Cherry Galette with Almond Flour Crust

Name: Cherry Galette with Almond Flour Crust
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 cup (104g) blanched almond flour; 1/2 cup (70g) tapioca flour; 2 tablespoons coconut sugar; 1/4 cup (57g) plant-based unsalted butter, cold and cubed; 1 large egg, whisked; 2 cups (290g) fresh cherries, pitted and halved; 2 tablespoons coconut sugar; 1 tablespoon tapioca flour; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint; 1 egg, whisked (for the egg wash); 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar; 1/4 cup (40g) plant-based dark chocolate, chopped; 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, virgin and cold-pressed

August 22, 2023 Updated: August 25, 2023 By Leanne 28 Comments

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This Cherry Galette is decadent and rustic with an almond flour crust, sweet cherries and fresh mint. It’s gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free and can be served on it’s own with a drizzle of melted chocolate or with a scoop of ice cream!

We’re getting to the end of cherry season, but I couldn’t resist re-sharing this recipe that I first published on the blog in 2019. The recipe remains the same, but I updated the photos and added more helpful tips for readers.

A slice of cherry galette on a white plate and topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate and fresh mint leaves.

If you’ve never made a galette before, no worries. They’re super easy to make!

This open-faced pie has a sweet cherry filling and an almond flour crust that is flakey and buttery. And, thanks to an egg wash and some turbinado sugar, the crust bakes up crispy and golden brown.

What is a galette?

A galette is a French pastry with a crust that’s made using pie dough. The dough is rolled out and a filling is added to the centre. The edges of the pastry dough are then folded around the filling in an overlapping fashion. To make it even easier, the galette is baked on a sheet pan so there are no pie or tart pans required.

Galettes are very forgiving and often easier to make than pies or tarts. Since galettes are normally meant to look rustic, if cracks form in the crust or the filling starts to ooze out, it’s no big deal. That just adds to the rustic presentation!

While this is a fruit filled galette, you can also make savoury galettes like this tomato galette.

Why you’ll love this cherry galette recipe

It tastes like a homemade cherry pie but it’s so much easier to make.
The almond flour dough is super simple and made with just 5 ingredients. It’s also very forgiving!
This recipe makes a small galette, so it’s perfect for serving about 4 people.
It uses plant-based and grain-free ingredients, so it’s dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the complete list of ingredients and quantities used, please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Ingredients to make an almond flour cherry galette arranged in individual bowls.

Cherries – I used fresh bing cherries to make the galette filling. They’re dark red and sweet and readily available during cherry season. If you can’t find bing cherries, you can use any other type of fresh cherry.

Almond flour – For most of my gluten-free baking, I use blanched almond flour. It has a fine texture and differs from almond meal, which has a coarser texture as it’s made from almonds with the skins left on.

Tapioca flour – This flour comes from the root of the cassava plant and may also be called tapioca starch. In this recipe, I’ve used it in place of cornstarch to keep the galette crust grain-free. I haven’t tested this recipe using cornstarch.

Coconut sugar – This is added to both the crust and cherry filling to help sweeten them. I haven’t tested this recipe with brown sugar, which can often be used in place of coconut sugar. If you try substituting with brown sugar, just keep in mind that it may add more moisture to the dough and filling.

Turbinado sugar – This is a coarse sugar that is sprinkled onto the edges of the galette crust to help it bake up golden brown and crispy. If you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can just use more coconut sugar or try using cane sugar or granulated sugar.

Eggs – You’ll need one egg for the galette dough and another to use for an egg wash to brush onto the dough before filling it and baking it.

Butter – Cold cubes of unsalted butter are cut into the flour to help create a flakey and buttery crust. I used plant-based butter in order to keep this recipe dairy-free, but you can use regular butter if you don’t need the recipe to be dairy-free.

Vanilla – Just a little is added to the filling to enhance the flavours of the cherries. Substituting with almond extract would also work nicely.

Fresh mint – A few leaves of fresh mint are chopped up and added to the cherry filling. It adds a subtle flavour and complements the chocolate topping nicely. If you don’t have any, you can just leave it out. The recipe will still taste delicious.

Dark chocolate – Drizzling the baked galette with melted dark chocolate is optional but highly recommended. Be sure to use plant-based and gluten-free chocolate or chocolate chips to keep this recipe dairy-free and gluten-free. If you don’t need it to be dairy-free and gluten-free, feel free to use any kind of high quality dark chocolate.

Coconut oil – Just a little is melted with the dark chocolate to help it thin out into a more pourable texture. You can also just use more plant-based butter.

How to make this gluten-free galette with cherries

First, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour and coconut sugar.

Using a pastry cutter (also called a dough blender), cut in the cold butter until a crumbly mixture forms. It’s fine to have some small pieces of butter in the mixture, but make sure there are no big chunks remaining.

Use a fork to mix in the egg until a dough forms.

Shape the dough into a ball and then flatten into a disk that’s about 5 inches in diameter. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Collage of 4 images showing how the almond flour galette crust is made.

While the dough is chilling, add the cherries, sugar, tapioca flour, vanilla and mint to a small bowl. Stir together to ensure all of the flour is incorporated.

Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 10-inch round.

Brush some of the egg wash on the rolled out dough and place the cherry mixture (including liquid) in the middle, leaving a 2-inch border.

Fold the border around the cherries. If the dough is a bit sticky, use the parchment paper to help lift the edges and fold. If the dough tears, just pinch it together with your fingers.

Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle on the turbinado sugar.

Collage of 4 images showing how the cherry galette is assembled.

Transfer the galette, with the parchment paper, to a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven when the crust looks deep golden brown and crispy.

Let cool slightly before slicing and serving with a drizzle of melted dark chocolate and/or a scoop of ice cream.

Storage tips

This gluten-free cherry galette is best served right away when it’s warm and crispy. If you have leftovers, you can keep them covered at room temperature for 1-2 days. To keep longer, store in an airtight container in the fridge, and it should last for 4-5 days.

You can also freeze this galette. Just let it cool fully and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.

While you can enjoy leftovers cold, I recommend reheating them in the oven on 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until the filling is warmed through. Note that the crust won’t be as crispy as it was when it was first baked.

Baked cherry galette on a pink plate with melted chocolate and fresh mint leaves next to it.

FAQs

What type of cherries are best for a galette?

I used bing cherries for this recipe but you can use other types of fresh cherries such as rainier cherries, black cherries or sour cherries. Just make sure to pit them and cut them in half before making the filling.

Can you make a cherry galette with frozen cherries?

While I prefer fresh cherries, you can make this galette with frozen cherries. Just let them thaw in the fridge first, drain any excess liquid and blot dry. Then, proceed with making the filling.

How do you prevent a galette from getting a soggy bottom?

Before you add the filling, brush the rolled out dough with egg wash. This helps add a barrier to prevent liquid from the cherry filling from seeping into the dough.

As for the filling, adding tapioca flour or cornstarch helps thicken the juices that are released from the cherries. Having a thick filling helps prevent your galette from getting a soggy bottom.

How do you know when a galette is done?

Once the crust is crispy and dark golden brown, you can assume the galette is ready to come out of the oven. To double check, just use a spatula to lift up the bottom of the galette. If the bottom is browned, it’s definitely done.

Can you make this cherry galette in advance?

The dough needs to be chilled so it’s perfect for making a day or two in advance. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to use, roll out the dough and proceed with the recipe.

You can also make the filling a few hours in advance. Just note that the longer the cherries sit, the more liquid they will release, so you may need to drain a little liquid before adding the filling to the dough.

Measuring ingredients

For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you’ll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.

Pieces of cherry galette arranged on plates and drizzled with melted chocolate.

Tips for working with almond flour dough

Don’t skip the step of chilling the dough as this makes the dough easier to roll out.
If you find the dough starting to stick to the rolling pin as you’re rolling it out, you can start pressing it out using your hands.
The dough is forgiving, so if it tears while you are rolling it out or assembling the galette, you can just pinch it back together with your fingers.
If the dough gets too soft while you’re assembling the galette, just pop the galette in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking it.

Key recipe tips

Measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh your flours, be sure to measure them by using the spoon and level method with a dry measuring cup.
Cold butter. Make sure your butter is cold. Otherwise, the dough may get too soft to work with.
Pastry cutter. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use a fork, your fingers or a food processor. Just make sure that the butter doesn’t get too warm as you work it into the flour and that there are still some small pieces of butter throughout. (This helps create a buttery crust).
Filling. It’s not uncommon for some of the filling to ooze out of galettes as they bake. Don’t worry about it!
Mint. This galette has a hint of mint, but if you’re not a fan, you can just leave it out.
Coarse sugar. I don’t recommend skipping the coarse sugar for the crust. Sprinkling it on before baking really helps the crust get crispy and golden brown.
Toppings. The melted chocolate topping is optional. You can serve it as is or add a scoop of ice cream instead.

More cherry recipes

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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