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I’ve been snacking on this apple galette all week. And as I’m eating this thing, I can’t decide what my next bite should be. Crust? Filling? A bit of both? The decision is so tough because they’re both so good. This Easy Apple Galette recipe delivers the best crust and the best filling. Plus, it’s a cinch to make.

How is an apple galette different from an apple pie?

A galette usually refers to a flat, freeform, round baked thing with stuff inside. Even things like stuffed crepes and certain pancakes can be called galettes. A pie, on the other hand, tends to be decidedly NON-freeform (ie: made in a pie plate with crimped edges, etc.). That being said, people also refer to pizzas as pies, which is a bit confusing too, but let’s roll with it.

What makes this Easy Apple Galette so easy?

You can make it any size you want (even mini ones!)
It doesn’t require a pie plate
You only have to roll one crust
Cutting into it is more like cutting into a deep dish apple pizza. It’s easy to get great wedges

FUN FACT: In a recent study I conducted over Instagram, an overwhelming percentage of eaters agreed that a top crust on an apple pie isn’t necessary.

Nervous about making homemade pie dough?

I hear ya. Pastry is one of those things that we’ve been taught to be afraid of. We’re told that the butter must be super cold, you have to be very concerned about overworking the dough, and that one false move will cause a pie dough catastrophe.

And while there are certain guiding principles that will make you a successful pastry maker, the worst-case scenario is still not the end of the world.

Yes, your butter should be cold. Yes, you should work the dough just enough so that it holds together. However, it’s also ok if your first few batches turn out a little on the tough side. There is a learning curve that comes with pie making. The sooner you jump on it, the sooner you’ll master it. I think the most important thing is that you start doing it.

This free-form pie crust is a great place to start because imperfections are ok. You can patch holes and make the pie in whatever oblong shape you want. It’ll taste good no matter what shape it ends up in!

What you’ll need to make this Easy Apple Galette

For the galette dough, all you need is flour, salt, sugar, butter, and cold water.

I use all-purpose white flour for this. Whether the butter is salted or unsalted is up to you. I generally have salted kicking around my house, so that’s what I use.

For the Apple Galette filling, you will need apples (obviously). I like to use granny smith apples for this apple galette because they’re nice and tart and they hold their shape well when they bake. You will also need both white and brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, plus a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt to offset all the sweetness.

How to make this Easy Apple Galette

The Apple Galette dough can be made up to a few days in advance (or months if you freeze it), so let’s start there.

For the dough:

Start by combining the dry ingredients in a bowl (or the bowl of a food processor) and mix to combine.
If you’re using a food processor, add the cubes of ice-cold butter into the dry ingredients and blend only until there are no big pieces left. The biggest piece of butter should be about the size of a pea. When doing this by hand, I like to flake the butter and flour between my fingers to create little sheets of butter. In a food processor, it turns out like more of a rubble. Both work!
Finally, add the cold water and bring the mixture together until it is no longer crumbly. We don’t want to over-mix this (no kneading please), just fold it all together so it barely becomes a dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic and flatten it into a disk and chill it for at least 30 minutes before using.

How to make the Apple Galette filling:

First, peel and slice the apples. I usually do this by hand, but if you have a slicing blade on your food processor you can use that. I like to slice the apples fairly thinly so I know they’ll cook through.
Then, toss the apples with the spices, flour, salt, and lemon juice.
Remove your chilled dough from the fridge and roll it out to about a 16″ round. (About the size of a large pizza). Dump the apple mixture in the middle of the dough, leaving about 3 inches of dough around the perimeter for folding. If a lot of juices have collected in the mixture, I recommend holding these back until after you’ve folded the edges up so you don’t have a juicy saucy mess on your hands.
Fold the exposed dough up over the filling by working your way around – overlapping each section over the previous section. (See the recipe video if this is confusing!)
Brush the crust with a beaten egg and sprinkle with some raw or granulated sugar. this is optional, but I highly recommend it for gloss and crunch!
If the dough feels pretty soft, chill the galette for 20-30 minutes before baking. Then, bake at 400 degrees for 35-50 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and the apples should be soft and caramelized.

Success tips:

I made my pie dough in a food processor, but by all means, feel free to make it by hand if that’s your preference. If you’re using a food processor, be careful not to over mix the dough. If it forms a ball, you might have taken it too far.
Whatever you do, be sure to use a rimmed baking sheet to bake this on. That way you won’t end up a mess in your oven if your apple galette springs a leak!
If after you’re done assembling the Galette you find the dough is a bit soft, be sure to chill the whole thing in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before putting it in the oven. Otherwise, the butter will melt too quickly and the whole thing will fall apart.

What goes well with this Easy Apple Galette?

This galette is a perfect fall or winter dessert. Try serving it after a hearty dinner like:

I hope this gives you all the confidence to have a go at this Easy Apple Galette recipe. Please let me know if you have any questions! The easiest way to reach out is to find me on the gram @howtomakedinner.

Happy galetting!