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What makes this apple galette recipe extra special? A cooked apple filling promises tender juicy apple slices, while the golden brown pie crust adds just enough crunch! Make the galette crust up to 2 days in advance! This free form apple tart is perfect for the holidays – especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce!
Thanksgiving Apple Galette
Before we had kids, I baked 5 pies every Thanksgiving. Yes, 5! From scratch, no shortcuts. I also baked cookies and homemade ice cream. Ha.
These days, as happy but busy mama of 2 littles, Thanksgiving looks a little (lot) different. Last year I baked zero pies! Zero cookies! And the ice cream was from a local shop.
But don’t cry for us yet, because we made this gorgeous golden brown apple galette recipe and it saved the day! A free form pie crust makes this a fun baking project with – or without kids! And the apple filling is to-die-for! Add a couple scoops of vanilla, and you’ll be in heaven!
The Best Baking Apples
With so many apple choices on the market, you may be wonder, what’s the best baking apple for my apple galette?! Granny smith? Golden delicious?
To be honest, there’s not just one choice! You have a few options:
- Granny Smith
- Pink Lady
- Braeburn
- Honeycrisp (my personal favorite!)
- Golden Delicious
- Jonagold
- Mutsu
- Northern Spy
- Winesap
You can use all one variety or mix and match your baking apples! We chose these apples as top contenders because they taste delicious and hold their shape well when baked.
Apple Galette Ingredients
- Apples: You’ll need 2 and 1/2 pounds of baking apples, peeled and sliced.
- Sugar: A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar add sweetness and moisture to the apple filling.
- Cornstarch & Flour: This combo perfectly sets the apple filling so it’s juicy but not runny!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds rich vanilla flavor and enhances the other flavors in the apple galette!
- Lemon Juice: Balances flavors and keeps the apples fresh.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger add cozy flavor! While a pinch of salt balances sweetness and enhances other flavors!
- Egg: You’ll need an egg (and a splash of water) to make the egg wash:
- Butter: Use high-quality butter for the crust, and for the apple filling. I dot the apple filling with butter before it goes in the oven. Which makes the apple filling extra rich!
- Flour: For the crust, use all-purpose flour for best results.
- Sparkling Sugar: Optional, but gives the crust a gorgeous sparkly finish!
You’ll also want to have vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on hand for serving!
Make the Apple Filling
Unlike 99% of the apple galette recipes on the web, my recipe asks you to pre-cook the apple filling. Is this an extra step? Yes, but hear me out! Biting into a undercooked apple is, for me at least, the same as eating an undercooked carrot or potato.
And I don’t find 40-45 minutes enough time to fully cook the apples. So my solution is giving them just a tiny head start. By cooking them on the stovetop, you begin to release some of their moisture and break the texture down.
Your reward for this extra step? Melt-in-your-mouth soft apples! That – BONUS – also caramelize on the top!
Free Form Pie Crust
Unlike a traditional apple pie crust, an apple galette crust is much more free form. You’ll still need a rolling pin and some elbow grease. But you don’t have the same pressure for the crust to be super perfect.
- Always use cold water for pie dough! I take my cold water to the next level by making ice water. The colder the dough, the flakier the pie crust will be.
- Use quality butter! I use Irish butter because I love the taste, but use whatever you trust for your pies.
- Make sure the butter is COLD! Are you noticing a theme here? We want cold ingredients so our free form crust bakes up flaky and golden brown!
- You can make the pie dough up to 48 hours in advance and store it in the fridge.
- Then roll the crust out, place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and chill in the fridge.
Brush The Crust with Egg Wash
The secret to a golden brown galette crust? Egg wash! Although a proper all-butter pie crust will bake up golden-ish. The egg wash is what transforms the exterior into a shiny golden brown work of art!
Luckily, egg wash is easy to make. Just whisk an egg with a little water until well combined. Then use a pastry brush to lightly brush the pie crust.
Bake The Crust
Once you’ve make the apple pie filling and let it cool, and you’ve made your galette crust and rolled it out, it’s time to assemble and bake the crust!
- Remove the baking sheet with the galette crust from the fridge, then scrape the apple filling into the center of the crust.
- Fold edges of dough over apple filling, pleating the pie crust as needed.
- Brush the pastry generously with egg wash and generously sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake the galette until the crust is golden and the apple filling is bubbling, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Whipped Cream vs Vanilla Ice Cream
I grew up in an apple pie and vanilla ice cream household, so I am definitely biased to this combination! A scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce… heaven!
That said, if you’re not a vanilla ice cream person, whipped cream is a gorgeous addition! I wouldn’t suggest adding it to the entire galette. But instead serving it in a dish on the side, allowing your guests to add their own dollop if desired.
If you’re looking for a fun spin on apple pie, try this gorgeous apple galette recipe!
More Apple Recipes
- Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Recipe
- Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe
- Cute Little Apple Pies
- Apple Crisp Bars
Apple Galette Recipe
Ingredients
Galette Crust:
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300g) all-purspose flour
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter very cold, cubed
- 1/2 cup (113ml) ice water
Apple Filling:
- 2 and 1/2 pounds baking apples cored, peeled, sliced
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (53g) light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon (14ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (14ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons water
- 1/4 cup sparkling sugar
Instructions
Galette Crust:
- In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, and salt Add butter and using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse meal forms. The butter should be about the size of peas.
- Slowly add in just enough ice water to form moist clumps. Gather the dough into a ball and form into a ball then gently flatten into a disc.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge 15 minutes before you plan on rolling, as dough that is too cold will crack.
- Lightly flour a rolling pin and a large clean work surface. Set the dough in the middle of the work surface and – beginning from the center of the disk – roll the dough away from you in one firm and even stroke.
- After each stroke, rotate the disc a quarter turn clockwise and roll again. Lightly sprinkle more flour on the work surface, pie dough, and rolling pin as needed. You want to use just enough to prevent the dough from sticking.
- As your disc of dough becomes larger, be sure not to overstretch the center of the dough. Continue rolling until the dough is about 16-inches in diameter, and around a 1/4" in thickness.
- Place the dough on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes,.
Apple Filling:
- In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, sugars, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, spices, and salt until thoroughly combined.
- Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the apple mixture into the pan and cook for 8 minutes, or until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat.
- Scrape the filling into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to help it evenly cool faster.
Egg Wash:
- In a small bowl whisk the egg and water together until well combined.
Assembly:
- Remove the baking sheet with the galette crust from the fridge. Scrape the apple filling into the center of the crust and spread it out slightly, leaving it mounded slightly in the center.
- Dot the cubed butter on top of the apple filling.
- Fold edges of dough over filling, partially covering apples (center should not be covered) and pleating dough as necessary.
- Brush the pastry generously with egg wash and generously sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake the galette in the middle of the oven until the crust is golden and the apple filling is bubbling, about 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with ice cream.
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