This homemade Gluten-Free Apple Galette recipe is a delicious, rustic French pastry that showcases the flavor of fresh fall apples. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. It has all the flavors of a great apple pie, but it takes half the work! I include a dairy-free option too!
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This gluten-free apple galette is the one I make when I want the flavor of apple pie without rolling out a top crust or fussing with crimping the edges. I tested three gluten-free flour blends and found that Cup4Cup’s higher starch content produced the flakiest layers. This celiac-safe galette comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients, and a dairy-free version is included.
I just made two of these and they look beautiful and so easy to make. I’m taking them off to two Thanksgiving dinners. I’m sure the will please many! Thanks for the recipe!
Weiss, Blog comment
Think of a galette as a rustic French pie. The dough edges are folded partway over the fruity filling, exposing the fruity center. It has a beautiful, slightly irregular shape that adds to its homemade appeal. This apple galette is also relatively simple to prepare; there is no top crust, no crimping the dough, or decorating needed. If you like this apple galette, check out this Gluten Free Plum Galette recipe, too.
When creating this recipe, I found that Cup4Cup worked slightly better because it has a higher starch content, and this helped create more flaky layers. Both the new and old versions of Cup4Cup created big, flaky layers in the galette crust. You can also use my Gluten Free Pastry Flour Blend (recipe to make it), which also makes the flaky layers.
This recipe features my Gluten Free Galette Dough, and it is the secret to the flaky crust! Honey is a delicious natural sweetener perfect for both sweet and savory recipes. I used honey instead of sugar to sweeten the apple filling.
I create a lot of pie recipes, and I have pulled together 50+ Gluten Free Pie Recipes to give you more inspiration! Or, use this dough to make Gluten Free Hand Pies.
Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1, King Arthur Measure for Measure, and Cup4Cup. Other blends will also work, but you may need to add more flour or water so the dough isn’t too wet and sticky or dry.
- Binder – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add one teaspoon. Binders are really important so your baked goods don’t fall apart. Read Why Binders are Important in Gluten Free Baking to learn more.
- Honey – You do not have to use a fancy, expensive variety of honey. Use pure honey, not fake corn syrup blends.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter. Butter helps the apples soften and makes the crust have lots of flaky layers.
- Apples – I love using a more tart apple like Pink Lady or Granny Smith in this recipe, but any apples taste delicious. If it is early in the fall, Gravenstein apples are very good in this recipe.
Substitutions:
- Make this recipe dairy-free by using plant-based butter. I tested Earth Balance, but other brands like Country Crock also work.
- If you prefer baking without xanthan gum, try my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend to make it gum-free
How To Make A Gluten Free Apple Galette (Step-by-Step):
Step 1: If you are shredding the butter, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it colder. As it bakes in the crust, the frozen chunks melt and release steam, creating the flaky layers pies are known for.
Add the flour and salt to a large
📢 Sandi says: There are two ways to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Either freeze the butter and grate it into the mixture, or use a pastry blender to cut it in.
Step 2: Add raw eggs, lemon juice, and water to the other wet ingredients and mix until a ball of dough forms.
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Step 3: Place the dough ball on a silicone mat or parchment paper. You can dust the mat with flour to prevent sticking, if needed. Do a test roll or two with the dough. Is the dough cracking (like the above photo)? If so, you may need to sprinkle it with a little cold water.
Wrap the dough in plastic and chill while you prep the apples.
👀 Sandi Says: A good rule to follow is if your dough is sticky, dust it with more flour before rolling. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness in a circular shape larger than your pan.
Step 4: Wash your apples and slice them thinly. You can leave the peels on or remove the peels with an apple peeler. It is a personal preference.
Step 5: Add the apple slices to a large
Step 6: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place the dough on a silicone mat. Roll it out in a circle. Aim for the dough to be 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. If you are baking the gluten free galette on a cookie sheet, slide the silicone mat with the dough onto the cookie sheet.
If you are baking in a cast iron skillet as I did, I used a 10-inch greased cast iron skillet. I held the dough on the silicone mat over the skillet, dough-side down. I placed the dough into the skillet so the sides hung over.
Step 7: Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust. Carefully fold over the edges of the galette around the apples, but do not cover the middle! You want it to look rustic.
Beat a small egg in a cup. Brush the crust with the egg mixture. The egg wash on the crust is what produces the golden color on the crust through browning in the oven.
Bake the apple galette at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy! The baking time will vary depending on whether you bake the galette in a pan or flat on a
You will know the galette is finished baking when the apples are softer and the crust is golden. If you love this flaky crust, try my Gluten Free Cherry Galette recipe next.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Tart apples are best for pies and galettes. Don’t use a Red Delicious, as they do not have the tartness to stand out once you add sugar or honey. If you want to try something wild, try this Gluten Free Hatch Chile Apple Pie. It is sweet and spicy!
The dough is usually too dry if your pie crust cracks or crumbles. Next time, try adding a bit more liquid. See the Step 3 photo for an example.
Yes. Galettes are not typically made in a pie dish, so use either a cookie sheet or cast iron pan.
Read my gluten-free pie troubleshooting guide to learn more about baking pie. I also share a lot of gluten free baking tips in my extensive resources collection that can help you become a better gluten free baker.
More Gluten Free Apple Desserts to Try:
- Gluten Free French Apple Cake
- Creamy Gluten Free Apple Cake
- Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake
- Easy Gluten Free Apple Turnovers
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten-Free Apple Galette (No Pie Dish Needed)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter * see note
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 2 ¼ cups apple slices peeling optional
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons melted butter unsalted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg for brushing on crust
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
- Add 8 tablespoons unsalted butter and use a pastry blender or a cheese grater to cut or shred the butter into the flour mixture.
- Add the egg, lemon juice, and water. Mix well until it forms a dough ball. The dough should hold together without feeling wet or sticky.
- If the dough cracks or crumbles during the test roll, it is usually too dry. Sprinkle it with a teaspoon of cold water at a time and knead it in gently until the dough holds together without cracking.
- Even slices cook at the same rate, so avoid mixing very thin and very thick pieces in the same batch. You can leave the peels on or remove them with an apple peeler, whichever you prefer.
- Add the apple slices to a large mixing bowl. Mix them with the honey, cinnamon, and melted butter, tossing until every slice is coated. If you prefer sugar instead of honey, see the Substitutions section above. Coating the apples fully before they go into the crust helps the filling cook evenly and prevents dry spots in the center of the galette.
- Dust a silicone mat with flour. Place the dough on the silicone mat. Dust the top of the dough with a little flour.
- Use a rolling pin to roll into a flat circle about 1/4-1/3 inch thick.
- Press the crust into a cast iron skillet. If you don't have a skillet, put the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Pour the apple mixture into the center of the dough. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the apples, working around the circle, but leave the center of the apples exposed. This is what gives a galette its rustic, free-form look, so do not worry about making the folds even.
- Beat a small egg in a separate cup and brush it over the folded crust. The egg wash is what browns the crust as it bakes, so don't skip this step if you want deep, golden color rather than a pale crust.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes until the apples are cooked and the crust is golden. The baking time may vary depending on whether the galette is baked in a pan or flat on a cookie sheet. You will know it is finished baking when the fruit is soft and the crust is golden.
- Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. It tastes really good with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Nutrition
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Cup4Cup (I have tested both the old and new dairy-free versions), and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter. I tested Earth Balance brand.
- I recommend using semi-tart apples like Pink Lady or Granny Smith.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
This post was updated from an older September 2017 post with more recipe details.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Wonderful and loved by GF and nonGF at the Christmas party this year. Easy to make, but it took me 40 minutes prep, 35 min cooking. I did cook on a pizza stone and a lot of the honey seeped out the sides, but it was very good and just less sweet. Looked beautiful and tasted even better!
I absolutely love your idea to use a pizza stone, Rachel. Thank you so much for the fun tip. I am really glad everyone loved this recipe!
Delicious, flaky crust. I used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. I will say that I baked it for at least an hour, after reading Alison Roman on galettes, and was glad for every minute of baking. Also, I would have liked just a tad more flavor–used a Winesap and a Pink Lady, and less honey–maybe a tablespoon. I did add nutmeg–next time maybe some ginger, lemon zest, more cinnamon? Definitely will use this crust recipe again!
I am thrilled you loved this galette recipe. I love your ideas to add more flavor. Thank you!
Could I swap maple syrup for the honey 1:1? Or would the amounts be different
Hi Holly, that should be fine since it is also a liquid. It will change the flavor slightly, but maple and apples pair really well together.
The crust was good, but stuck to my cast iron skillet and was very difficult to remove. In the future, I will use the parchment paper instead. I did sprinkle the filled crust with some sugar to add a bit of sweetness. You mention cinnamon but I didn’t see it listed in the ingredients. I did sprinkle the apples with it along with dotting them with butter. I also used more apples as this is a lot of crust in ratio to the apples and served it with some chopped walnuts.
Hi Teresa, the parchment paper is a good idea. My pan isn’t seasoned really well, so I rubbed it with oil. I am glad you were able to adjust the sugar and apple ratio to make the recipe work for what you enjoy. Thank you so much for writing.
I just made two of these and they look beautiful n so easy to make. I’m taking them off to two Thanksgiving dinners. I’m sure the will please many! Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad you found this an easy recipe. I hope you have a lovely holiday 🙂