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You are not going to believe how easy it is to make my Apple Galette recipe! With luscious layers of baked apple in an easy tart pastry, it’s like an apple pie, only better. My delicious galette French apple tart makes a perfect Fall dessert recipe, and it’s ready in under an hour!
When Fall comes around, you can always smell apples and pumpkin flavors coming from my kitchen. This recipe along with Starbucks Pumpkin Bread are staples at our home this time of year!
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Best Rustic Apple Crostata
If you’ve never heard of a galette, think of an apple pie combined with a rustic apple tart – without all of the fuss! If you love apple pie, you’re going to be obsessed with my homemade apple galette. It’s heaven-sent.
This easy French apple crostata recipe has all the comforting flavors of a pie, but it’s ready in half the time. It reminds me of the apple galette Ina Garten makes; we love the Barefoot Contessa, and her rustic apple crostata is divine!
The combination of cinnamon and apples comes together beautifully in a buttery, flaky crust. It’s comforting, stunning, and sure to impress family and friends. You don’t need a fancy tart pan, and clean up is so easy.
Thank you for this recipe, I’ve made it twice in 2 weeks! The crust is so flaky! I’ve never been able to get it just right but your recipe is perfect!
Maureen
FAQs
A galette is a rustic, free-form French pastry that comes in many variations from sweet to savory. For example, the galette des rois (king cake) or galette bretonne (breakfast galette with buckwheat crepes) are both popular variations. All galettes, just like my apple galette recipe, form on a baking sheet instead of inside a tart dish.
A crostata is an Italian baked tart or pie, also known as a coppi or sfogliate in different parts of Italy. It consists of shortcrust pastry and a chunky filling such as fruit or savory options like meat and vegetables.
Crostata is an Italian term, and galette is French; by definition, however, the terms can be used interchangeably. Both refer to the same easy and distinctly elegant free-formed pastry.
Prepare the galette according to the recipe and allow to cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Any variety of apples can be used; granny smith are best for their sweet and tart flavor, and their ability to hold shape while baking.
A pastry cutter or fork can be used instead of a food processor to make galette.
How to Make Apple Galette
- Combine flour, powdered sugar, and butter using a food processor, pastry cutter, or fork. When the butter pieces are pea-sized, add egg and iced water. Pull the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and rest in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough to half an inch thickness.
- Mix sliced apples with sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Arrange them around the pastry with an inch and a half of a margin from the edge. Carefully pull the dough over the edges of the apples to hold them in place, then brush the edge with egg. Sprinkle it with turbinado sugar and bake!
Recipe Tips
- The water and butter need to be COLD: After you chop the butter, you may want to put it in the freezer. Both the water and butter should be ice cold for the crust.
- Don’t knead the dough too much: It’s important not to play with the dough or knead it too much. You want the cold butter to stay cold and not melt into the dough for a crisp, flaky pastry.
- Be careful not to over-stuff: Too much filling may may make the galette bake improperly. Carefully follow the directions so you don’t over-stuff your galette.
- Put a dab of butter on top: Adding a pat of butter to the top of the galette while it bakes will add an extra rich layer to an already delicious dessert!
What to Serve with an Apple Galette
- Ice Cream: Classic vanilla ice cream pairs deliciously with an apple galette. Want a boost of flavor? Try a different ice cream variety! We love using buttered pecan or rum raisin!
- Crème anglaise: Crème anglaise is French for “English cream”, and it is essentially a smooth custard sauce recipe. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolk, a little vanilla, and hot milk, and it pairs so well with this French apple tart!
- Thick, clotted, or whipped cream: Homemade whipped cream tastes amazing with this tart pastry. We recommend adding a little cinnamon on top!
- Try my butterscotch sauce or quick caramel sauce! Caramel and butterscotch are both amazing choices to pair with this easy apple tart recipe! For a greater depth of flavor use salted caramel.
- A crisp autumn evening and a warm bonfire 🍂
My apple galette recipe is an absolute crowd-pleaser. Simple, everyday ingredients are magically transformed into a rustic yet stunning baked apple dessert that everyone will love!
Did you try this easy French pastry recipe? Let me know in the comments below and with a rating! I love to hear from you.
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📋 Recipe
Apple Galette Recipe (Apple Crostata)
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Food processor, pastry cutter, or a fork
- Cutting board
- rolling pin
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Easy Pastry Recipe
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1⅓ sticks salted butter cubed and chilled
- 2-3 Tablespoons ice water
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Apple Pastry Filling
- 3 medium granny smith apples
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- squeeze of lemon
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
Making the pastry
- Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until the largest piece of butter is the size of a pea. Add the egg and process just until combined. With the processor on low, drizzle in the iced water just until the dough starts to clump.Then, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured board and just gently pull it together – don’t knead it too much. Wrap it in plastic wrap or baking paper and place it in the fridge for ½ an hour to rest.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar, 1⅓ sticks salted butter, 2-3 Tablespoons ice water, 1 egg
Making the filling
- Preheat the oven to 395°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Peel the apples, then chop each apple into quarters. Slice out the core of each quarter and then cut each quarter into 4 or 5 slices. Place the apple slices in a bowl and add the sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice.3 medium granny smith apples, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, 1½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour, squeeze of lemon, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Assembling the galette
- Sprinkle some flour over the bench top, place the dough on top and sprinkle the top with a little flour too. Gently roll it out to about a 10 inch circle (about ½ of an inch thick). Place the rolling pin on the dough on the furthest side from you, wrap the top of the dough over the rolling pin and roll it back towards you, rolling the dough around the rolling pin.Roll it back out in reverse onto the prepared baking tray.Arrange or scatter the apples in the center of the disk of dough, making sure to leave a 1.5 inch ring clear around the edge. Discard any remaining juice that may have come out of the apples in the bowl.Gently gather the edges of the dough and fold over the edge of the apples, leaving the center uncovered.Brush the egg around the edge of the pastry and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
- Bake for around 45 minutes until the edges of the pastry are golden and crisp. If there are any pools of liquid in the galette, you can just soak a little away with paper towel. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- The water and butter need to be COLD: After you chop the butter, you may want to put it in the freezer. Both the water and butter should be ice cold for the crust.
- Don’t knead the dough too much: It’s important not to play with the dough or knead it too much. You want the cold butter to stay cold and not melt into the dough for a crisp, flaky pastry.
- Be careful not to overstuff: Too much filling may may make the galette bake improperly. Carefully follow the directions so you don’t overstuff your galette.
- Put a dab of butter on top: Adding a pat of butter to the top of the galette while it bakes will add an extra rich layer to an already delicious dessert!
Nutrition
Photos by Marie Roffey.
Maureen Larkin says
Thank you for this recipe, I’ve made it twice in 2 weeks! The crust is so flaky! I’ve never been able to get it just right but your recipe is perfect!
Em Beitel says
Yay, Maureen! Thank you so much! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! Have you tried our Caramel Apple Empanadas? I have a hunch you might like those, too. Thank you for your lovely comment!
Jana P Pearce says
Hi there- any suggestions for if this needs to be made a bit in advance? I plan to make it right before a dinner, but will need to take it in the car with me for about 30 mins, then of course we won’t eat it until after dinner!
Em Beitel says
Hi Jana! You can pre-bake the whole thing at home and heat it up again at 350 for 10-15 minutes. We like to use a disposable aluminum container on the go. They come with a plastic top and are perfect to take along to a friend’s house because there is no clean up. Enjoy, and please let us know how it goes! We would love to hear what you think of the galette!
Lauren T says
Love this recipe! You mentioned it can be made in advance and frozen. If freezing after baking, how would it be warmed up for serving? Thank you so much!!!!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Lauren! We’re so glad you enjoy it! To reheat from frozen, place it on a sheet pan (from frozen) and bake at 350°F until it’s heated through, also about 45-50 minutes.
Francesca says
I’m sorry but what kind of measurement is 1/3 stick of butter? Can you please list ingredients by weight (grams or ounces)? It’s so much more precise and eliminates any confusion.
Em Beitel says
Hi Francesca! 1/3 stick of butter is 1.33 oz or 37.8 g.