The foundation of this Puff Pastry Apple Galette Recipe is the flaky, buttery puff pastry crust that is simply delectable. The sliced apples themselves sit in a sweet ground almond mixture. They are coated with an amaretto sauce and are baked to perfect tenderness. The Fall flavors of cinnamon, amaretto, and caramel highlight this gorgeous display of deliciousness. Top it with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle with salted caramel sauce for an over-the-top dessert to exhibit on your holiday table.
What I love about this Puff Pastry Apple Galette Recipe
The puff pastry gives the crust a flaky, buttery texture and is the perfect start. What could be easier than opening the package, and spending a small amount of time rolling out the crust? I promise you are gonna love how light and airy this crust is.
The mixture of flavors gives depth and dimension. How could you ever go wrong with the combination of these ingredients: a sweet almond mixture that lines the bottom of the crust, the sour granny smith apples, the amaretto sauce that is drizzled on top AND the caramel sauce the brings it all together.
The rustic presentation this apple galette brings to your table is absolutely gorgeous. The apples stand upright in a circular formation and once baked this dessert exits the oven with a beautiful golden hue that shimmers and shines. You’ll definitely get the applauds you deserve.
Step by Step Instructions on how to make this Galette
The recipe itself takes a little bit of time but if you follow these step by step instructions, you will realize it’s pretty easy after all. It looks difficult at first but once you work through the process with patience, you will become a pro at making a galette. And the possibilities are endless anything from savory to sweet.
Step #1 – The Crust, The Foundation of it all
I’m sorry, but I’m not a fan of making pie crust. I do it but it’s really “not my jam.” (Sorry for the food pun.) That’s why I am crazy about this crust. So simple and easy.
Tips for the Puff Pastry:
- The best way to unthaw the frozen puff pastry is to remove it from the freezer and let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.
- If you’re pressed for time, you can take it directly from the freezer and let it thaw sitting on the countertop but not for more than 40 minutes. Don’t leave the pastry sheets at room temperature for too long.
- Puff Pastry works best at a cold to cool temperature otherwise it can lose its texture and become difficult to work with.
- For this particular recipe, you will need both sheets from the package. While you’re rolling out one sheet, place the second folded sheet on a plate, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until ready to use.
- Lightly flour your surface and lay one sheet down and sprinkle more flour on the top of the dough. Using a long rolling pin, roll each sheet to 15×15 inches. These dimensions fit perfectly in the 10-inch cast-iron skillet I used.
- Once rolled out, start from the corner of the sheet, begin rolling the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll it onto your pan. (See photo above.) Do the same thing with the second sheet but positioning the corners to lay separate from the first sheet.
- Gently press the sheets into the bottom and up the sides of a greased pan.
- Refrigerate until you are ready to fill the crust.
Step #2 – The Filling
This sweet almond layer is to die for! It adds wonderful texture and flavor to the rest of the dish. And the bonus – it’s so easy to whip together. You just throw almonds, sugar, and salt into a food processor. Give it a good amount of pulsating action until the almonds are finely chopped.
The “pulse” button on your food processor helps control the speed at which you chopped the nuts, otherwise, you will ultimately have almond butter. Which is not what we’re going for here. Pulsating also helps to keep the nuts moving around the processor so they don’t clump together at the bottom.
Continue making the almond filling by adding a couple of tablespoons of butter and three eggs. The eggs give it density and a fuller consistency. This way, the filling, once it’s baked, isn’t runny and won’t try to escape when you cut into the galette. Continue pulsating until everything is combined.
Look at this heavenly layer right here! Wow!! And let me tell, it’s as rich and divine as it appears in the photo above. Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, spread the almond filling on top of the puff pastry. This is where slices of sour green apples find their home.
Step #3 – Choosing the Apples
Choose Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape well when they are baked. They soften beautifully but are nice and firm as well. A mushy pie is definitely not the outcome we are wanting.
And Granny Smith apples are somewhat sour, they add a tartness that complements the sweetness found in the almond filling and the amaretto sauce.
Don’t skimp on the apples. I bought 10 medium-sized apples and I actually could’ve used a few more. So my suggestion is to grab about 10 large apples or 12-14 medium apples.
Step #4 – Prepping the Apples to Slice
In prepping for the apples, cut the apples from the stem down through the center. Then peel and core. Just so you are prepared, this is the step that takes the longest of any. It seems a little monotonous while you are working through the process. An apple corer would come in extremely handy at this stage. Which, btw, I just added it to my “amazon” list.
Step #5 – Slicing the Apples
If you have a mandoline, this is the best and easiest way to slice the apples. But it is also a little more dangerous if you’re not careful. Those blades are razor-sharp and can be quite risky. If you don’t have a mandoline, no worries, a sharp knife and a steady hand will work as well.
There are six-blade settings on my mandoline. I played around with a couple of potatoes trying to get the thickness that I felt would work best for this recipe and decided that the setting between 1/8 and 3/16 was the “mark” for me. You can figure out the same with a knife. You don’t want the slices too thin because you lose texture that way. But you don’t want them too thick or it takes forever for the apples to get tender in the oven.
Please, whatever you do, for your utmost safety, use the handguard. Your fingers will thank you for it. I was stupid one time and sliced a little portion of my forefinger off. I will never do that again.
Place the cut side of the apple down toward the blade, grab a hold of it with the prongs of the handguard and begin slicing. Use the juice from a lemon to coat the apples after you slice them. This will prevent them from turning brown on you.
Step #6 – Form a Circular pattern around the pan
This is where the artistry comes while making this masterpiece. Stack the apples upright beginning around the outer edge and working your way into the center forming a circular pattern over the almond filling. Some of the apple slices split and broke when using the mandoline because of the cored area. But I didn’t let them go to waste. I used those broken slices to fill in the gaps after I had formed the circles.
Fold the edges of the puff pastry in a decorative style around the apples to give a rustic look.
Step #7 – Amaretto Sauce
To top everything off, I made a thick syrupy sauce of amaretto, butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. Let me tell you, I was tempted to drink this glorious concoction all by itself but bridled my passion.
Amaretto is an Italian Liqueur and has a sweet but somewhat bitter taste. It’s actually made from the almond pits which is why it pairs so beautifully with the almond filling. It adds a touch of flavor but is not overbearing to the tastebuds.
In a small pan, add the amaretto and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to a low boil and cook until the amaretto is reduced to about three tablespoons of a syrupy thickness. It took between 13-14 minutes for mine to accomplish this. You will want to watch it through the cooking process and stir frequently.
Once it reaches that “3 tablespoons” point, immediately add the butter and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Whisk this mixture until the sugar is dissolved. The consistency should thick but pourable. If it is too thick, add extra amaretto and stir. Set aside and let it cool just slightly.
While the amaretto sauce is still warm, drizzle it over the apples and sprinkle on some slivered almonds. The final step before this gem of a dessert goes in the oven, is to brush on an egg wash (one beaten egg with one tablespoon of water) to the puff pastry. This gives a beautiful sheen and golden color to the crust when it comes out of the oven.
Step #8 – Baking the Puff Pastry Apple Galette
It takes a good amount of time of baking at 350°F to get these apple slices tender, approximately 75-80 minutes (in my oven anyway). If the crust begins to brown too much or too quickly, take pieces of foil and fold them around the crust to slow the browning process down.
Oh! My! Goodness! You won’t believe how AMAZING this turned out. The layers of texture, the sweetness of the almond filling, the tender baked sour apples, a touch of amaretto syrup, an added crunch of slivered almonds, and of course, a drizzle of caramel sauce, all of this authenticates a dish that is beyond scrumpdillyicious!! Serve warm with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Can you believe – all of that in one marvelous dessert? You’ve just gotta try it yourself. And please, if you do, leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
If you love this Fall dessert for your Thanksgiving and/or Christmas menu, you will definitely want to check out some other holiday recipes.
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cake Roll
Salted Caramel Layered Pumpkin Cake
Gingerbread Layered Cake
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Please consider following me on Pinterest – lingeralittle
PrintPuff Pastry Apple Galette
A luscious dessert which is perfect for Fall. The Puff Pastry creates a flaky, light and buttery crust. Sliced Granny Smith Apples find their home on a layer of sweet, ground almond mixture. To top it off there is a sauce of Amaretto, butter and brown sugar.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Baked Goods
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 Sheets Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups Almonds, toasted
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 5 tablespoons Butter, melted (divided)
- 2/3 cup Amaretto
- 2/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 10 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored
- Freshly Squeezed Juice from 1 Lemon
- 2–3 tablespoons Slivered Almonds
- 1 Egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Vanilla Ice Cream, optional
- Salted Caramel Sauce, get recipe here
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 10-inch ovenproof skillet.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each of the Puff Pastry sheets to 15 x 15 inch.
- Roll each sheet separately onto the rolling pin and unroll them onto the skillet, positioning the corners to lay separate of each other. Gently press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
- Add 1 1/2 cups almonds, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a food processor and pulsate until the almonds are finely chopped.
- Add 2 eggs (lightly beaten), 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3 tablespoons butter. Process until combined. Set aside
- In a small pan over medium to medium low heat, bring 2/3 cup Amaretto to a gentle boil and continue until it has been reduced to about 3 tablespoons. It takes about 12-13 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Remove from heat and add 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 2 treaspoons cinnamon. Whisk until fully combined and sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Peel, core and thinly slice the apples with either a mandoline or a sharp knife. Coat them with the juice of one lemon to keep them from browning.
- Remove the puff pastry pan from the refrigerator and spoon the almond mixture on top of the crust in the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange the apple slices. Overlap them upright in a circular pattern, working from the outside to the center.
- Spoon the Amaretto mixture over the apples evenly. Fold the edges of the Puff Pastry in a decorative style up and over the apples.
- Sprinkle the 2-3 tablespoons slivered almonds over the top.
- Brush the pastry edges with the egg wash.
- Bake in the oven for 65-75 minutes or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown. It might take a little longer depending on your oven.
- If the crust is browning too much, wrap strips of foil around the edge of the crust to slow their browning process.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce (optional).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of galette
- Calories: 585
- Sugar: 41 g
- Sodium: 331 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 71 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
Keywords: apple galette recipe, apple galette puff pastry, puff pastry apple tart, apple puff pasty
I love an apple galette! Looks fantastic.
★★★★★
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love the photos too. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Awwww, thanks Niki. It’s so nice of you to leave a comment. You have to let me know what you think if you do make this galette.
This looks just looks too awesome to pass up! Going to give it a try! I appreciate all the tips you give also as I love to fix Appetizers and Entrees so this Dessert will be a trial run for me, 🙂
Thanks,
Sharla
Oh Thanks Sharla! When you make it, if you have any questions, you can email and I will definitely walk you through anything you might wonder about. I am excited for you to try it and I would love to know what you think.
looks awesome
Awwww – thanks Freddie. It really is a good recipe. A little dangerous in the “trying to diet” category. But delicious all the same!
Beautiful. I love rustic presentations. Maybe because that’s all I can do personally! But seriously, I’d rather dig into this than something that looks more like a sculpture.
Thanks Mimi! There is definitely a rustic appeal about this dessert. I so appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment.
Looks amazing, Kristy! I want to drink that sauce!!!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Carrie. And definitely, the sauce is worth drinking all by itself!
This gale the sounds pretty incredible.
Thanks so much Jeff! Merry (belated) Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!
This came out incredible! I love your thorough recipes and your love for cooking; we are kindred spirits. I made 2 changes just because I’m not a fan of amaretto. 1. Substituted pecans for almonds throughout and 2. Substituted bourbon for amaretto. I know what I’m taking to my sister in laws for Thanksgiving; they live in the center of bourbon country Kentucky. This was music to my taste buds followed by a good cup of coffee.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Deana! Your substitutions sound amazing as well. I’m so thrilled you love the recipe. I do agree this is a GREAT dessert for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Just wanted to let you know that the link to the salted caramel sauce in the recipe card links back to the same galette post. I found the sauce recipe in the post above! Will try this out, looks delicious!
★★★★★
Thank you so much Josh for pointing that out. I just changed the link. Also so happy you stopped by and let me know if you try this recipe. Would love to know what you think.
No problem Kristy! I did make it for Thanksgiving and, even though Thanksgiving was a much smaller affair, it was a hit! The wife and in-laws loved it! Thank you for the great recipe, I will have to make it again when the craving hits!
★★★★★
Oh terrific. So glad to know your family loved it. It is one of my favorites.