Rustic Apple Galette

This rustic apple galette is going to amaze you! You will never suspect that the golden buttery crust is gluten-free and grain-free, and the perfectly cooked apple filling takes it completely over the top. One bite and you are going to be in apple pie heaven!

Who doesn't love apple pie?

It is one of the earliest desserts I can remember loving as a child.

And there's nothing like the smell of an apple pie baking to make a house really seem like "home".

So what's an apple galette??

An apple galette is pretty much an apple pie, but much simpler. It is less intimidating to make and yet it still has the same delicious results.

It is imperfect, irregular, and has a sort of "thrown together" look.

However, it is its imperfections that make a rustic galette beautiful in its own way!

The Apple Filling

In many apple pie recipes, raw sliced apples are baked together with the crust. I have never actually liked those pies very much as I don't like the texture of the apples. I find the apples either not cooked enough or, in the case of a galette where the apples in the middle are exposed, the apples are dry on the outside and squidgy on the inside.

Just like my recipe for Almond Apple Crumble, I find that precooking the apples before using them in the baked dish yields much nicer results in terms of texture and flavor.

Start by peeling your apple, coring it, and cutting it into thin slices. I like to cut my slices no thicker than about ¼". Toss them with some cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and some maple syrup...yes, maple syrup! You could use regular granulated sugar, but I like the flavor the syrup gives to the apples, and it's also slightly healthier than white sugar.

Cook the apples in a saucepan with some melted butter for a few minutes until it reaches the tenderness you prefer, before adding in a mixture of tapioca starch, water, and vanilla to create a sauce. That's it! At this point, let the apple filling come to room temperature before using it in the galette, or store it in the fridge until you are ready.

The Crust

Creating the Dough

Even though this crust is gluten-free and grain-free, it's going to come together exactly the same way as a regular wheat pie crust dough.

We start by whisking the dry ingredients together in a bowl: almond flour, tapioca starch, salt and sugar. Then it's time to add in the chunks of cold butter...and I mean cold. Sometimes I will cut the refrigerated butter into chunks and put them in the freezer for 5 minutes to really chill them down. The really cold butter is important you don't want it to melt too quickly while handling...you want to save the melting for when the crust is baking!

Using a pastry blender, two knives, or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand. Add a little bit of ice cold water (you don't need much, but again, it has to be COLD) and mix it in until a dough forms and all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Shape the dough into a thick puck and wrap it in plastic wrap before placing it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Shaping the Galette

When you're ready to start making the galette, place the crust on a sheet of parchment paper dusted with tapioca starch or almond flour. Roll it out to about ⅛" thickness. If you find the dough getting too soft, simply place it back in the refrigerator, parchment paper and all, to let it firm up again.

Mound the apple pie filling in the middle of the crust, leaving about a 2" border around the apples, and then it's time to start folding the crust over! Since the dough is quite delicate compared to regular wheat pie crust, I use a spatula to help with lifting the dough edges and folding them over. Start with one side, and then continue around the pie, overlapping the corners as you go around.

What if the crust cracks or breaks?

Don't panic! I've had it happen pretty much every time I've made this apple galette and it is completely repairable!

Make sure the crust is where you essentially want it to be. With your fingers lightly coated in tapioca starch, gently fix the cracks or openings by pressing the dough together in those spots.

And there you go...just as good as new! Repeat this technique wherever you see cracks in the crust that you want to seal.

Baking the Pie

Despite this not being your regular wheat pie crust, you can still get that amazing golden brown crust with the beautiful sheen by brushing the crust with an egg wash. Bake the pie for 30-40 minutes and you will be amazed!

You are going to have a beautiful and wonderful smelling rustic apple galette that you can't wait to dive into!

Go à la mode with the apple galette and top it with your favorite vanilla ice cream, or whip up some homemade whipped cream! You will be amazed at how wonderfully delicious it is!

I used to make apple galettes years ago, complete with an amazing (albeit wheat-filled) crust and delicious filling, and I thought I had reached an apple pie/galette pinnacle. I was so proud of myself!

And then my husband went gluten-free and I stopped making them, along with many other gluten-filled baked goods and desserts.

BUT...all these years later, I can make happily make them again! Having learned so much about gluten-free baking over the years, I think I have reached new heights with this rustic apple galette! Its gluten-free, grain-free, buttery crust is just downright amazing, and the mildly sweet homemade apple pie filling is so so good. It is apple pie comfort and perfection in every bite!

~ Lisa.

Rustic Apple Galette (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

This rustic apple galette is going to amaze you! You will never suspect that the golden buttery crust is gluten-free and grain-free, and the perfectly cooked apple filling takes it completely over the top. One bite and you are going to be in apple pie heaven!

4 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: apple desserts, holiday desserts, holiday pies, rustic apple pie

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Baking Time: 35 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Author: Lisa from A Day in the Kitchen

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling:

• ▢ 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ Pinch salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pie Crust:

• ▢ 60 g almond flour
• ▢ 50 g tapioca starch
• ▢ ¼ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ▢ Ice water
• ▢ 1 egg, for egg-wash

Equipment

• ▢
  Pastry Blender
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Baking sheets

Instructions

Apple Pie Filling:

• Heat a pot over medium heat and add the 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Mix apple slices with maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.
• Add apples to the pot, stirring to coat in the melted butter.
• Cook for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot with lid, leaving a slight gap, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring apples occasionally.
• In a measuring cup or bowl, combine ¼ cup water, 1 teaspoon tapioca starch, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Mix well and set aside.
• Uncover pot and cook another 1-2 minutes. Take a small bite out of an apple slice to check if it is at your desired doneness.
• Stir water mixture well and add to the apples in the pot. Stir apples with the mixture until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
• Transfer apple filling to a shallow dish to cool completely to room temperature.

Pie Crust:

• In a mixing bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca starch, salt and sugar.
• Add cold butter chunks to the dry ingredients and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter in until it is coarse in texture.
• Add 1 tablespoon of ice cold water to the mixture and work in with a fork. If dough does not stick together and is still too crumbly when you try to squeeze some together with your fingers, add more ice cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Shape pie crust dough into a puck shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Making the Pie:

• Preheat oven 375F/190C.
• Lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with some tapioca starch.
• Dust a rolling pin with tapioca starch and roll out the pie crust dough on the parchment paper to approximately ¼" thickness. Work quickly so as not to soften the dough too much. If dough becomes too soft, place it back in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• Mound the cooled apple pie filling in the center of the crust, leaving approximately a 2-inch border around it.
• Gently fold the pastry edges up over the the apple pie filling. Use a spatula dusted in tapioca starch to help pull the crust up from the parchment paper. If the crust tears, simply pinch any gaps back together with your fingers. Continue all around the apple pie filling.
• Scramble the egg well in a bowl with a fork. Brush the egg wash all over the pie crust.
• Transfer the pie on the parchment to a baking sheet.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

• Use whichever apple you like for apple pies. Granny Smith are good go-to apples, but you can also use Jazz, Pink Lady, Gala, etc.
• Using two apples may be too much filling for the galette. I would go for no more than 1 ½ if you want there to be more apple filling.
• If not using the apple pie filling on the same day as cooking it, store in the refrigerator in a sealed container until you are ready to use it. It will be good in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Sprinkle sugar on the pie crust after you brush it with egg wash, if desired.

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @dayinthekitchen or tag #adayinthekitchen!