This super easy Rustic Apple Galette with Applesauce is a great way to use spare apples. Made with a cinnamon pastry and an apple sauce filling, this quick apple pie is a delicious Winter dessert that can be served warm or cold.
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What is a Galette
A Galette is the name given to a rustic looking tart, made without a dish or pan. This freeform tart is a traditional French dish that can be made sweet, savoury and with various types of crust, crepes or bread doughs.
The edges of a Galette can be folded over the filling, or left flat.
What is the difference between a Crostata and a galette?
There is no real difference between a crostata and a galette; they are both rustic looking tarts/pies that are made without a pan.
The main difference is that Crostata is originally from Italy while a Galette is a French dish – two origins for a very similar -if not exact same – recipe!
Check out the Italian Version of this Apple Galette on Sugar Salt Magic
More Galette Recipes:
- Almond Peach Galette
- Cherry Tomato Galettes with Pesto
- Tomato Galette with Basil Whipped Feta
- Cinnamon Strawberry Galette
- Bacon and Egg Galettes from It’s not Complicated Recipes
Homemade Galette Pastry
Galette Pastry is no different than any pie or tart pastry. They just require less work when it comes to ‘shaping’ the dessert as you are going for a rustic, not-perfect kind of look.
To go with the classic Apple Filling, I decided to make add some Ground Cinnamon into the pastry and switch granulated sugar for Maple Syrup. This is a refined-sugar free galette!
To make the Cinnamon Pastry, you will need (scroll down to recipe card for all quantities):
- Plain Flour
- Ground Cinnamon
- Unsalted Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Cold Water
There are two ways of making this galette pastry: by hands or with your food processor. The result will be the same but I almost always make my pastries in the food processor because it is much easier/quicker and you don’t need to get your fingers dirty!
Here is how to make pastry in the food processor:
- Place the Flour and Cinnamon Powder in the bowl of your food processor and pulse to mix them.
- Add the Butter cut in small cubes and the Maple Syrup. Process until you get a thick sand-like texture; all the butter needs to be covered by the flour.
- Add the cold Water and pulse until the dough starts to come together.
- Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and bring the pastry together into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and gently press on the pastry dough to flatten it. Leave in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
Rustic Apple Tart Filling
The filling of this Galette is extremely easy to put together – just like it is to put this whole dessert together! It is composed by two elements:
- some Applesauce
- fresh Apples thinly sliced
The Applesauce is spread over the Cinnamon Pastry to bring some sweetness and smoothness. I highly recommend making your own Applesauce because it helps you control the amount of sugar added to the fruit.
If you use a variety of apple that is naturally sweet, you won’t even have to add any sugar!
The fresh Apples are washed, pealed, cored and sliced before being placed on top of the applesauce over the galette pastry.
I simply brushed some melted butter over them and added a sprinkle of Cinnamon Powder to finish the fruits – they don’t need anything else!
What kind of apples to use
There are many different varieties of apples that you can use to make this galette; both sweet or tart ones.
Here are a few that I recommend using:
- Granny Smith
- Cortland
- Crispin
- Fuji
- Jonagold
- Pink Lady
You can read more about picking the right variety of apples for your dessert here!
How to make an Apple Galette
Making a Galette is much quicker and easier than making a tart or a pie because it does not require to fill a pan/dish and chill the pastry multiple times.
Here is how to make a galette with apples:
- Prepare the Pastry and leave it to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
- Roll the pastry into a large, thin circle. It doesn’t need to be perfect but try to keep it as regular as possible. Place the pastry on a flat baking tray lined with baking paper or a baking mat.
- Spread the Applesauce on the Pastry, leaving the edges clear.
- Add the pealed, cored and sliced Apples over the applesauce.
- Brush some melted butter over the apples (or leave small pieces of butter over each apples to melt in the oven). Sprinkle with Ground Cinnamon.
- Fold the edges of the pastry back over the extremity of the apples – make sure all the edges are properly sealed.
- Optional: sprinkle some flaked almonds over the pastry
- Bake until the crust is golden brown.
Can you make it ahead
Yes, a Galette can be made ahead of time and is better kept in the fridge! I recommend making it maximum 24 hours ahead as the pastry will start to become soggy from the filling after that time.
Can you freeze a fruit galette?
A Galette can also be frozen baked or unbaked and kept in the freezer for a few months – although I always recommend eating them fresh.
The Pastry itself can also be made in bigger batches and frozen to be used whenever you need it!
How do you reheat this dessert?
If you have made the Galette ahead of serving time, I highly recommend re-heating it up before serving as it will be much better lukewarm or warm.
Simply place it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until the filling feels warm. Make sure not to burn the pastry though.
If you are using a frozen unbaked galette, place it directly in the oven to bake with an additional 10 minutes to thaw.
With a pre-baked frozen Galette, leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight then re-bake it for 5 to 10 minutes right before being served.
More Apple Dessert Ideas:
- French Apple Cake
- Apple and Pear Crumble
- Apple Upside-Down Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Easy French Apple Tart
- Apple Loaf Cake
Easy Apple Galette with Applesauce
Ingredients
Cinnamon Pastry
- 120 (3/4 cup) gr Plain Flour
- 1/2 teasp. Cinnamon Powder
- 60 (1/4 cup) gr Cold Butter
- 1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 2 1/2 tbsp Cold Water
Apple Filling
- 4 to 5 tbsp Applesauce
- 4 Medium Apples
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 teasp. Cinnamon
- Flaked Almond , optional
Instructions
Cinnamon Pastry
- Place the Flour and Cinnamon Powder in the bowl of your food processor (see note 1 if not using a food processor). Blits to mix, then add the Butter cut in small cubes and the Maple Syrup. Process until you get a crumb-like texture and all the butter is covered by the flour.
- Add the cold water and pulse until the dough starts to come together.
- Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and gently press on the pastry dough to flatten it. Leave in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
Putting the Galette together
- Preheat your oven on 180'C/350'F.
- Wash and peal the Apples. Slice each Apple in Half and remove the core. Thinly slice thin strips of apples in each half-apples and set aside.
- Roll the Cinnamon pastry into a large, thin circle. Place on a flat baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Spread the Applesauce over the pastry, stopping a few cm/inch from the edge. Place your sliced Apples over the Applesauce.
- Melt the butter and brush it over the sliced apples (see note 2), then sprinkle a little bit of Cinnamon Powder over them.
- Fold the edge of the pastry over the Apples to create the Galette.
- Optional: add some flaked almond over the folded edges of the pastry.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- If making the pastry by hands, place the Flour and Cinnamon Powder in a large bowl. Add the small cubes of Butter and rub them into the flour until completely combined, using your fingers and palms (or a pastry cutter). When you get a thick sand consistency, add the Maple Syrup and Water and mix it in the dough until it starts to come together.
- You can also simply place a small piece of butter over each apple and leave it to melt over them in the oven.
