you to use the term "rustic French baking" ostentatiously in front of guests. Mix it up any way you like: In summer, I prefer fresh berries and lemon juice to apple slices and fall spices. Ice cream is optional, but strongly recommended. Or, use the same dough recipe for a savory version, and fill its center with a thick layer of crème fraîche, then halfway caramelized onions and sliced broccoli before folding in the sides—whatever you do, don't forget to top with grated cheese. —Ella Quittner

Test Kitchen Notes

Fresh fall apples are one of our favorite fruits to incorporate into a rustic, sweet galette, especially after coming home from a day at the orchard. Like Ella mentions, this is one the easiest yet most impressive-looking desserts you can make—it doesn't have to be perfect, in fact, the messier, the better! That's what makes making galettes so much fun at home. You also don't need any special equipment or fancy ingredients; you can basically choose whatever type of fruit you want for the filling, as well as the appropriate spices to complement whatever is in season. This recipe calls for fresh Honeycrisp apples, but any sturdy baking apple, such as Granny Smith, Jonagold, or Braeburn, could be substituted if you have some on hand.

The homemade dough requires just four ingredients you most likely already have (plus a little ice water), and it really couldn't be more forgiving. Plus, you get to get your hands dirty, so this task would be perfect for little ones. Just mash everything together with your fingers, form into a ball, and store in the fridge—you'll love how simple it is. Roll the dough into a circle, arrange the fruit beautifully in the center, then fold the dough overhang over the edges of the fruit, and you're all set to go. Serve it as a showstopper of a dessert for the holidays or whenever you feel like relaxing with a stress-free baking project. We also highly recommend serving the galette with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream alongside. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Easy Apple Galette
Ingredients
  • Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups (192 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, refrigerated until right before you use it, cubed
  • 1/4 cup (or more) very cold water
  • Galette
  • 3 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • All-purpose flour, for the surface
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (or milk in a pinch)
  • 2 tablespoons raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
  1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your hands, toss the butter cubes into the flour mixture, working quickly and pressing the pieces between your thumbs and forefingers into pea-sized lumps. Stop once all the bits of butter are no larger than a piece of gravel—it’ll look like coarse meal.
  2. Drizzle in a little ice water in the middle and use your hands to gently toss from the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add a little more ice water and continue to toss (you’ll use about 1/4 cup of the ice water). Continue to toss until the dough holds together when pressed into a ball without big craggy cracks. Wrap loosely in plastic and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
  3. When it’s time to assemble, heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment.
  4. Core the apples and cut into slices about 1/3 inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the apples, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
  5. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a circle with an even thickness, about 12 inches in diameter. (No need to be overly precise here! We’re going for “rustic.”) Patch any cracks in the dough by pinching it back together, or pressing thin scraps from the edges over any big cracks. Using a dough scraper, wrap the dough around your rolling pin, then gently unfurl onto the prepared sheet.
  6. Arrange the apple slices in single rows overlapping (like fallen dominos), leaving about 2 inches of dough overhang on all sides. Fold the dough overhang over the edges of the fruit, using the scraps to mend any tears.
  7. In a small bowl, beat the egg and cream, then brush the crust with this egg wash. Sprinkle the crust all over with the raw sugar. Dot the apples with the remaining cubes of butter. Bake, rotating halfway through, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the apple slices are softened and bubbling.
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14 Reviews

Carina
Carina July 8, 2024
I make this about once a month! My family loves it. I have to bake about 4 at the time.

You can prep the apples a day ahead if you're baking in bulk. I'd recommend skipping on the extra butter on the apples because the dough is buttery enough. I like adding some dashes of agostura bitters to season the apples.

I'd also recommend substituting the lemon juice for apple cider vinegar and adding a dash of all spice if you're making this during chillier months.

Does anyone have any tips on freezing the galette before baking ?
 
jvan
jvan June 18, 2023
I made this with previously created dough that had been frozen. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. My future adjustments would be to cut the apples to 2 and cover the dough edges after the first half cooking time. Apples were cooked through and the bottom crust was also fully cooked. Thanks! I am not a pie baker at all, and this is a very welcome substitute.
 
Bethann
Bethann May 30, 2023
Just as the recipe title claims, this Apple galette was super easy and delicious! I left the peel on and it was still yummy. I’ll try the crust next time but used a refrigerated pie crust rolled out and that worked well and made it even easier! Lastly, I was worried that the crust might get soggy but no! From now on, I’ll make this instead of Apple pies as the crust was beautifully golden and I didn’t have to worry about burning a pie crust! Kudos!
 
Linnet T.
Linnet T. December 3, 2022
Outstanding recipe! The best apple galette I've made and the best crust for any galette! I would slice the apples thinner than 1/3 inch to help them cook in the suggested baking time - also easier to arrange when thinner. I baked for about 10 minutes extra to get the apples softer, and covered the galette loosely with foil during that extra time so I wouldn't overbrown the crust. After pulling out of the oven, I brushed the apples with a little apricot jam to glaze them as I usually do. The crust was unbelieveably tasty, crispy and crunchy . . . so, so good!
 
lizzard
lizzard November 25, 2022
All I could taste in this recipe was the lemon, and so it didn't taste like apple at all. I would not make this again.
 
Rose-A
Rose-A November 18, 2022
I used my own crust recipe, but this filling was amazing. I was worried that the spices would obscure the flavor of my high-quality apples, but only a small amount ended up in the galette -- the rest was left behind in the apples' liquid, which I tossed. It was a delicately flavored and easy-to-make dessert. Will definitely make it again.
 
chris
chris October 2, 2022
The finest apple-anything I've ever baked, and I've been baking apples every fall in New England, mostly pies, since the early 80's. I'll be revisiting this galette in my dreams tonight. It is more than a 5 star recipe.
 
Jim B.
Jim B. September 14, 2022
Rustic baking at it's finest.

I used 4 apples, as mine were on the smallish side, and of course, had too many.
I also used King Arthur's Cup for Cup gluten free blend, as I have celiacs.

It's in the oven now...will let you know. As someone who's baked many a pie, it sure went together right.

Jim
 
Marlene
Marlene January 13, 2022
This is by far the best app,e galette recipe with clear instructions. I have tried many other websites looking for the best recipe and this is it!
 
Caroline S.
Caroline S. October 15, 2021
Such a wonderful recipe! I made it exactly as it's written and it turned out absolutely perfect. I bake all the time but somehow this is my first galette. It is now something I will be making often this fall! Thank you for the recipe. :)
 
Jackblue
Jackblue October 11, 2021
I made this tonight and it was great. The dough is beautiful but I needed to add a couple extra tablespoons of flour. This is definitely going to happen again. Make this galette!
 
Marena
Marena September 24, 2021
I followed all the directions exactly, but even after 45 minutes the galette was not cooked all the way through - the apples weren't soft enough and the dough was almost raw on the bottom. My suggestion would be to cook the filling on the stovetop first so that the apples soften up and the juices can evaporate, and so that the flavors have a chance to consolidate more (the lemon flavor completely overpowered the other spices, and that's probably because so much of the spice/juice mixture was left in the bowl when I added the apples to the crust).
 
Teri
Teri October 31, 2019
This will be my go-to galette recipe. It is perfect in every way, including being incredibly easy to make. My second-grader keeps begging me to make it again and I am happy to oblige.
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. December 30, 2019
So happy to hear that, Teri!