Easy Gluten-Free Apple Galette Recipe

A rustic apple galette is the perfect fall dessert.

Deceptively impressive yet simple. Packed with the flavors and colors of autumn.

This easy recipe requires no top crust and no pie plate. Instead, the gluten-free, buttery crust for this beautiful French tart needs only a baking sheet and parchment paper.

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Ingredients 

Gluten-Free Pie Crust Dough

For a deliciously flaky crust, use my gluten-free crust recipe. It takes just 10 minutes (plus one hour of chill time) and four ingredients:

• Cold butter (unsalted)
• Gluten-free flour: I use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, but you can substitute another cup-for-cup gluten-free flour
• Salt
• Ice water

The recipe makes two disks of gluten-free dough. Save one for another recipe, like Homemade Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie.

You can also use a mix like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix or another gluten-free pie dough recipe you love.

I do not recommend a store-bought pie crust in a tin for this recipe, as you need to form your galette with flat, rolled-out pie dough.

Best Apples

Pink Lady apples are lovely in this galette. They are the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and they hold up well to baking due to their firmness.

Honeycrisp apples are another great choice.

While I personally prefer the appearance of the red skin from a Pink Lady in the finished galette, Granny Smith apples, which are similarly firm and tart, are also a good option.

Prep the Apples

Whichever apple variety you choose, wash, core, and slice your fresh apples.

The apple slices should be approximately ⅛-inch thick. If you prefer slightly thicker apples, the bake time is long enough that you can go up to ¼-inch thick. Any thicker than ¼-inch is not recommended, as the apple slices will not be able to soften sufficiently during baking.

Leave the skin on for more nutrients and to add another touch of fall color to this otherwise golden-brown dessert.

Brown Sugar

Dark brown sugar adds richer flavor, but feel free to substitute light brown sugar if that's what you have.

Lemon Juice

A small amount of lemon juice will enhance the tartness of the apples.

Traditionally, lemon juice is also used to prevent oxidation (browning) of the apples. However, you're coating these apples with cinnamon, which will give them a brown appearance anyway. It is okay to omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch helps to thicken the juices.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon pairs beautifully with brown sugar to create the perfect fall flavor and rustic appearance of the apple filling.

Butter

Butter works with the cornstarch as a thickener, while adding richness. I use salted butter to balance the sugar and enhance the flavor.

Egg, Water & Sugar

Sugar and a basic egg wash (made with egg and water) are simply decorative elements in this recipe. While you could omit them without affecting the taste, I highly recommend adding them for an impressive-looking galette.

They help the crust to achieve a golden brown and rustic look.

Coarse or raw sugar is ideal due to larger crystals, but regular, granulated sugar works just fine.

Step-by-Step Directions

Preheat oven to 400℉. The crust will brown perfectly at a high temperature.

After chilling your pie dough for at least one hour in the fridge, place your chilled pie dough on a piece of parchment paper.

Dust your rolling pin and work surface with a small amount of gluten-free flour to prevent sticking, as needed.

Roll out the pie crust dough to approximately 12" round. If the crust breaks, simply press it together with your fingers. The edges can be uneven. That's the beauty of making a rustic galette. Rough edges and imperfections in your galette dough are a plus.

Once you have rolled out the dough, leave it on the parchment paper and return it to the fridge while preparing the filling.

Place the unpeeled, sliced apples in a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon, and toss until the apples are fully coated.

Remove the dough and parchment paper from the fridge and transfer them to the center of a large baking sheet. For now, it's okay if your parchment paper and dough are hanging off the edge of the baking sheet. 

Arrange overlapping apple slices on top of the dough in two circles.

Start with the outer circle, leaving an approximately 2-inch edge of dough all the way around. Later, you'll fold the extra dough over the filling, forming the top edge of the crust.

After you've completed the outer circle, fill in the center of the galette with a smaller circle of apples. The finished apple layers remind me of a dahlia blossom.

Keeping the pie dough on the parchment paper, fold the edges of the dough and parchment paper towards the center, bringing in just one small segment (approximately 3") at a time. As you fold in each segment, gently peel back the parchment paper. The dough will naturally pleat as you go.

Dot the apple filling with the butter cubes.

Make a simple egg wash to give the crust its beautiful golden brown finish. In a small bowl beat the egg and water with a fork. Then, use a pastry brush to coat the visible crust edge with the egg wash.

Sprinkle sugar along the crust's edge. 

Trim any parchment paper that is still hanging over the edge of your baking sheet.

Place the galette in the bottom third of the preheated oven. Bake at 400℉ for approximately 40-45 minutes.

Your apple galette is ready when the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown. 

Carefully transfer the galette to a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Add a little whipped cream or ice cream for the perfect finishing touch on this delicious and easy Gluten-Free Apple Galette!