Why This Recipe WORKS
- Crispy, golden bottom. I bake the galette on a preheated pizza steel to help the bottom crust bake up evenly and crisp while the apples stay tender.
- Warmly spiced apples. Fresh apples are tossed with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and a little gluten-free flour for a thick, flavorful filling without any complicated ingredients.
- Easier than pie. I love that there’s no pie dish or fussy crimping required! The simple shape means the edges can be folded right over the apples, making this a much more beginner-friendly way to enjoy homemade apple pie flavors.
As much as I love a traditional apple pie, sometimes it’s nice to get all the cozy apple pie flavors without the effort. That’s exactly why I love a rustic apple galette!
This no-fuss recipe uses the same gluten-free sour cream pie crust as in my homemade gluten-free chicken pot pie and my classic gluten-free pumpkin pie. I love the flavor and sturdiness of this pie crust. It’s perfect for making a beautifully imperfect galette!
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free apple galette. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Distilled white vinegar: I add a little distilled white vinegar to my sour cream pie crust to help create a tender, flaky crust while keeping the dough easier to work with. You won’t taste the vinegar in the finished galette.
- Sour cream: This is my secret to an incredible gluten-free pie crust! It adds richness and moisture which helps the gluten-free dough hold together. Paired with the butter, this crust turns out deliciously buttery and tender while still sturdy and flaky!
- Apples: Any firm, hard apple will work! I like Pink Lady better than Granny Smith because it holds its shape but has better flavor.
- Gluten-free flour: Just a little gluten-free flour thickens the filling. You want the filling to be gooey, but not too runny so that it stays in the pie crust well!
How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Galette
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Prepare the pie crust. Pulse the dough together using a food processor, then move it to a bowl and use your hands to knead it the rest of the way together. Turn it out on a lightly floured surface and work it into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap and refrigerate.
Make the filling. The dough needs to chill for a minimum of 1 hour (and up to 2 days!). While the dough chills, I prep the filling. I prefer to peel the apples before slicing them nice and thin so that they bake up tender all the way through.
Erin’s Tip
I add an extra tablespoon or so of ice water if the dough feels too dry when I’m kneading it together by hand. It should have enough moisture to hold together when pressed, but shouldn’t be sticky. If you’re not sure, gather the dough and press it together a few times to see if it comes together before adding more water.
Roll out the dough. If the dough has been chilled for more than an hour, let it sit out for 15 minutes before rolling. I roll it out on a silicone baking mat so that I can use the mat to flip the dough over onto the baking sheet before adding the filling.
Add the filling and shape. Leave a 2-3 inch border around the apples. I like to arrange the slices in a circular pattern for the look! Gently fold the edges of dough over the apples and press lightly to seal. The edges will overlap, that’s expected!
Erin’s Tip
As you roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle, don’t panic if it breaks along the edges! Gluten-free dough is delicate so some breakage is normal. I just gently press the dough back together and keeping going.
Chill and bake. While the unbaked galette chills, preheat the oven with a pizza steel inside and prepare the egg wash. I love adding the egg wash for that bakery-style glossy look. Bake until golden and bubbly. I recommend drizzling salted caramel sauce on top before serving for a decadent finish!
More Gluten-Free Apple Recipes
Gluten-Free Apple Galette
Video
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Sour Cream Pie Crust
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter
- 1⅛ cup (169g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 2½–4 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling
- 3-4 (500-600g) apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (my favorite is pink lady)
- ¼ cup (53g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- pinch of kosher salt
Other
- sanding sugar for topping, optional
- salted caramel sauce for serving, optional
Instructions
For the Sour Cream Pie Crust
- Cut the butter into ¼-inch pieces and freeze for 10–15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vinegar and ice water until smooth; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Add the gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Scatter in the cold butter and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of large peas, about 10 pulses. Add the sour cream mixture and pulse until the dough begins to clump, about 10 more pulses.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and use your hands to knead it together. If the dough feels too dry, add another tablespoon or so of ice water—but don’t be tempted to add too much liquid! You may need to gather and firmly press it a few times until it comes together. The dough should be moist enough to hold together when pressed, but not sticky.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gather it together with your hands, pressing any loose bits into the dough to form a cohesive ball.
- Gently shape it into a disc about 1 inch thick. Wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Assemble the Apple Galette
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a medium bowl, add the sliced apples, brown sugar, gluten-free flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to evenly combine.
- If the pie dough has been in the refrigerator longer than 1 hour, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
- Place the dough on a pastry mat or a silicone baking mat. Roll the pie crust into a circle 12 inches in diameter. You may need to press it together if it starts to slit or break on the edges. This is normal, gluten-free pie crust requires a bit of patience to roll out.
- After rolling, use the pastry mat to flip the dough onto the lined baking sheet.
- Pour the apples and any juices in the center of the dough, leaving a 2–3-inch border. You can spoon them on or arrange the slices in a circular pattern. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples, overlapping where needed, and press gently to seal.
- Refrigerate the shaped galette for 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats. Place a pizza steel in the oven. (A pizza steel helps to ensure a crispy bottom crust.) Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water and pinch of salt for the egg wash.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the galette with egg wash. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the pie crust is golden and the apples are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before serving. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce before serving if desired.
This apple galette turned out so delicious. I made the crust the day before to save time. I don’t have a food processor so I used a pastry cutter for the butter and it still worked great. When rolling out the dough on the silicone baking sheet, I used a piece of Saran Wrap on top so my rolling pin wouldn’t get stuck to the dough. Then when flipping it over onto the baking sheet tray, I used a bench scraper to help it peel off and not rip. I had very minor holes to patch and pinch back together. I don’t have a pizza stone but I have a cast iron pizza pan and I used that. I would recommend baking on a low shelf as the tops of a couple apples got dark due to how I arranged them and they pointed upwards.
This recipe is a 10/10 from me and my family. I got requests to make it at thanksgiving!
Thank you for sharing what worked so well for you, McKenna! This is such great advice. We’re thrilled to hear you and your family all loved the galette. And that’s such a compliment they enjoyed it enough to request it for Thanksgiving! Happy baking!
I don’t have a pizza steel, but I do have a large round cast iron pizza pan. Would that do the same thing? Or should I just put the baking sheet straight on the rack?
Hi McKenna! We’d give the cast iron pizza pan a try as a sub for the pizza steel. You’ll set it in the oven as it preheats and then place the baking sheet on top of it, just like with the pizza steel. We’d love to hear how it goes!
You mention that this cannot be made dairy free?? Can I not use dairy free butter, like Melt?
Hi Tina! We don’t recommend making this one dairy-free since sour cream and butter are both such important ingredients in the crust. Dairy-free substitutions just won’t perform the same in this crust recipe. The filling can be used with a separate GF DF crust though! Thank you for your question!
So, the galette stays on the baking sheet, and the sheet goes into the oven on top of the heated steel, is that correct? It looks AMAZING!
Hi Caroline! Yes, that’s correct. You’ll keep the galette on the baking sheet and place the sheet on the heated steal for a nice, crisp bottom. We can’t wait for you to try it! It’s one of our favorites!