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This Apple Cranberry Galette brings together tender, sweet apples, bright tart cranberries, warm cinnamon, and a buttery, flaky pastry crust in one rustic dessert.
The contrast between the naturally sweet apples and tangy cranberries gives every bite a balanced fruit flavor, while a little lemon juice adds freshness and helps complement the sweetness.
The pastry is made from all-purpose flour, cold butter, vegetable shortening, salt, and ice water.
Cutting the cold fats into the flour until they reach pea-sized pieces helps create the flaky texture that makes this galette especially appealing.
The dough is rolled into a large circle, then arranged with thinly sliced apples that have been coated in sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
Instead of fitting the pastry into a pie dish, the dough is folded casually around the fruit, leaving the center open and giving the dessert its characteristic rustic appearance.
Cranberries are scattered over the apples before small pieces of butter are added to the filling.
Baked at 400°F, the galette develops a beautifully golden crust while the apples become tender and the cranberries soften into the fruit filling.
It looks impressive enough for a special dessert but follows a straightforward preparation method that makes it approachable for home baking.
The recipe yields 8 slices and is especially useful when you want the flavors of a fruit pie in a more relaxed, free-form pastry.
Extra dough can also be frozen for another baking project, making the generous pastry recipe practical as well as delicious.
Classic Apple Cranberry Galette
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: Mix the all-purpose flour and salt together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Cut in the Cold Fats: Add the cold cubed butter and vegetable shortening to the flour mixture.Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the fats into the flour until the pieces are about the size of peas.
- Form the Dough: Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
- Shape the Pastry: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a disk. Lightly flour the dough, then roll it into a large circle approximately 12 inches across.
- Create a Round Pastry: If desired, use a large bowl to cut the rolled dough into a more precise round. The original recipe notes that the dough can also be left free-form.The recipe makes enough dough for a double crust, so some pastry will remain.
- Transfer the Dough: Place the pastry circle onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and make sure the baking sheet is prepared with parchment.
- Prepare the Apples: Core the apples and slice them thinly.
- Season the Fruit: Place the sliced apples in a bowl and toss them with the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice until the slices are evenly coated.
- Arrange the Apples: Starting near the outer portion of the pastry, arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles, working inward toward the center. Leave at least 1 inch of pastry uncovered around the edge for folding.
- Fold the Pastry: Bring the exposed pastry edge up around the apples, folding and pleating the dough as you work around the galette.
- Add the Cranberries: Scatter the cranberries evenly over the arranged apples.
- Dot with Butter: Distribute the small cubes of butter over the fruit filling.
- Bake the Galette: Bake at 400°F for about 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender.
- Cool Before Serving: Allow the finished galette to rest before serving so the baked fruit and flaky pastry can settle.
Notes
- The recipe intentionally makes enough pastry for a double crust, so you will have leftover dough after preparing the galette.
- Extra pastry dough can be frozen and saved for a small pie or pie tarts.
- Slice the apples thinly for the layered appearance shown in the original method.
- The apples can also be diced if you prefer a different fruit texture.
- Keep the butter and vegetable shortening cold when making the pastry to help maintain the flaky dough texture.
- Leave at least 1 inch of pastry around the fruit so the edges can be folded and pleated without disturbing the filling.
Chef’s Secret
The key to a flaky pastry for this galette is keeping the butter and vegetable shortening cold while incorporating them into the flour.
Rather than blending the fats completely into the flour, use a pastry cutter or two knives until the pieces are roughly pea-sized.
Those small pieces of cold fat are important because they help create the flaky character of the crust.
Add the ice water gradually, just 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix with a fork only until the dough forms a ball.
Avoid adding more water than necessary.
When rolling, lightly flour the surface and pastry so the dough remains easy to handle without becoming heavily coated in flour.
Serving Suggestions
Serve slices of the Apple Cranberry Galette once the baked fruit and pastry have had time to settle.
The rustic dessert can be enjoyed on its own, allowing the sweet apples, tart cranberries, cinnamon, and buttery crust to stand out.
For a richer presentation, pair each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of softly whipped cream.
A light dusting of powdered sugar can also complement the golden pastry without overwhelming the fruit.
For casual gatherings, serve the galette directly from the baking sheet after slicing it into 8 portions.
Conclusion
This Apple Cranberry Galette offers the familiar comfort of fruit pie in a beautifully rustic pastry form.
The flaky crust provides a buttery contrast to the tender apples and tart cranberries, while cinnamon and lemon juice bring warmth and brightness to the filling.
Its free-form shape makes it approachable to prepare yet attractive enough for a special dessert table.
With its balanced fruit flavor and golden pastry, this galette is a simple way to turn everyday apples and cranberries into an inviting homemade dessert.
