Easy Apple Dessert That Works Like a Pie (Rustic Galette Style)
A go-to apple dessert that adapts beautifully for Christmas
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I love apple pie — but I don’t always want to wait 4-6 hours for it to cool, especially when I’m craving dessert.
Enter…the Apple Galette.
She has almost all of the makings of my typical pie recipe — including the gooey cooked apple filling, a blend of fragrant spices, and a buttery, golden crust.
And the best part?
It’s ready in under an hour, cook time included!
Most of the year, I bake this free-form and rustic, and it always turns out beautifully.
For Christmas, however, I make it pie style by setting the filling in a dish lined with pie crust and topping with my addicting sugar crumble (recipe below).
So, the base stays the same — it just meets the moment differently.
That’s exactly what I love about it. One recipe, many uses, and no stress attached.
This recipe is part of my Holiday Catalogue — a curated collection of cozy recipes, festive details, and simple ideas to make the season feel warm without the overwhelm.
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Cool Time: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 6-8 slices
Ingredients
2 sheets puff pastry
2 tbsp lemon juice
5 lbs mixed apples of your choice. Grab a blend of crisp, juicy, and tart (consider Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Delicious, and Fuji)
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cardamom (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (this gets added after the filling has cooked. Just stir it into the mixture)
1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F; line a baking sheet.
Filling: Cut apples into thin slices and toss with lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and flour in a large pan over medium heat until gooey.
*Base: Lay first puff pastry sheet, then top with second sheet.
Optional: Brush the first layer with some of the gooey apple juices or egg wash.
Fill: Add apples to the center of the top layer; spoon pan juice over top.
Fold: Pleat pastry edges over; brush with egg wash; sprinkle with turbinado sugar if preferred.
Bake: 28–30 min until golden + bubbling.
Finish: Cool slightly 5-10 minutes; serve warm with ice cream.
Optional Twist:
*If you’d prefer to have this as a pie, follow the instructions up to step 3. Instead of adding the filling to puff pastry, pour it over your pie dough already in a baking dish. Then, make this crumble 👇🏾.
Crumble Recipe
1½ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup butter, melted
Pie Instructions
Heat oven to 425°F (+25° difference from the galette)
Make the apple filling on the stove.
Pour the filling into a prepared dish lined with pie crust.
Assemble the crumble — applying half to the top of the pie with your fingers now and reserving half for later.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Then, without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes.
Now, let’s add the remaining crumble and make sure to protect our pie edges from browning too much. Add foil to the edges only, the middle of the pie should not be covered.
Bake in the oven for ~30 minutes longer.
Test doneness with a toothpick — it should come out clean and the pie should be golden, not burnt. Adjust cook time accordingly.
Set on the counter to cool about 4-6 hours. Serve after or refrigerate for serving the next day.
Tip: I always make my holiday pies on the eve of the big day to prevent rushing the day of. Especially this pie, if you cut into it too early, the internal heat will cause the crumble to get soggy.
Storage
If you plan on eating the full pie in a day or two, counter storage is fine. Otherwise, pop it in the fridge.
Enjoy!
With Love,
Ambyr
Apple Peeler - This saves time when you’re working through a pile of apples. It peels evenly and keeps the slices consistent, which matters more than you think when everything is baking together.
Apple Cutter - Quick, reliable, and easy to use. I like this for breaking down apples fast so I can get straight to cooking without fussing over perfect cuts.
Tip: For smaller slices, I use this cutter first and follow with a sharp knife. Takes less than a minute.
Baking Sheets - For the galette, I assemble and bake directly on this sheet, just lined with parchment paper. For the apple pie, you can set your baking dish on top while it bakes to catch any potential spills.
Ceramic Pie Dish - This is what I’ll be using for my pies but I’ve used different styles over the years, even disposable aluminum foil dishes.
Pie Server - Makes serving cleaner and easier, especially once the filling is warm and soft. Not essential — just one of those small tools that helps things feel cohesive once it’s time to serve.
Enjoy Friends!
With Love,
Ambyr