This rustic apple galette has quickly become one of my favorite fall and winter bakes. Unlike a traditional pie, which demands precision and patience, a galette is forgiving—a free-form tart meant to look delightfully imperfect. Fold, pleat, and let it be. In return, it rewards you with crisp buttery edges, tender spiced apples, and a dessert that feels both elegant and cozy at once.

Why I Love This Apple Galette

A galette is the dessert I turn to when I want something beautiful but unfussy, the kind of tart that looks impressive without requiring hours of effort. What makes this version special is the combination of:

Buttery homemade pastry that stays tender and flaky
A mix of apples tossed with lemon, cinnamon, and sugar
A layer of decorative apple crescents arranged on top
Deep golden edges brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with coarse sugar
A syrupy glaze is brushed mid-bake so the apples shimmer without drying out

The result is a galette that tastes like everything we love about apple pie, but lighter, easier, and somehow more welcoming.

Choosing the Right Apples

The best galettes use a mix of apple textures and flavors. I like to combine a tart, firm apple with a sweeter, softer one — think Granny Smith with Gala, Honeycrisp with Golden Delicious, or Pink Lady with Fuji. Mixing varieties adds complexity to the filling without much extra work. I used 3 Granny Smith and 3 small Gala apples for this tart.

Whichever apples you choose, slice them evenly and don’t skip the ten-minute rest after tossing with sugar and lemon juice. This small pause draws out just enough juice to keep the galette moist and improves the final texture of the filling. You will reserve some of this syrup to brush on the apples as the galette bakes.

The Decorative Apple Layer

One little detail that elevates this galette is reserving one and a half apples to thinly slice and arrange over the filling. These crescents bake into a beautiful spiral or fan pattern, giving the tart a refined, bakery-style finish. Halfway through baking, a brush or dab of the leftover cinnamon-apple syrup gives them gloss and prevents dryness.

This extra step looks impressive but takes only a few minutes — and it turns a rustic galette into something truly special.

A Few Notes on the Crust

Homemade pastry dough is worth the effort here. This dough uses flour, cold butter, and just enough ice water to bring everything together. European readers: T65 flour works beautifully and produces a soft yet sturdy crust.

Chill the dough thoroughly, and then roll it on a lightly floured surface before transferring it to a parchment-covered sheet pan. Don’t worry if the edges crack a bit; you’re going to fold and pleat them anyway.

When assembling, aim for a 2¼-inch overhang, fold it up over the apples, and let the pleats fall wherever they may. Rustic is the goal.

How to Serve It

This galette is lovely as is, still warm from the oven, with its glossy fruit and crisp sugar-kissed crust. But if you want to dress it up, try:

Decorate it with small scoops of cranberry sauce for a festive holiday tart
A scoop of vanilla ice cream
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
A spoonful of crème fraîche

Why This Recipe Works

Open-faced tart = no soggy bottom
Cornstarch binds just enough without making the filling gummy
Decorative apples stay moist thanks to the syrup brushing
Egg wash + coarse sugar = deep golden, crunchy crust
Quick to assemble, even quicker to disappear

It’s the kind of recipe that invites you to slow down, breathe, and enjoy the process — messy folds and all.

Apple Galette

A rustic apple galette with buttery homemade pastry, tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and a beautiful decorative topping. Simple and elegant.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1

Course Bakery, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 325 kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour (T65 in EU)
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup 150 g cold unsalted butter, diced
¼ –⅓ cup ice-cold water as needed

For the Apple Filling

800 g apples before peeling/coring, peeled, cored, and sliced. Reserve 1½ apples for decorative topping.
2 teaspoons lemon juice
⅓ –½ cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ –2 tablespoons cornstarch Use 1½ Tbsp if using ⅓ cup sugar or 2 Tbsp if using ½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

To Finish

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter diced
1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water (for egg wash)
1 –2 tablespoons coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Make the Dough - Food Processor Method (recommended)

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor with a blade.
Pulse once or twice.
Add the cold diced butter and pulse a few times until the mixture has pea sized bits of butter in it.
Place the mixture in a bowl and toss with a fork as you add the ice water a little at a time until the dough just comes together.
Shape into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To Make the Dough by Hand

Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the cold diced butter and cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits.
Place the mixture in a bowl and toss with a fork as you add the ice water a little at a time until the dough just comes together.
Shape into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare the Apples

Peel, core, and slice all the apples, reserving 1½ apples for the decorative topping.
Toss the remaining apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Let sit 10 minutes to release juices — this creates a syrup.
Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss again just before assembling.
Save 2-3 tablespoons of the syrup in a small bowl for brushing the decorative slices later.

Roll Out the Dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12–13-inch (30–33 cm) circle and trim edges with a sharp knife if necessary.
Transfer dough to a parchment-covered baking sheet.

Assemble the Base Layer

Spoon the mixed, cornstarch-coated apples into the center, leaving the 2¼-inch border uncovered.

Fold and Pleat the Dough

Lift one section of dough and fold it over the apples.
Move in one direction, slightly overlapping each fold to create soft, rustic pleats.
Seal any small cracks with your fingers.

Add the Decorative Apple Topping

Thinly slice the reserved 1½ apples into crescent shapes.
Arrange them over the mixed apples in a spiral or fan pattern.

Finish Before Baking

Dot the top of the apples with 1-2 tablespoons of butter.
Brush the folded dough with egg wash.
Sprinkle the crust and the apples generously with sugar.

Bake

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 30–35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden.
At the 18-20 minute mark, pull the galette out briefly and brush or dab the decorative apple slices with the reserved syrup to keep them moist and glossy.
Return to the oven to finish baking.

Cool

Let the galette cool 20 minutes so the juices can thicken before slicing.

Optional Enhancements

Spoon a few teaspoonfuls of cranberry sauce on the galette for a festive holiday tart. Strain the sauce to remove excess liquid, if necessary, before using.
Brush apples with warm apricot jam after baking for shine.
Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche.

Notes

Make the Dough by Hand
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the cold diced butter and cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits.
Place the mixture in a bowl and toss with a fork as you add the ice water a little at a time until the dough just comes together.
Shape into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 302mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 601IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg

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