Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Bursting with fresh seasonal berries, a berry galette is summer time on a plate! The rustic pie showcases the colorful berries and is easy to make.

How long it takes: 1 hour
Equipment you’ll need: food processor (or pastry cutter), mixing bowl, sheet pan, parchment paper
Servings: 6

Berry galette, topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, one slice cut.
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A Beautiful Berry Galette

I just love this summer pie. I don’t like to fuss much in the kitchen during the summer months which is one of the main reasons I really appreciate a galette. The crust is “rustic”, meaning that it doesn’t require a lot of monkey business, as my Grandpa used to say. This berry galette is filled to the brim with beautiful juicy berries and is best served warm, with a scoop of ice cream. It’s so delicious and you’re going to love it!

What Is A Galette?

A galette is the carefree cousin of pie. It’s a traditional French dessert and the literal translation is “flat pastry cake.” The crust of a galette is simply folded over the edges of the filling and pleated together in a free-form manner. A galette is baked on a baking sheet instead of in a pie dish, which ensures that the pastry gets nicely crisp all the way around. You only need to roll out one crust for a galette because the top is left open to display the gorgeous array of fruit inside.

Close up of berry galette with strawberries, blueberries, balckberries.

About This Berry Galette

Easier to make than a pie. I guess I’ve already made that point but it truly is an unfussy pie to make. You don’t need to worry about ragged pastry edges, crimping, or fancy lattice tops. This is a casual pie! My pastry recipe is super easy (you can use a food processor to make it) but if you want, buy a refrigerated pie crust and use that instead of making your own pastry for an even easier galette.

Versatile. This berry galette can be made with a mix of berries or just one type of berry. A mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries is beautiful and you’ll love how it tastes, but feel free to use just two kinds of berries, or even all one kind. Other types of fruit can be used too. Once you learn the technique of making a galette, I guarantee you’ll turn to this easy dessert often.

Cooking Tip

To measure flour accurately, use a spoon or scoop to lightly fill the measuring cup. A straight edge or knife can be used to scrape off the excess flour so you get a level cupful. A common mistake is to use the measuring cup as a scoop and shaking down the flour to level it. This compacts the flour so that you get too much.

Overhead view of ingredients needed for recipe.

Ingredient Notes

  • All-Purpose Flour: You don’t need fancy pastry flour; regular all-purpose flour works fine.
  • Unsalted Butter: You want the butter to be very cold to make the pastry. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
  • Granulated Sugar: I like to add a tablespoon of sugar to the crust mixture for a touch of sweetness. Regular white sugar is all you need.
  • Salt: A dash of salt balances things out. Without it, the crust would taste flat or bland.
  • Mixed Berries: Any kind of berries will work here. For the galette pictured, I used a mixture of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Look for fruit that’s in season and available. Frozen fruit works well, too.
  • Honey: I like to use honey to sweeten the berries because it not only adds sweetness, it also has a distinctive flavor.
  • Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Just a touch of acidity keeps the flavor of the filling exciting and bold.
  • Tapioca Starch: A close cousin to cornstarch, tapioca starch is the new kid on the block. It’s made from dried cassava and is sometimes called tapioca flour. In this recipe, the starch helps thicken the juices from the fruit, keeping your galette from getting soggy. You can use cornstarch if you don’t have tapioca.
  • Egg Wash: A large egg is whisked with a few tablespoons of water and brushed onto the turned-over edge of the crust. It gives the crust a shiny crisp surface. Sprinkle the moistened crust with coarse sugar, such as sanding sugar or turbinado sugar, for a nice crunchy texture.

How To Make A Galette

Prepare the pie crust dough. I like to use a food processor to make the pastry dough but you can easily make it with a pastry cutter or even a fork. Measure the flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of the food processor. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour mixture. Pulse a few times, until the butter is broken up into small pieces and somewhat incorporated into the flour. The mixture will look crumbly.

Add ice water to the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until you see the dough starting to come together. Press the mixture with your fingertips to see if it holds together. Once it does, you’ve added enough water, usually three to five tablespoons.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and mold it into a flattened ball or disk shape. Wrap the dough well (I usually use plastic wrap) and refrigerate it at least 20 to 30 minutes, while you make the filling.

Prepare the berry filling. Rinse the berries well, removing any stems, hulls, or debris. Dry them as much as possible so you don’t have excess water in the filling. If the berries are large (I’m thinking of strawberries in particular), slice them into bite-sized pieces.

Gently mix the berries with the honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tapioca starch (or cornstarch). Use a gentle touch; you don’t want to crush the berries. Set the berry mixture aside for about 15 minutes. This gives the berries a chance to macerate. The honey draws out the juices of the berries and enhances their natural sugars.

In the meantime, preheat the oven and line a baking sheet, stone, or sheet pan with parchment paper. I often use a rimmed pan because sometimes excess juice may run out of the galette. You don’t want that in the bottom of your oven!

Assemble the galette. Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large circle, about a quarter-inch thick. Carefully transfer the crust to the center of the prepared pan. If you get a small hole or tear, don’t worry, just pinch the edges together to mend it.

Scoop the berries out of the mixing bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving the excess juice in the bowl. Evenly arrange the filling on the crust, leaving approximately a two-inch border to fold over.

Fold the dough border over the edges of the berries, pleating and pinching the edges together as you go, to form a crust. Refer to the photos if you’re uncertain how this is supposed to look. Don’t worry about getting everything all even and pretty! Remember, you’re going for a rustic casual look.

Add egg wash. Whisk together a large egg and a tablespoon of water until well-combined. Brush the egg mixture on the edges of the crust, the part that is showing. Sprinkle coarse sugar on the egg-washed crust.

Bake the galette. Put the galette into the preheated oven and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the berries are softened. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing it.

Serve. Serve your berry galette slightly warm, with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream melting on each slice. Vanilla frozen yogurt is great too, or a swirl of homemade whipped cream. Garnish with a few fresh berries, if you have any extra.

Berry galette with two scoops of vanilla ice cream added.

Recipe Variations

  • Use a different fruit. A galette can be made with any mixture of berries. You can also make a galette with other types of fruit, such as cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, or apples.
  • Substitute frozen fruit. If fresh fruit isn’t available, frozen fruit works well, too. There’s no need to thaw it first.
  • Add flavoring. You can enhance the flavor of the filling with spices such as cinnamon, ginger (fresh or ground), nutmeg, and so on. Finely minced fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, or lavender can be added. Make your choice based on the fruit you choose.
  • Take a shortcut. Buy a refrigerated pie crust instead of making your own pastry.
Slice of berry galette on a plate, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: If you happen to have any leftover galette, cool it completely before covering it. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat: This galette can be enjoyed cold, room temperature, or warm. If you’d like to reheat it, preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake the galette for about 10 minutes, or until it’s warm.

More Dessert Recipes

Recipe

Berry Galette

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Bursting with fresh seasonal berries, a berry galette is summer time on a plate! The rustic pie showcases the colorful berries and is easy to make! 
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Ingredients 

DOUGH:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsalted cold butter, diced
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

FILLING:

  • 3 ½ cups mixed fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, tapioca flour, or cornstarch

EGG WASH:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (or turbinado sugar)

Instructions 

  • Add flour, diced butter, sugar and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture becomes crumbly with the butter broken up into small lumps throughout.
    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsalted cold butter, diced, 1 tablespoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse a few times to incorporate it. Add only enough water so that the dough sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
    3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
  • Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a ball or disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet (sheet pan) with parchment paper.
  • Gently rinse the berries with cold water. Drain and remove as much excess water as possible. If berries are large, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
    3 ½ cups mixed fresh berries
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine berries, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tapioca starch. Cover the bowl and allow the berry mixture to sit for about 15 minutes.
    3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, tapioca flour, or cornstarch
  • Meanwhile, prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and water in a small bowl.
    1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
  • Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12 to 14 inch circle, about ¼ -inch thick. Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared baking sheet.
  • With a slotted spoon, scoop the berry filling on the center of the dough, leaving any accumulated juices behind in the bowl. Spread the berry mixture evenly, leaving 2 inches around the border for the crust.
  • Fold the border of the dough on top of the filling, pinching edges together as needed. Brush the folded-over edge of the galette with the egg wash and sprinkle a generous amount of coarse sugar on top of the crust.
    1 to 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
  • Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and berries appear softened. Let the galette cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  • Slice the galette into 6 portions and serve it warm with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

Notes

  • Retested and revised 7/2024. Previously posted as Rustic Four Berry Pie.
  • Storage: Cool leftover galette completely. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I enjoy this galette just as much cold as I do warm. If you’d like to reheat it, preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake the galette for about 10 minutes, or until warm. 
  • Not a fan of berries? You can substitute any of your favorite fruits, such as cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, or apples. I would recommend using the same amount, about 3 ½ cups. If you use apples, you’ll want to slice them very thinly so that they soften. 
  • Shortcut: Buy a refrigerated pie crust, roll it out to the desired size, and continue with the recipe as directed. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 113mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 560IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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13 Comments

  1. Caren with a "C" says:

    Love your picture! Looks very tasty and homemade…which is great.. even though you made the crust. That is one of the things I need to learn to do too. Plus I need a surface to roll it out on. I have those tile grouted counters that just aren’t friendly for lots of cooking from scratch!

  2. Aubrey says:

    This looks really really delicious. And so pretty too!

  3. Olga @ MangoTomato says:

    this looks absolutely delicious and screams summer! love rustic desserts like that.