This apple galette starts with a flaky crust, filled with apples and cinnamon and topped with a crunchy sweet crisp. If you like apple pie or apple crisp, this apple galette will be a winner on your dessert plate! It’s perfectly satisfying without being overly sweet.
Apples aren’t in season yet as I write this, but when they are I want this apple galette recipe to be ready and waiting for you to find! And look at that, you did, you found it.
I think of a galette like the rustic, lower maintenance cousin to an open-faced pie. Galettes are easy to make, hard to screw up and less fussy than their cousins.
In fact, the imperfect nature of a galette is part of its charm. And damn, galettes are delicious!
I created this apple galette recipe by starting with my from-scratch gluten-free pie dough. It bakes up deliciously buttery and flaky! I top it with sliced apples seasoned with brown sugar and cinnamon, then a layer of the same sweet crisp I use in my homemade apple crisp.
If you aren’t gluten-free you can definitely use a regular pie crust with this apple galette recipe!
What is a Galette?
Galette is a term used by the French to define flat, free-form pies without a crust on top.
It’s like your French grandmother was intending to make a fruit pie, but dropped her pie dish into pieces on the floor and thought “Bugger, I’m making this pie anyway!”.
Galettes make my heart smile because they sum up my most beloved principles about desserts:
- keep it simple
- and not too sweet
- so the ingredients can shine
With that, let’s get baking like the French!
Apple Galette Ingredients
Sweet crisp topping:
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tbs light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbs melted butter
Apple filling:
- 1 3/4 cups chopped organic apples, I’m using Fuji
- 1 tbs light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pie crust:
- 1 gluten-free pie crust (or regular pie crust)
- 1 egg, for the egg wash
- 1 tsp turbinado sugar, plus more to taste
How to Make an Apple Galette
1. Mix the sweet crisp topping
Mix the dry ingredients for the sweet crisp topping in a medium bowl.
Add the melted butter and stir well so that every bit of the crisp is moistened by the butter. Place the crisp in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the galette (this is important).
2. Prep the apple filling
Peel and slice the apples to between 3/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Then cut each slice into bite-size pieces. You’ll get 2 to 3 pieces per slice, depending on the size of your apples.
Place the apples in a large bowl and add the brown sugar, corn starch and cinnamon. Stir well so all the apple pieces are coated with the seasoning.
Set the bowl aside while you make the egg wash and roll out the galette dough.
3. Make the egg wash
You’ll brush a simple egg wash over the exposed part of the galette crust so it browns nicely when baked.
To make the egg wash – first separate the yolk from the white and save the white (we’re going to use that for something else in step 5). Whisk the yolk with half a tablespoon of water. This is the egg wash, save it for step 7.
4. Roll out the galette dough
Start with a chilled gluten-free pie dough. Roll it out on a piece of plastic wrap to about 1/8 inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Be sure to read my tips for rolling out a gluten-free dough if you haven’t done so before. Gluten-free dough requires special handling.
Now transfer that dough to your baking pan.
The easiest way to do this is to cut a piece of parchment paper wide enough to hold the dough and put it on top of your rolled out dough. Slide a hand under the plastic wrap, lift and gently flip it over so the rolled out dough is on top of the parchment paper. Remove the plastic wrap and carefully transfer the dough to a large baking sheet for the next steps.
5. Fill the galette with topping
Stir the egg white briefly with a fork then brush it over the center surface of the dough. Leave 2 inches around the edge without egg white. The egg white creates a barrier that ensures your galette crust isn’t made soggy by the apples.
Next, spread the apple filling, and any resulting juices, over the center of the galette dough. Leave 2.5 inches of space around the edge to fold over in the next step.
Evenly top the apples with a thin layer of the chilled crisp. You’ll need to break it up with your fingers. Cover as much of the apples as possible with the crisp.
6. Fold in the edges of the galette
This step creates that signature galette crust. Don’t worry about getting it perfect, imperfect is the hallmark of a galette.
Gluten-free pie dough does not hold together as well as regular pie dough. It will crack when you start folding the edges in. And that’s OK.
I find it helpful to lift up the side of the parchment a little, elevating the edge of the dough, then I peel it away from the parchment paper and continue to fold it over so it meets the apple filling. A galette crust should be about an inch wide.
Tip: Create loose folds, avoid the temptation to press the edges down. A tightly-pressed edge will bake up more dense and less light and flaky.
7. Egg wash and sugar the crust
The final delicious step before baking! Brush the egg wash that you made in step 3 over the edges of the crust. You won’t need all the egg wash for this.
Then sprinkle a teaspoon of turbinado sugar all around the crust. This will result in a subtly sweet crust. If you have more of a sweet tooth, take another half to full teaspoon of the turbinado sugar and generously sprinkle it over the entire galette.
8. Bake the galette at 350 degrees
Place the pan in the center of a preheated oven. It’ll take about 50 minutes to bake.
Check it at 30 minutes, if the crisp is browning, cover the center with a piece of foil so it doesn’t burn. Then continue checking for doneness every 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and enjoy while it’s warm!
If you’d like more gluten-free galette recipes check out my gluten-free peach galette and blueberry galette. They are so delicious!
Apple Galette FAQ
How long will a gluten-free galette keep for?
Gluten-free galettes are best enjoyed the day they’re baked. That’s when the crust is the crunchiest and the flavors really shine.
Gluten-free pie crust gets soft faster than a regular pie crust. And even if you made this apple galette with regular pie dough, the crisp topping won’t be as crisp the next day.
I still enjoy galettes the next day though! By two days, the galette is noticeably less appealing.
How do you make a galette not soggy?
I brush my galette dough with an egg white before adding the toppings. This creates a barrier between the crust and the ingredients, and my galettes have never been soggy as a result. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the egg white after baking your galette.
Do you peel the apples for an apple galette?
Absolutely yes, the apples should be peeled. I once made an apple galette and forgot to peel the apples and it wasn’t the same with skin on apples. The apples didn’t bake down as well, and the texture of unpeeled apples wasn’t as nice.
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Apple Galette with Sweet Crisp Topping (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Sweet Crisp Topping
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Apple Filling
- 1 3/4 cups organic apples chopped
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pie Crust
- 1 pie crust, uncooked gluten-free or regular
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp turbinado sugar plus more to taste
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients for the sweet crisp topping in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir well so that every bit of the crisp is moistened by the butter. Place the crisp in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the galette (this is important).
- Peel and slice the apples to between 3/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Then cut each slice into bite-size pieces. You’ll get 2 to 3 pieces per slice, depending on the size of your apples.
- Place the apples in a large bowl and add the brown sugar, corn starch and cinnamon. Stir well so all the apple pieces are coated with the seasoning. Set the bowl aside while you make the egg wash and roll out the galette dough.
- Separate the egg yolk from the white into two separate bowls and save the white (we’re going to use that for something else later). Whisk the yolk with half a tablespoon of water. This is the egg wash, save it for step 9.
- Roll out a chilled pie dough on a piece of plastic wrap to about 1/8 inch thick and 12 inches in diameter.*Transfer the rolled out pie dough to a large baking sheet.**
- Stir the egg white briefly with a fork then brush it over the center surface of the dough. Leave 2 inches around the edge without egg white. The egg white creates a barrier that ensures your galette crust isn’t made soggy by the apples.
- Next, spread the apple filling, and any resulting juices, over the center of the galette dough. Leave 2.5 inches of space around the edge to fold over in the next step.
- Evenly top the apples with a thin layer of the chilled crisp. You’ll need to break it up with your fingers. Cover as much of the apples as possible with the crisp. Then fold in the edges of the dough to create a 1-inch crust.
- Brush the egg wash that you made in step 4 over the edges of the crust. You won’t need all the egg wash for this. Then sprinkle a teaspoon of turbinado sugar all around the crust.***
- Bake at 350 until the crust is starting to brown. This will take around 50 minutes. But, check it at 30 minutes, if the crisp is browning, cover the center with a piece of foil so it doesn’t burn. Then continue checking for doneness every 10 to 15 minutes.
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