The holidays are a wonderful time for a quick, easy, healthy apple galette recipe. Instead of a pie, make a no-fuss, simple apple galette in minutes and wow your guests.
What I love about this apple galette recipe is it doesn't require any skills or fancy lattice-patterned pie crust. Instead, with a few simple ingredients, this apple galette is ready in minutes. You can serve it with vegan vanilla ice cream, or it tastes fabulous on its own. I even added maple-roasted pecans for a bonus.
Jump to:
What is a Galette?
Unlike traditional pies, galettes are sweet or savory depending on teh ingredients inside the dough. The deep, sloped edges of a pie pan help a pie crust hold its structure as it bakes and firms up. Still, a galette is baked directly on a rimmed cookie sheet with the edges and corners of the dough turned up roughly over toward the center of the ingredients to house the delicious insides.
Galettes are pies made without using a pie dish with any pastry dough.
As a result, the same dough for a sweet pie for dessert is also used for a savory entree served at dinner.
How to Make the Dough
For instance, I used the same oil-free dough for this apple galette recipe for making pizza, vegan mushroom Wellington, and vegetable strudel.
However, feel free to use any vegan pie dough recipe or vegan puff pastry recipe. I always make several oil-free pizza dough recipes and freeze them so I can make various recipes throughout the month.
Galette Ingredients
- Granny Smith Apples: There is only one word to describe the flavor of Granny Smith: acidic. It is an uncompromising crisp hard apple with a very sharp taste; when making an apple galette, it is essential to use both tart and sweet apples to balance the flavor.
- Honey Crisp Apples: Honeycrisp apples are known for their honey-sweet flavor. This apple is juicier than most apples because the cells of this apple are much larger than in other varieties. Each bite is a refreshing mouthful of apple goodness that keeps you wanting more! You do get notes of a pear flavor with this fruit.
- Cinnamon: The most common spice with apples is cinnamon, giving them a spicy edge.
- Lemon Juice: The lemon juice helps balance the acidity in the apples and keeps them from browning. I always use fresh lemon juice whenever possible.
- Maple Syrup: I chose maple syrup as a natural sweetener instead of sugar or brown sugar.
- Corn Starch: Corn starch is added while cooking the apples to help thicken the apple mixture so the bottom of the crust doesn't get soggy when cooking.
- Maple Pecans (Optional): For an added nutty crunch, I toss raw pecans in maple syrup, add a pinch of salt, and bake them on top of the galette for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Galette Ingredient Substitutions
- Any sweet apples in season work well with this recipe. However, it is recommended to pair tart apples with sweet apples for maximum flavor. Try Fuji, Gala, and Golden Delicious apples if you can't find honey crisp.
- Nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice is often substituted for cinnamon in recipes.
- Use bottled lemon juice if you don't have fresh.
- Agave or date syrup is an excellent substitute for maple syrup.
- Potato starch is another good substitute for thickening and baking, as it delivers similar results to cornstarch and requires an equal amount. Other ingredients you can use in place of cornstarch include rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, and psyllium husk.
Making the Filling
- First, peel the apples into equal slices, discarding the core and seeds. Although I peeled the apples, leaving the apple peels attached is also an option.
- Next, add all the ingredients except corn starch, heating the apples with maple syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
- Once the apples break down and get saucy, add the cornstarch by sprinkling it into the apple mixture and stir.
- As a result, the apple mixture thickens.
- Next, set the apple filling aside to cool while you prepare the dough.
Preparing the Dough
I don't consider myself a baker. I love to cook, but fancy desserts are not my thing. But my husband loves dessert, so although I don't bake often, I try occasionally to please those with a sweet tooth in my family.
And for me, this apple galette is right up my alley.
As I said before, I love making an apple galette because there aren't any rules. It's easy, with no definitive requirements other than rolling out the dough in a circle and filling the inside. The rest is easy.
- One little trick I've learned over the years is to roll the dough on parchment paper to move the dough easily onto the baking pan.
- Once the dough is rolled, pour the cooled apple filling into teh center of the dough. Again, no set rules determine how much goes into the middle. If you desire, spread it out a little more.
- The goal is to bring the sides up around the apple mixture, creating a wall or moat around the apple filling.
- As a result, the filling stays inside while baking around the beautiful center.
If you wish to add the maple pecan option, I suggest baking the galette first and adding the gazed pecans to the center of the apple galette during the last five minutes of baking so they get toasted but not burned.
How to Cook the Apple Galette
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
- Rotate the pan halfway through cooking.
- If desired, add the maple pecan mixture during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Allow the galette to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting it into slices.
- Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream or no-fat vanilla Nice cream.
- Or, serve with non-dairy whipped cream.
- The galette stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat, return to a 325-degree oven for 10 minutes, or reheat in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
This French, free-form pie is made with pie dough for the crust and baked on a sheet pan. To make the galette, the pie dough is rolled out into a large circle; the filling (think apple slices or jammy berries) is arranged in the center of the dough, leaving at least a three-inch border.
It's served in slices and can be eaten both hot and cold.
Yes, it also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and serve warm.
Tips
- The dough and filling can be made and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the dough for up to 3 months after being prepared.
- Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and filling.
- You can use any apple variety, but here are my favorites for galettes: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji.
- Adding cornstarch to the filling helps absorb some of the apple's juice in the baking process. It's a great way to prevent a soggy crust on the bottom, keeping the pastry flaky and crisp!
- Roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to transfer to a baking sheet.
- Store the galette covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Place the galette on a baking sheet and warm in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes. The microwave will work for individual slices, but the crust won't stay as crisp.
Try this apple galette recipe this fall for a quick and easy dessert. It is an excellent dessert for the family or to take to a party!
If you love this apple galette recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Apple Galette Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut the apples in to ⅓ inch slcies.
- 2 Honey crisp apples, peeled, cored, and cut the apples into ⅓ inch slices.
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon juice
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Corn starch
Dough
- 1 recipe oil-free dough or vegan pie dough or puff pastry of choice
Maple Glazed Pecans (Optional)
- ¼ cup raw, roughly chopped pecan
- 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Dough
- Prepare dough in advance.
- If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.
Apple Filling
- Core, peel, and cut apples.
- Place the apple pieces in a bowl and toss in the lemon juice.
- Now, add in the maple syrup and cinnamon. Toss again to coat.
- Sprinkle in the corn starch and stir into the mixture.
- Transfer the apple mixture to a pan and cook on medium-low, gently stirring the apple mixture.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes. Then remove from heat and allow to cool while preparing the dough.
Making the Galette
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter.
- Place the dough in the center of the parchment paper, and using a rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough to a circle with an even thickness, about 12 inches in diameter. (It doesn't have to be perfect. It is supposed to be rustic.
- Transfer the dough and parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
- Arrange the apple slices in single rows overlapping each other slightly, leaving about 2 inches of dough on all sides. Fold the dough overhang over the edges of the apple mixture.
- Bake, rotating halfway through, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the apple slices soften and bubble.
- If using the pecan topping, toss the pecans in a bowl with maple syrup and salt.
- Five minutes before the galette is done, remove it from the oven, add the pecan topping, and return to the oven.
- Remove and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
- Add vegan ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- Both the dough and filling can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the dough for up to 3 months after being prepared.
- Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and filling.
- You can use any apple variety, but here are my favorites for galettes: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji.
- Adding cornstarch to the filling helps absorb some of the apple's juice in the baking process. It's a great way to prevent a soggy crust on the bottom, keeping the pastry flaky and crisp!
- Roll the dough on parchment paper to make it easier to transfer to a baking sheet.
- Store the galette covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Warm the galette on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes. The microwave will work for individual slices, but the crust won't stay as crisp.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Shanda
I’m confused on this dough. It doesn’t look like pizza dough. How much dough are you using? Are you using one full batch of your pizza dough? How thin are you rolling it out?
Kathy Carmichael
Shanda, the recipe provides two crusts, as indicated in the recipe. It is pizza dough without any oil. I use one and freeze the other dough to use for pizza, or portobello wellington, or vegan pot pie.
Valerie Wilkes
I made this recipe but the dough was very difficult to work with. It stuck to the parchment paper after being rolled out making it impossible to fold over the toppings. In the pizza recipe there is no mention of chilling the dough but this recipe states to roll out 'chilled' dough. Also, the recipe for dough doesn't state to knead the dough unless you're adding more water. Do I knead the dough if I don't add water and then chill it? I'd like to try it again with better instructions on how to handle the dough. The topping was delicious but the crust needed work.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Valarie, sorry for the confusion. Yes, you need to chill the dough. That should help alleviate the stickiness issue. Yes, you need to knead the dough. Then, chill it. Add a little flour to the parchment paper or surface you plan to roll the dough out on. I hope this helps.
Valerie Wilkes
I knew I was doing something wrong as all of your recipes turn out amazing. I will make this again this weekend. I must say, the filling for the recipe was so delicious, we could have eaten it without the pastry and enjoyed a wonderful desert. Thank you for your quick response.
Kathy Carmichael
Valerie, Can I help? What went wrong? Please let me know so I can try to help.
Lisa Strodes
Your recipes are amazing!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lisa, thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipes. I appreciate the feedback.