Vegan French Apple Galette

Want big flavours, with minimal effort? Our humble apple galette ticks all the boxes. Cinnamon-scented apples atop a flaky, nutty crust. And it’s easier than pie. Bon appétit!

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 60 mins | Serves: 8

Since making (and devouring) our Cherry and Pistachio Galette, we’ve developed a love affair with these rustic, crusty cakes. Some might say we’ve gone wild, eating them morning, noon and night. That’s how we know this vegan twist on a traditional French galette is a winner! It’s entirely plant-based and packed with powerful antioxidants thanks to the addition of Almo crème and cinnamon. Both ingredients have immense antioxidant activity helping to fight free radicals and inflammation. 

Essentially, a galette is a no-frills French pastry, much like a homemade pie or tart, but requires far less effort. It’s something the French have been throwing together for centuries. In fact, the recipes are often centuries old and passed down through generations. And the beauty of them is that you don’t have to take pains crimping the crust into a special pie pan. Instead, you simply fold it casually over your favourite savoury or sweet fillings on a flat baking tray. The result is a perfectly, imperfect tart.  

To make gluten-free, use your favourite flour blend and add slightly less milk. Gluten-free flour tends to absorb liquid more readily. Therefore, you should only need 40-45ml instead of 90ml. The dough is also more fragile, so folding can be a challenge. However, using a butter knife coated in gluten-free flour can help manipulate the edges. 

You can serve this galette by itself – either warm or at room temperature. But we think it tastes best served with a dollop of vegan ice cream and a generous drizzle of Almo Crème. 

Tip: You may be tempted to load up your galette with extra apples, but trust us, less is more when it comes to galettes. Apples release liquid during the cooking process, and too much moisture can make a mess of your crusty base. Lastly, be sure to choose baking apples. Our favourites are Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Bramalea.

Ingredients

Dough

• 230g plain flour 
• 130g vegan butter (pre-prepared)
• 50g icing sugar 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 90g Almo Milk

Filling

• 3 x large baking apples
• 1/3 cup (80g) organic cane sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tbsp vegan baking butter
• 1/3 cup (80g) finely chopped pistachios

Optional Glaze

• 1 tbsp organic apricot jam (no added sugar)

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour, vegan butter, icing sugar and salt until you see fine crumbs form. Add Almo Milk and blend until the mixture scrapes away from the bowl and forms a dough. Check the dough’s consistency. If you add too much liquid, compensate with more flour.
2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead with the heel of your hand until the pastry comes together. Using your hands, roll pastry into a flat slab, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour before use. Wash, peel, core and cut your apples into thin slices and throw in a large mixing bowl with sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, vegan baking butter, tapioca starch and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. 
3. Retrieve your pastry from the refrigerator and transfer it to a surface lined with baking paper. Allow dough to cool to room temperature before rolling it directly on the paper into a rough circle, about 20 cm wide and 3 mm thick. Too thin and you may end up with a leaky galette. Gently transfer the dough and paper onto a baking tray.
4. Sprinkle 1 tsp of flour over the pastry. Arrange your apples in the centre in overlapping concentric circles. Don’t worry about being too particular. The more rustic, the better and you don’t want the pastry to get too warm. Fold the edges up in a free-form fashion, overlapping them as you go. Patch up any breaks with dough from another side. Brush the pastry with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with leftover pistachios and organic cane sugar for a golden, crispy crust. Chill your assembled galette in the fridge for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C and position the rack in the middle. 
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender. While the tart cools, put together the optional glaze. Simply mix apricot jam with a splash of water in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until bubbling, roughly 20 seconds. Then, brush apples with apricot glaze. We recommend serving warm with a scoop of vegan ice cream and a generous drizzle of Almo Crème .