From-scratch apple galette is as delicious as apple pie, but half the time and work! This easy yet impressive fall dessert is complete with a thick and flaky homemade all-butter crust and a drizzle of salted caramel. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate indulgence!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and more helpful success tips.
If you love my salted caramel apple pie, you’re in for a real treat today! We’re making a simple apple galette that’s exactly 97% easier than pie (I did the math ;)).
My galette crust, which is both flaky and buttery, makes a cozy bed for the warm and tender apple slices, which get tucked in nice and snug. The apples within are coated in brown-sugared, cinnamon-spiced goodness. Is this easy fall dessert enjoyment or what?!
There’s a lot to cover today, so let’s dive in.
One reader, Danica, commented: “Wow, this was extremely easy and just as delicious as your pies! Thank you for my new go-to recipe! Can’t get enough of your caramel sauce… so yummy! ★★★★★“
Why You Need to Make a Galette
Galettes are a wonderful alternative to pie when, you know, you don’t feel like making an actual pie. Have you ever made one before? Strawberry peach galette, berry galette, blueberry galette, apple brie phyllo galette, and ginger pear galette are some of my favorites.
Galettes are delicious, approachable, and best of all: low maintenance. I like to call them “lazy pies” because there’s no complicated shaping involved. Just as delicious and awesome as pie, but there’s no weaving, crimping, trimming, or any of that meticulousness business.
They’re essentially free-form pies, and you really can’t mess this up. If you can fold dough over filling, you can make a galette. The best part is that you’ll receive heart-eyed reactions anytime you serve an elaborate-looking galette, as if you spent all day creating something so beautifully scrumptious.
Same story with my mini fruit galettes, too!
Here’s everything you need:
Here’s How to Make My BEST Apple Galette Dough
The base of today’s galette is a buttery, flaky crust made from simple ingredients like flour, butter, and ice-cold water. This is actually the same dough we use to make pear tarte tatin. Have you ever tried my all-butter pie crust recipe? This galette dough is similar, but it’s *slightly* sweeter and yields only 1 crust. You can also use 1 of the crusts from my flaky pie crust recipe instead (that recipe yields 2 crusts).
I love how thick today’s crust is… think multiple flaky, buttery layers of crust enveloping sweet, cinnamon-y apples. Perfectly delectable!
Make the dough, then chill it before rolling it out and adding the filling. When you roll out galette dough, don’t worry if it’s not a perfect circle. Leave whatever shape it rolls out to be.
(How fun is it to have so few baking rules today?!)
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.
Apple Galette Filling
The filling for this apple galette combines fall’s favorite spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. You’ll also add brown sugar for sweetness, lemon juice for brightness (it tastes a little flat without it!), and 3–4 peeled, sliced apples. Unlike pies where you can pile the fillings super high, galettes don’t really like it when there’s too much filling. The crust will become mushy and no amount of oven time can save it. Plus, you won’t have enough pie dough to fold over an over-filled galette!
Whenever I make apple pie bars, apple pie, or even apple cake, I always use 2 different kinds of apples for more depth of flavor (half sweet, half tart). For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties and when to use each, you can visit my post on The Best Apples for Baking.
Success Tip: Keep the filling flat and compact, while leaving a 2–3-inch border so you can fold the edges over.
Brush the crust’s edges with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw, or something like these coarse sugar sprinkles.
Success Tip: Chill the shaped galette for at least 15–20 minutes before baking to ensure it holds its shape. I usually do this while the oven preheats. It’s also plenty of time to whip up a batch of salted caramel!
Optional Salted Caramel
For an apple galette upgrade, drizzle homemade salted caramel on top of the apple filling before baking.
If you haven’t tried my salted caramel recipe before, now is the perfect opportunity. You need 4 easy ingredients and it takes about 10 minutes on the stove. No candy thermometer needed! You can also use it as a dip for apples, drizzle it on ice cream or pound cake, and more. In fact, here are 50+ ways to use salted caramel.
Today’s galette doesn’t take very long to bake and there’s no waiting for it to cool completely before serving. There’s only about 45 minutes between baking and eating. (Compare that to 5+ hours waiting for a pie to cook and cool!) Slice and serve with a scoop of ice cream and more salted caramel.
More Recipes With Apples
- Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
- Baked Apples
- Apple Pie Bars (with Salted Caramel on top!)
- Apple Crumb Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Caramel Apples
- Apple Cobbler
- Apple Turnovers
Easy Apple Galette
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 galette; about 8 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
As delicious and impressive as pie, but half the time and work! This simple apple galette is a favorite fall dessert. Assembling it couldn’t be easier, and there’s no need to wait hours for it to cool before slicing. Prepare your dough at least 1 hour ahead of time, so it has time to chill in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for work surface
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) cold unsalted butter, cubed*
- 1/4 cup (60ml) ice-cold water, plus more as needed
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar
Filling
- 3–4 apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (about 4–5 cups (500–600g) slices)*
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (12g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- optional: salted caramel sauce
Instructions
- Make the crust: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs. Add the water and stir until the flour is moistened. Add 1–2 more Tablespoons of water if the dough seems dry. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using your hands, work the dough into a ball. Flatten it into a thick disc. Wrap the dough disc in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
- As the dough chills, prepare the filling: Mix the apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Cover tightly and let sit until the dough is ready. I usually cover it and keep it in the refrigerator during this time.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Clear some shelf space in your refrigerator because the shaped galette must chill in step 6. (See recipe Note below.)
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle—it doesn’t have to be perfect. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet. (You can also roll the dough out right on the parchment paper or silicone baking mat that you are using to line the baking pan. If doing so, lightly flour the parchment paper or baking mat.)
- Arrange the apples (and any juices from the bottom of the bowl) into the center of the dough, leaving a 2–3-inch border all around them. You can simply spoon the filling on, or arrange the apple slices in a more deliberate design, such as concentric circles. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, overlapping the dough as necessary. Press gently to seal the edges. Brush the crust edges generously with egg wash and sprinkle the crust with coarse sugar, if desired. If desired, drizzle 3 Tablespoons of salted caramel over the filling (not the crust).
- Refrigerate the shaped galette for at least 15–20 minutes as the oven preheats (next step), and up to 8 hours. If refrigerating for longer than 1–2 hours, cover it lightly. The galette will lose its shape if it’s not cold when it hits the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 35–36 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream and more salted caramel sauce drizzled on top.
- Cover and store leftover galette in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Both the dough and filling can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months after preparing it in step 1. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and filling.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Rubber Spatula | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Rolling Pin | Pastry Brush | Coarse Sugar Sprinkles
- Butter: Make sure your cubed butter is very cold. I like to chill it in the freezer for about 15 minutes ahead of time.
- Apples: You can use any apple variety, but here are my favorites for galettes: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji. For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties and when to use each, you can visit my post on The Best Apples for Baking.
- Chilling shaped galette before baking: Chilling the shaped galette in the refrigerator in step 6 helps it maintain its shape in the oven. I usually refrigerate it for 15 minutes as the oven preheats. If your refrigerator doesn’t have room for your baking sheet, or you’re nervous about transferring a cold metal baking sheet to a hot oven (which can cause warping), try this: Assemble the galette on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, then lift the parchment/baking mat with galette as a whole directly onto a shelf in the refrigerator. After chilling, when ready to bake, carefully lift up and place the entire parchment/baking mat with galette onto the baking sheet.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi! Was considering making 2 smaller galettes with this recipe—do you think that would work? And if so, would you/how would you alter the bake time? Thank you!
Hi Meghan, you could definitely make two smaller galettes. Bake time will be slightly less, so keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
I made this today, using both Honey Crisp apples and Jonagolds. Rather than the caramel sauce, I brushed Apricot Jam (melted in the microwave) over the apples right after taking it from the over. Delish!
My galette is in the oven, but I had difficulty with the crust. I’ve made piecrust probably a dozen times with success, but for whatever reason, this dough really fell apart on me. Very sticky and didn’t hold together well – any ideas??
This is a wonderful and quite easy recipe to make. This is my second time
making it. The crust is a lovely flakey dream. I was fortunate to get some
Brambly apples from the UK at the Apple Festival at Ithaca NY. They are
really special in a pie or galette, the flavor is incredible. I added blackberries
I am going to make the caramel sauce this time.
Can you make the Apple galette and freeze before baking
Hi Betty, we don’t recommend freezing the shaped galette. Both the dough and filling can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months after prepared in step 1. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and filling. Or, you can make and refrigerate the baked galette for up to 4 days.
There seems to be something missing in the instructions. How long and at what temp do I bake the galette?
Hi Georgette, see steps 7 and 8.
I think there might be something wrong with the website because I can’t see steps 6 and 7 either
Just to follow up-I opened the website on my computer browser and can see all the steps. But on a mobile app it only goes to step 5
I made the recipe and it was absolutely wonderful. I do have a question. The crust gets soggy. What am I doing wrong? The top is fine. All the liquid from the apple mixture soaks the bottom of the galette. It happens when I make a pie too. How can I correct my cooking??? All your recipes are fantastic! You are my go to for all my baking! Thank you for making everything so clear and easy!!!!
Hi Dianne! Does the filling seem to be baked through? Perhaps the galette (and your fruit pies) could use a little extra time in the oven. If the top is already browning, you can add foil to keep it from burning while the rest of the pie bakes through.
Love this recipe and making the first one of the Apple season!
This is the best ! I love it ! where are my manners, i’m sorry for being so rude, my name is Sophia and I was going to say : this gave my a chance to be
myself and show I have skills to my family and it was fun and delicious.
Thank you Sally
Kind regards, Sophia
I made this for my mother in law for Mother’s Day and it was a huge hit! She’s a big fan of apple pie, but we live in Arizona so May is already a little warm for a full, heavy apple pie. She had never had a galette before and we are now two days out from Mother’s Day and she’s still talking about how much she loved it – especially the salted caramel drizzle. The only modifications I made were that I used a standard homemade all butter pie crust, I braided the crust rather than folding it over just to make it look fancier since it was a “gift,” and I stuffed the braided crust with some of the leftover spiced apple slices that looked like they wouldn’t fit in the middle. I also sprinkled some cornstarch into the remaining juices left from the spiced apples and poured the juices over the filling before baking to maintain more moisture and add flavor. It came out beautifully.
Do you have. A pic of your braided crust ?
Yum! I made it vegan, substituting vegan butter and using an alternative egg wash (melted vegan butter, oat milk, and agave) and my friends loved it! I baked it probably 8 minutes longer than the instructions because it didn’t brown as quickly, but it was not at all burnt or overcooked.
Is it possible to use your Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe instead of the all butter crust? I find the buttery flaky pie crust recipe to be more tender but I’m worried that the crust will be too soft for this recipe. Btw, I love your recipes. They are delicious and well thought out.
Hi Kim! Yes, you can use that pie crust here. Happy baking!
I’ve made this a few times and wanted to let you know it is terrific it is. I tried two things last round that worked very well. Cutting in a tablespoon of Crisco with the butter for the crust. And the caramel went like this: sliced and laid out the apples plain, then took all the spices, lemon, 1/2 cup of sugar , 3 tablespoons cornstarch instead of flour, 1 tablespoon of vanilla, and a quarter cup of raspberry couli left from a cheesecake, and boiled that into a caramel. A big tablespoon of butter stirred in after cooking, let it cool completely, then folded up the galette and poured it inside. Let it all rest in the fridge then baked as you instruct. It was worth the effort.
I’ve made your recipe twice now and each time my family has loved it! I found store pie crust on sale and decided to make mini galettes for my house and my daughter’s! I followed the recipe, but made each crust about 10” around. Such a nice treat! The only change I made was reducing the baking time to 32 minutes. Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipe – easy to make and delicious.
I have some organic lard, can I substitute it for the butter in the apple galette pastry? If so, how much would I use? Does the lard have to be room temp or cold from the refrigerator? Thanks so much, I enjoy your site. Molly
Hi Molly, we haven’t tested lard here, but you can certainly give it a try. We would maybe try replacing half the butter instead of all of it to keep the buttery flavor. Make sure the lard is cold, substituting the same amount.
Great recipe except, as a previous baker said, the bottom crust was hard to cut into. I followed the directions exactly as listed and my oven temp is accurate ( I check it with a Thermoworks gauge)
I would appreciate any thoughts on what happened as, overall, I like the dessert. Thank you very much.
Did it seem over-baked? Are you using a dark or light colored baking sheet? You could try mobbing the baking sheet away from the heat source in your oven.
I’ve made this countless times, always to rave reviews. I use a mix of my home grown, organic apples. When apples are fresh and sweet, the caramel sauce is not needed. Maybe it’s useful at the end of season, when you’re using apples that have been in storage for a couple months. I think this is better the day after it’s baked. The moisture — and flavor! — from the fruit travels into the crust, in a good way. Delicious!
Absolutely fabulous delicious recipe – easily and quickly made – never any leftovers! (But I do keep bought pie crusts handy.)
I made this for the first time today for Christmas dessert. I used a mandoline to cut the apples at ¼” as the recipe stated. They were still partially crunchy at 36 minutes. Is this how they were intended? I presumed they were supposed to be cooked all the way through as in an apple pie. I couldn’t cook them longer or the crust would have been too dark. I also weighed the apples after slicing to make sure I wasn’t over-filling the galette. I don’t know if I did something wrong or not!
Are the apples suppose to be crunchy or soft like pie?
Hi Virginia, the apples should soften up if baked through properly.
Absolutely love this Easy Apple Galette recipe. I followed Sally’s recipe, but split the dough in two pieces and it worked perfectly. This was my first attempt and my family loved it.
When chilling the the shaped galette before baking, I place the galette ona parchment paper covered baking sheet for the chilling. After chilling, I then carefully lift up the parchment paper and place the entire parchment with galette onto another baking sheet and then bake. No risk of a cold pan warping or a mishap transfering an unsupported galette into the refrigerator.
I made this recipe today and it turned out perfectly! Definitely going on my “favorites list.”
Do you think I could substitute the brown sugar for honey?
Sally I Always end up with you :> Thank You, your recipes are sincerely “the best”. Quick question before starting on the Galette, can you give me any tips so as not to have pastry with a soggy bottom? Appreciate your help.
Hi Barbara, if you follow these baking instructions, a soggy bottom shouldn’t be a problem!
Can I made as mlnl galetts. Would I need to change baking temperature and time Thank you
Definitely! You can reference our mini galettes post for baking instructions.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times, my family loves it. It’s a wonderful change of pace from apple pie, and is beautifully rustic. My husband works for Ben and Jerry’s ( Unilever ) and he thinks the salted caramel ice cream goes with it perfectly.
We made this yesterday using your All Butter Pie Crust recipe and it was excellent. It’s a keeper! I have been using your pie crust recipe for years and it’s so good! Thanks!
Delicious! Made it GF by using Cup for Cup and it turned out great. Thanks!
I know better than to make a brand new (to me) recipe for guests. This time, it’s to take to our host’s house, as we are the dinner guests! But I followed the directions carefully, prepared too many apples but used almost all to fill the pastry, and it turned out beautifully. Can’t wait to add the caramel sauce and serve it to the assembled guests. Thanks for another great recipe!
Excellent! I made this with half inch cubes of apples with the skin on, and used 1:1 whole wheat pastry flour and AP flour instead of just AP flour. I also used Swedish pearl sugar on the crust. It was really good!
I made the recipe according to directions, and it turned out looking just like your galette. All the pictures on your site matched what I was seeing. However, the bottom crust was hard to cut through–not pie like at all. What happened?