Cinnamon Apple Galette
A sweet Fall treat, our super simple Cinnamon Apple Galette is layers of sweet in-season apples, mixed with warming cinnamon and sugar, surrounded by a buttery and oh-so flakey pie crust. If you’re looking for a simple solution to pie this holiday season, this galette is a must-bake! It’s beyond delicious, easy-to-make, and effortlessly gorgeous every time. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a light dusting of powdered sugar for a dessert the whole family will love this holiday season.
If you love our apple pie (or even our mini apple pies!), you will absolutely adore this MUCH easier to make cinnamon apple galette! Let’s get into it, shall we?
So, What Exactly Is A Galette?
A galette is essentially the same thing as a pie, but think of it more as an open faced pie without all the effort. Yep! There’s no need for pie pans or top crusts here. Simply roll out some pie dough, fill it with your chosen filling (we opted for cinnamon apples in this recipe!), and fold the edges over to hold in all that goodness before baking to golden perfection.
Galette’s can be made sweet or savory. They also are intended to look very rustic. Which, in my opinion, adds to their charm!
What’s The Difference Between Galette and Crostata?
The word, “galette” is the French term. “Crostata” is Italian! They are used interchangeably, as both words describe the same delicious dessert.
Best Baking Apple To Use
For this recipe, we love to use the classic Granny Smith! Its tartness really cuts the sweetness of this dessert while still holding it’s shape/texture and keeping a bright apple flavor in every bite.
Why This Cinnamon Apple Galette Is The Best
- With 20+ pie recipes and over 45 years of pie baking between the two of us, my mom and I know pies (and galettes!) better than anyone.
- Every bite has the perfect balance of flavors. The cinnamon isn’t too strong, it’s not too sweet, the crust isn’t too thick, the apples don’t over-power…everything is just right to give you (and those you share it with!) the most delicious mouthful.
- Our pie dough is a no-fail and guaranteed no soggy bottom recipe. It’s flakey, buttery, tender, and delicious all at the same time.
- This galette takes only 15 minutes to prep and comes together with just 8 super simple ingredients.
Ingredients To Make A Cinnamon Apple Galette
Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For The Pie Dough:
- All-Purpose Flour – All purpose flour has just the right amount of protein to give this crust the perfect structure.
- Salt – A dash of salt enhances the entire taste experience.
- Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter is the essential component for this pie crust. It gives it the perfect flaky texture!
- Cold Water – Cold water is what brings the pie dough together. It MUST be very cold water to help keep the butter from softening too much/melting, plus it slows down the formation of gluten.
For The Filling:
- Fresh Apples – For this recipe, we found that it’s best to use Granny Smith apples. They hold their texture very well when baked, and the natural tartness of the apple really cuts through some of the extra sweetness to give you a bright apple flavor that’s not too sweet.
- Granulated Sugar – We use granulated sugar to add a touch of sweetness.
- Ground Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon gives every bite just the right amount of warming spice.
How To Make This Cinnamon Apple Galette
Step 1: Prepare pie dough
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Add butter, a little at a time, pulsing after each addition until there are only small chunks left.
Add water. Pulse until it forms a cohesive dough.
Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Make filling
In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir well, making sure all the apples are coated.
Step 3: Assemble
Roll dough into a rustic circle that is ⅛ inch thick.
Leaving a 2 inch border all the way around, layer apples in center of dough, reserving liquid. Fold edges of dough over apples, leaving the apples exposed in the center.
Brush dough with leftover juice from the apples.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apple filling is bubbly.
FAQ’s and Troubleshooting
If you are worried about a soggy bottom, you can sprinkle the bottom of the crust with breadcrumbs, semolina, or a mixture of 1 Tablespoon flour and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar before adding the filling.
When it comes to making pie dough, the amount of water needed is always an ever-changing amount. The amount of water you need is dependent on the type/brand of flour used, the humidity outside, where you live, etc. So many things can effect how your flour absorbs the water. It’s always best to add water 1 Tablespoon at a time!
If the butter chunks are too big, the butter melts and leaks out of the crust when baking instead of providing flaky layers. The butter needs to be in small-ish chunks. Use the photos in the post above to help! It could also be that the dough is too warm. If the pie dough is not still cold when you finish filling it, pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before baking.
If the filling leaked out while baking, the dough might’ve been rolled too thin or there were cracks in the dough. Either of these can cause some leakage.
Brushing the pie dough with the juice from the apples helps the crust brown when baking, while also adding a hint of flavor to the crust.
For this recipe, it’s always best to use fresh apples! Canned apples or frozen apples will have too much moisture and not work for this recipe.
Absolutely! There’s nothing more fun than having personal-sized galettes. We chose to do a large one because, well, it seemed fun! But, if you’d rather have individually sized ones, go for it! Just be sure to divide the dough and don’t over work it. Your baking times may also change!
3 Quick Tips For The Perfect Pie Crust
- Remember, the fridge is a pie dough’s best friend! You really need to keep it cold to ensure the best experience.
- Preheat the oven! I know this sounds simple, but when you put the cold dough into the hot oven, it creates steam. Therefore, flakier crust!
- When you’re rolling out the crust, if you see a chunk of butter on the edge, cut it off and place it back in the middle. Butter is your dough’s best friend!
What To Serve With This Cinnamon Apple Galette
The wonderful thing about galettes is that they are SUPER simple to make! This one in particular can go with so many different things. Here’s a quick list of a few of our favorite treats to serve with this galette!
- Dusted with powdered sugar
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Cinnamon Ice Cream
- Chantilly Cream
- Salted Caramel Sauce
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Cinnamon Apple Galette
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour*
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- ⅞ cup unsalted butter, cold, sliced
- ⅜ cup ice water
Filling
- 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350℉.
Crust
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
- Pulse to combine.
- Add butter, a little at a time, pulsing after each addition until there are only small chunks left.
- Add water.
- Pulse until it forms a cohesive dough.
- Form into a ball.
- Flatten slightly.
- Wrap in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Filling
- In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Stir well, making sure all the apples are coated.
Assembly
- On a nonstick surface (marble, parchment paper, silicone mat) roll dough into a rough circle that is ⅛ inch thick.
- Transfer to a piece of parchment paper (if not already rolled out on parchment).
- Place on cookie sheet.
- Leaving a 2 inch border all the way around, layer apples in center of dough, reserving liquid.
- Fold edges of dough over apples, leaving the apples exposed in the center.
- Brush dough with leftover juice from the apples.
- Bake for 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apple filling is bubbly.
Notes + Tips!
- Be careful to not overwork the pie dough! The more the dough is worked, the less tender and flaky it will be.
- Depending on certain factors, you may need more or less water for the pie dough. Add the water 1 Tablespoon at a time to ensure you don’t add too much water.
- If your dough is sticky after mixing, you’ve probably added too much water or your butter is too soft and melting. This will result in a tough crust. You can try refrigerating it or rolling it on a heavily floured surface, but you will probably need to remake it.
- Remember to keep a 1 1/2 – 2 inch border around the edge of the galette when you fill it. This is about the perfect size, as it’s just enough crust to hold it all together, while also giving you the maximum amount of filling!
- Be sure to use good apples for this recipe. I know it sounds a bit odd; but if the apple is mealy, bruised, or dried out, then it won’t taste good in this galette!
- Don’t skip brushing the excess juice from the filling onto the crust! This adds a little extra flavor and sweetness to the crust as well as helping with browning.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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