Imagine a cozy morning with a warm brown sugar apple galette fresh from the oven and a cup of coffee in hand. Buttery, flaky pastry filled with apple slices and cinnamon brown sugar baked until perfectly golden brown. Every bite tastes like pure comfort and makes the whole kitchen smell amazing!
I’ll be honest.. I love pie, but sometimes I just don’t have the patience for all the fuss. That’s where a galette comes in, it’s basically pie’s chill cousin. No perfect crimping, no pie dish needed, just buttery pastry folded around whatever fruit you’ve got hanging out on the counter, and it tastes just as good as those fancy pies!
This Brown Sugar Apple Galette has a buttery, flaky pastry, tender apple slices, and cinnamon brown sugar filling. It’s so simple to make. Start by rolling out the pie dough and making sure it’s nice and even. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar in the center, then top with apple slices. Gently fold the edges of the dough in toward the center, overlapping every few inches as you go around. Brush the edges with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake!
Just like that, and you’ll have a cozy apple pastry fresh from the oven. Once it’s out of the oven, let it cool just enough so you don’t burn your tongue, then serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top for the dreamiest dessert. The combination of buttery crust, gooey apples, and creamy ice cream is absolute heaven!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS BROWN SUGAR APPLE GALETTE
- It’s so simple to make, yet so impressive!
- No fancy tools or pie skills needed. You can totally use store bought pie dough. Just arrange the apple slices, fold the edges, and bake until golden brown.
- No perfect crust or even slices required. A little messy actually makes it prettier.
- This galette has all the cozy fall flavors. Warm apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and buttery pastry!
- Smells and tastes like comfort.
- Perfect for any occasion. Serve it for brunch, dessert, or even breakfast the next day ~ no judgment!
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ~ trust me it’s so gooood.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Pie Crust – This recipe uses my go-to all butter flaky pie crust. You’ll need to prepare the pie crust dough first because the dough will need to have some time to chill before baking. Chilling the dough ensures that the pie crust won’t shrink and the butter doesn’t just melt out of the crust when baking. If you don’t have time to make the homemade pie crust, feel free to use your favorite store-bought pie crust.
Apples – You’ll need about 5 medium apples. Basically, you’ll need firm, fresh apples with a crisp texture that will stand up to the process of baking in the oven. My favorite apples for this recipe are honeycrisp and granny smith, but you can also use apples like pink lady, braeburn, or fuji. These types of apples work well for apple crisp.
Cornstarch – Just a lil cornstarch to thicken the juice from the apples and creates a wonderfully gooey filling.
Sugar – You’ll need brown sugar (light or dark brown sugar) to make the filing and granulated sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling the edges.
Salt – A lil bit of salt to balance the flavor.
Egg – You’ll just need 1 egg to make the egg wash.
Milk – For the egg wash mixture.
BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Pastry cutter
- mixing bowls
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS BROWN SUGAR APPLE GALETTE
Single Pie Crust:
188g (1+1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons caster sugar
140 (1+1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
120 (1/2 cup) ice cold water
Brown Sugar Apple Filling:
5-6 medium apples
55g (1/4 cup) brown sugar
a little pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
granulated sugar or turbinado sugar
STEP 1 – Make the Pie Crust
More details about homemade pie crust here!
You can use store-bought pie crust, but if you decided to make the pie crust from scratch, here’s how:
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt until well combined. Cut the cold butter into small cubes, then toss the butter cubes through the flour mixture until each piece is well coated.
By using a pastry cutter or your finger tips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal (pea-sized chunks with a few larger chunks of butter). Keep tossing the butter through the flour mixture as you work and make sure to keep the butter cold.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice-cold water into the flour and butter mixture, then mix in well by using a stiff spatula. Continue adding the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
I usually use about 60g (1/4 cup) ice cold water, but if the dough doesn’t come together, you can add more cold water, a teaspoon at a time. Make sure the dough is not too wet. It should hold together easily in a ball form, but not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, then form it into a ball and gently flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
Now we laminate the dough:
- Gently smack the cold dough with a rolling pin so it loosens up.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle.
- Fold the dough in thirds like folding a letter.
- Repeat this process one more time, then cover and let it rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
STEP 2 – Prepare the Filling
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch until well combined. Set aside.
Clean and cut the apples in half from the stalk down, then remove the core using an apple core remover or small knives, then cut the apples into paper-thin slices.
STEP 3 – Assemble the Brown Sugar Apple Galette
Roll the pie dough into a 12-inch circle (roughly ⅛ inch thick) on a lightly floured work surface. Then, transfer the pie dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture in the center of the dough, leaving 2-inch border all around, then arrange the apple slices on top of the sugar mixture.
Gently lift the edges of the pie dough in towards the center, folding every 3 inches as you go around, and press gently to seal the edges. Cover the galette with plastic wrap and place the prepared galette in the fridge while making the egg wash and pre-heat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small mixing bowl, mix 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk, mix until well combined.
Take the galette out of the fridge, brush the edge with egg wash, then sprinkle the edge with granulated sugar or turbinado sugar.
Immediately place the galette in the middle rack of your oven and bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the fruits are bubbly.
Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream! Enjoy!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BROWN SUGAR APPLE GALETTE
- Make sure your pie dough is always cold. If the crust starts getting soft while you assemble, stash the whole galette in the fridge for about 10 minutes until cold. Keeping the pie dough as cold as you can is key to getting a nice, crisp crust with flaky layers.
- When rolling your pie dough, make sure to dust your work surface and your rolling pin with enough flour, so it won’t stick!
- Never roll back and forth your pie dough. Roll it in one direction and make sure you rotate the dough. This ensures the dough will be even and not sticking to the surface. If it sticks, don’t panic, just use a bench scraper.
- Clean the apples and cut them evenly for a pretty presentation.
- After the galette has been filled and folded over, pop it back into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- You can dig in right away, but allow the galette to cool and set before slicing if you want a clean cut.
HERE’S HOW TO STORE THE LEFTOVERS
This brown sugar apple galette is best served warm straight from the oven. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the dreamiest dessert.
Store any leftover galette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. The crust will soften slightly, but it still tastes great. You can reheat the galette in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes to re-crisp the crust and revive the filling.
Brown Sugar Apple Galette
Imagine a cozy morning with a warm brown sugar apple galette fresh from the oven and a cup of coffee in hand. Buttery, flaky pastry filled with apple slices and cinnamon brown sugar baked until perfectly golden brown. Every bite tastes like pure comfort and makes the whole kitchen smell amazing!
Ingredients
Single Pie Crust:
- 188g (1+1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 140 (1+1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 120 (1/2 cup) ice cold water
Brown Sugar Apple Filling:
- 5-6 medium apples
- 55g (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- a little pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- granulated sugar or turbinado sugar
Instructions
More details about homemade pie crust here!
You can use store-bought pie crust, but if you decided to make the pie crust from scratch, here’s how:
- In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt until well combined. Cut the cold butter into small cubes, then toss the butter cubes through the flour mixture until each piece is well coated.
- By using a pastry cutter or your finger tips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal (pea-sized chunks with a few larger chunks of butter). Keep tossing the butter through the flour mixture as you work and make sure to keep the butter cold.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the ice-cold water into the flour and butter mixture, then mix in well by using a stiff spatula. Continue adding the cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together.
- I usually use about 60g (1/4 cup, 4 tablespoons) ice cold water, but if the dough doesn’t come together, you can add more cold water, a teaspoon at a time.
- Make sure the dough is not too wet. It should hold together easily in a ball form, but not sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, then form it into a ball and gently flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
Now we laminate the dough:
- Gently smack the cold dough with a rolling pin so it loosens up.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle.
- Fold the dough in thirds like folding a letter.
- Repeat this process one more time, then cover and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
STEP 2 – Prepare the Filling
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch until well combined. Set aside.
- Clean and cut the apples in half from the stalk down, then remove the core using an apple core remover or small knives, then cut the apples into paper-thin slices.
STEP 3 – Assemble and Bake the Brown Sugar Apple Galette
- Roll the pie dough into a 12-inch circle (roughly ⅛ inch thick) on a lightly floured work surface. Then, transfer the pie dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture in the center of the dough, leaving 2-inch border all around, then arrange the apple slices on top of the sugar mixture.
- Gently lift the edges of the pie dough in towards the center, folding every 3 inches as you go around, and press gently to seal the edges.
- Cover the galette with plastic wrap and place the prepared galette in the fridge while making the egg wash and pre-heat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small mixing bowl, mix 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk, mix until well combined.
- Take the galette out of the fridge, brush the edge with egg wash, then sprinkle the edge with granulated sugar or turbinado sugar.
- Immediately place the galette in the middle rack of your oven and bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the fruits are bubbly.
- Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream! Enjoy!