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
OMG, I went through all the steps, but then when I got to the egg wash part, I realized I don’t have any eggs! What can I use to sub? Halp!
Hi Mar, you could do a light milk wash instead, or simply leave it off. The crust just won’t be quite as golden/shiny.
Sally, on your apple pie recipe you give optional cooking of apples. Can you do this for the galette?
Hi Jeannie, yes, you can. Enjoy!
I made this gallete for a Rosh Hashana holiday meal at a friend’s house. Everyone was so impressed!
It was delicious and pretty straight-forward to make, including the caramel sauce! I never had the confidence I could make my own caramel and this was so simple! (I only used a tiny bit of salt)
The Apple Galatte made tonight was very good. Next time I’ll go with with 4 cups of apples,it took longer to cook the 5 cups completely. My only problem was with the salty carmrl sauce drizzle. The sauce was way too salty tasting. I was able to salvage it by adding powered sugar to the sauce after it cooled off but next time I’ll leave the salt out altogether. The Apple Galette was not only tasty, it was really beautiful when it was done baking. I love all your recipes! This summer my husband and I ate our way through so many of your fruit cobblers! Thank you for another amazing recipe Sally!
Hi! I’m making this for tomorrow night! Is it possible to make the galette the night before and bake the next morning? Or would chill over 8 hours mess up the galette. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Haleigh, that should work just fine—enjoy!
My apples didn’t cook all the way through. I can’t understand it. I followed the recipe exactly, and checked over it again afterwards to see if I’d messed up. I used a mixture of Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and MacIntosh apples, and they were all cut in 1/4″ slices. I baked for 35 minutes–would have given some extra time, because I poked a few apples with a toothpick–but had to pull it out because the crust was a tiny bit past perfect. I bake a lot, and my oven is pretty reliable. I wonder what could have happened. Luckily, the crust was awesome as it always is, and my family finished their servings, hard apples and all. But what happened?
Hi Joan, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. It sounds like your galette filling could benefit from some additional bake time. If you find this happening, but the crust seems done, you can create a pie shield with aluminum foil that will cover the crust but keep the center filling exposed so that it can continue to bake. Or you could bake it on a lower rack to prevent burning, knowing that you’ll need to extend the bake time a bit. Hope this helps and thank you for giving this recipe a try!
This recipe was simple and actually quite fun to make, especially when arranging the apples. I would have given it 5 stars, except that I felt the filling was a bit dry. I used 3 apples, and I was struggling to layer all of the slices, which became very high. I also preferred tohave slightly less nutmeg. Next time I’ll do 1/4 teaspoon so that more of the cinammon spice jumps out..
I’ve made your galette recipe in the past using your cherry pie filling. It was so good and much easier for me. I’m going apple picking soon, does the apple filling freeze well?
Hi Lisa, the filling should freeze well for up to 3 months. Hope you enjoy this one!
Hi Sally, I make my own pizza dough and have a few balls left in my freezer I want to use up – would pizza dough work in place of the pie crust recipe? Should I add butter to my dough? Thanks!
Hi Beth, we haven’t tried using pizza dough instead, but we fear it may puff up a bit too much. If you do decide to try it, let us know how it goes!
Can I use puff pastry instead of a pie crust recipe?
Hi Mary Ellen, Puff pastry would be delicious for a galette! Let us know if you give it a try.
Sally, can I make the galette today for company tomorrow? Will it really affect the flavors that much if it’s baked a day ahead? I will use the warming oven to reheat before serving.
Hi Linda, yes, you can make it a day ahead and reheat. Hope it was a hit!
So good, so easy ! I have made is recipe several times and it’s excellent every time. The crust is perfect and easy to prepare. The apple filling is delicious. I love a recipe that is quick, easy and delicious.
I made this last weekend and didn’t add the salted caramel. It was wonderful. I made it again today (the same way with the same apples) and it came out a sticky mess and ruined my baking sheet! The caramel dripped all over my oven! I am a huge fan of your recipes and have made dozens and dozens, but something went wrong here and now I have wasted time and ingredients and have nothing to serve guests for dessert!
Your apple galette recipe is quick, easy and so delicious! I have also made your pie crust, coconut cream pie and your fabulous coconut cake. Every recipe is easy to follow and the results are delicious every time. Thank you, Sally !!!
If letting my dough sit in the fridge for 2 days, do I need to let it come to room temp?
Hi Des, no you want it to be cold.
Excellent and so quick & easy! Baked 2 together side by side on sheet pan (seperate parchment for easy transfer to plate after baking) and took exactly the 35 minutes, used granny smith and abrosia apples and were perfectly done and beautiful. Thanks for the recipe!
Even better than I expected. I used one Pillsbury pie crust, and didn’t have any eggs for an egg wash, so I brushed on heavy cream. The only apples I had were some old Yellow Delicious from my tree, which had been refrigerated for me baths. Despite these modifications, the results were superb! Thank you for another great recipe.
Cooking this for 36 minutes at 400 is too short a baking time. Apples were not cooked. Nutmeg should have been omitted
My family adored this for thanksgiving dessert! I hadn’t made the sauce yet when I put the galette in the fridge so I didn’t add any sauce prior to cooking. But I don’t think it mattered one bit. And the salted caramel sauce is a must!!
I’m excited to try this recipe. I do not have a pastry cutter. Can I use a food processor? Most galette/pie dough recipes suggest using a food processor. Wondering what the difference would be. Thanks so much!!
Hi AA, you can use a food processor. We recommend a pastry cutter because personally, we like to get a feel for the dough.
Followed the recipe exactly and this was so delicious! The caramel sauce is just divine with the apples!
I misread the make ahead instructions and assembled it rather than only making the components and refrigerating. Would you recommend wrapping and freezing before or after baking at this point?
Hi Stephanie, we would recommend baking the galette and then freezing.
Used exactly as written with two granny smith and one honey crisp with dulce de leches and ice cream on the side and it was the hit at Friendsgiving. Thank you!
Used exactly as written with two granny smith and one honey crisp with dulce de leches and ice cream on the side and it was the hot st Friendsgiving
Can I make these in mini versions and freeze them for a grab and heat dessert? If so how would I cook them from foren?
Hi Amy, absolutely! You can see our mini galettes here. Baked and cooled galettes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature, if desired, before enjoying.
I made this recipe for Friendsgiving this year! It looks beautiful and was easy to follow. How do you recommend reheating it in full form at my friends house? It’s already fully baked.
Hi Jordan, you can serve it room temperature or rewarm it in the oven to your liking. Hope it’s a hit!
Hello! This looks delicious!~. Please may I ask; do you think, is there a less refined sugar I could use – honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup or whatever – without sacrificing too much flavor?
Hi Kate, we don’t recommend a liquid sweetener here. While you could try using coconut sugar, the overall taste will be a bit different. For best results, we recommend sticking to the recipe as written. Hope you enjoy it!
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
We absolutely love this recipe! So much easier than make a pie! The flavor is delicious. I made 2 so I could share with family!
This recipe is fabulous. Could you suggest a savoury galette
Hi Susan! Glad you enjoyed it. We don’t have a savory galette recipe at this time, but we do love this vegetable cheese tart. And this tomato galette from Love and Lemons looks fabulous, too: https://www.loveandlemons.com/tomato-galette/
I know a recipe for a mushroom, leek and pea galette (from the recipe book ‘weekday vegetarians’). If you are comfortable freestyling it: the filling is cooked before adding to the pie crust (no flour or other thickener required) and then the whole shebang is baked until the pie crust is golden. Use one of Sally’s crust recipes for the crust. Delicious!