This rustic galette has a buttery, flaky, crisp crust surrounding plump, juicy fresh cherries. A hint of lemon, almond, and brown sugar brings out the season’s best flavors in this Sweet Cherry Galette. Use an all-butter pastry, or go dairy free with a vegan pastry. This recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.
Table of Contents
Highlights of Sweet Cherry Galette
We made a lot of galettes when I was in Pastry School, especially during stone fruit season. A galette (aka crostata) is much simpler to pull together than a traditional pie because its shape is free-form. Making a galette requires no cutting, crimping, par-baking, and/or latticing. Simply roll out the dough, fill it, fold it, chill it, egg-wash the crust, sprinkle with sugar, then bake.
In this recipe, plump, sweet cherries are macerated in brown sugar with a bit of lemon zest, juice, almond extract, and cornstarch to thicken, then wrapped in a rich, buttery, flaky pastry.
This Galette Recipe Is:
- Easy to Make
- Crunchy. Creamy. Sweet.
- Vegetarian or Vegan
Galettes are a perfect way to ease into pastry if it seems daunting. Or if one is feeling a little lazy (wink). Craggy edges are encouraged!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pie Pastry – you’ll need one 11-12 ounce (311-340 grams) pie pastry disc. My recipe includes unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and homemade buttermilk (lemon + milk). Although I recommend homemade, you can use store-bought pastry. If dairy free or vegan, give my Coconut Oil Pie Pastry a go.
- Sweet Cherries – look for Bing or Chelan cherries at farmer’s markets for the freshest selection. Both varieties are dark red, plump, and sweet. Pictured in this recipe are Bing cherries.
- Light Brown Sugar – produces caramel-rich flavor in this galette.
- Lemon Zest and Juice – offers just a hint of lemon flavor, adds interest, and highlights the sweet cherries.
- Almond Extract – adds interest and depth to this galette.
- Cornstarch – a few tablespoons of cornstarch thickens the juices from the sugar and cherries. Look for organic corn starch.
- Turbinado Sugar – for sprinkling on the galette just before it goes into the oven. It gives the pastry an added layer of texture and a bit of sweetness.
- Vanilla Ice Cream or Whip Cream – optional, but you can’t beat melty ice cream with this cherry galette!
At a Glance: How to Make Sweet Cherry Galette
Two components, pie pastry, and cherry pie filling, come together to make a show-stopping dessert. It’s simple to pull together and makes a beautiful presentation. Here’s how to make this rustic pie (see recipe card for details):
- First, make the pastry one day ahead, if you can, and store it in the fridge.
- Second, mix the cherries, brown sugar, corn starch, extract, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Third, roll out the dough and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Fourth, fill the galette with the cherry mixture, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the cherries leaving the center open.
- Next, egg wash the pastry, then sprinkle with raw or turbinado sugar.
- Last, toss it in the freezer for about half an hour, then bake the galette until golden brown.
Share the cherry galette warm with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.
Related: For another sweet summer galette, give my Blueberry Galette Recipe a go!
Variations and Substitutions
- Butter – shown is a cherry galette made with a Homemade All-Butter Pie Crust. You can use store-bought pastry or make homemade (recommended). Try my Coconut Oil Pie Pastry for a dairy-free / vegan pie pastry. Although it won’t be as golden as shown here, it works beautifully in this recipe. It produces a just as flaky and delicious crust as its counterpart!
- Sweet Cherries – look for Bing or Chelan cherries at farmer’s markets for the freshest selection. Both varieties are dark red, plump, and sweet. Pictured in this recipe are Bing cherries.
- Almond Extract – I love the flavor almond extract adds to this galette. But vanilla extract is a lovely substitute!
- Egg Free – the recipe calls for an egg wash on the pastry, but you can use milk or cream instead.
- Turbinado Sugar – substitute with demerara or raw sugar or leave it off.
Expert Tips
- The recipe below provides an abbreviated method for how to make the pastry. For an in-depth tutorial, see my full blog post for my All Butter Pie Dough Recipe. It includes step-by-step photos and a ton of tips.
- Make Ahead: make your pastry dough at least one day ahead. This allows the gluten to relax and the dough to hydrate fully. This renders the dough much easier to work with. You can pitt your cherries a day ahead as well.
- Be sure to pick up your favorite Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to serve with the galette or give my Vegan Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream a go.
More Cherry Recipes to Love
Sweet Cherry Galette Recipe
Servings:6 – 8 Servings
Calories:570kcal
This rustic pie has a buttery, flaky crust surrounding plump, juicy fresh cherries. A hint of lemon, almond, and brown sugar brings out the season’s best flavors in this Sweet Cherry Galette. *For best texture, and ease of rolling/shaping, make the pastry dough at least one day ahead.* Time above does not include resting time for the pastry or galette. Use a homemade All-Butter Pastry, or try my vegan / dairy free Coconut Oil Pie Pastry. This recipe makes 1, 9 inch (22cm) galette.
Ingredients
For the Pastry (makes one disk, 11-12 oz / 311g -340g):
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) Unsalted Butter one stick, refrigerated (see note for dairy free)
- 3 tablespoons Milk plant or dairy
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups (190 grams) All Purpose Flour + more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon Cane Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
For the Cherry Filling:
- 3 1/2 cups (1 pound / 500 grams) Fresh Bing Cherries
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (90 grams) Light Brown Sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 Lemon zested
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
To Finish the Galette:
- 1 Egg or use milk (plant or dairy)
- 1-2 Tbs Turbinado Sugar
Instructions
Make the Pastry:
- PRO Tip: Make the pastry at least one day ahead if possible. This renders the pastry easier to work with. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch (12mm) pieces. Place the butter in the freezer for at least five minutes.Whisk the milk and apple cider vinegar together until it bubbles. It will thicken as it sets for five minutes.In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter. The butter should remain in larger chunks, about pea to almond size.
- Make a well in the center and pour in all but about 1 tablespoon of the milk mixture. Use your hand to incorporate the milk, folding and pressing the mixture. Flattening out the butter is okay. To test hydration, grab a hand full of dough and squeeze it. If it holds together, don't add any additional milk. If it's still crumbly or falls apart, add the remaining milk and continue folding and pressing to a shaggy consistency.
- On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the shaggy dough. Using a bench scraper, fold and press the dough at least 6-8 times, eventually shaping the mixture into a rough rectangle about 1/2 inch (12mm) thick. Use the heal of your hand to press the dough away from you, smearing the dough between your hand and work surface. Do this in three increments working from one end of the rectangle to the other. *Optional Step: Use a bench scraper to gather the dough once again and shape into a rectangle. Fold and press the dough over and on top of its self 7-8 more times. This helps to hydrate the dough and build flaky layers.
- Gather all the bits together and shape into a rough disk approximately 1/2 inch (12mm) thick. Wrap snugly in plastic wrap or two layers of parchemnt paper and rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Make the Filling:
- Set the pie pastry out at room temperature about an hour before starting. This makes it easier to roll and shape.Pit the cherries. Leave the cherries whole, no need to slice them.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the cherries, brown sugar, corn starch, extract, lemon zest and juice, and salt together so that no white patches of the starch remain. Set aside to macerate at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.
Roll Out the Dough:
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Make room in the freezer to chill the galette, on the sheet pan, prior to baking. Generously dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the pie dough to between 13-14 inches (34-37cm) or to about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick, reflouring the work surface and pin as needed to make sure the dough doesn't stick. TIP: If you have any cracking, dab the area with just a tiny bit of cold water to close the crack. Roll the dough over and onto the rolling pin and transfer the dough, unrolling it onto the parchment lined sheet pan. It's okay if the dough hangs over the edges a little. We'll fold them in soon.
Assemble the Galette:
- Spoon the cherries and their juices on to the pastry keeping them in the center as much as possible leaving between a 2"-3" (5cm-7cm) boarder. The cherries should overlap some. Fold the pastry inward working around the cherries, pleating the pastry 7-8 times as you work your way around. Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer for 20 – 30 minutes.
- While the galette is resting, set oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375 Farenheight (190 Celsius). Just before baking, whisk the egg with one tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush to throughly brush on the egg wash. Sprinkle pastry and cherries with turbinado sugar. Bake galette for 45-50 minutes rotating once while baking. The pastry should be golden and crisp when ready. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into six larger servings, or eight small servings. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.
- Store galette at room temperature for up to three days or freeze for up to two weeks. Individual pieces can be thawed at room temperature, then rewarmed in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
Notes
*This recipe can be made with a one disk of Homemade Butter Pie Dough or Coconut Oil Pie Dough.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1g serving | Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 3012IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
This galette looks amazing, my question is, can I use frozen cherries?
Hi Deborah! Thank you ☺️. While I think it could work, I’ve not tried it. A quick google search led me to King Arthur Baking who suggested: you may need to add extra thickener (in this case cornstarch) to balance the extra juice. They also suggested to rinse frozen fruit first to prevent bleeding. If you give it a go, let us know how it goes!
I have made this several times and there is one cooling on the counter right now. Turns out wonderful every time!
Hii Jennifer! Thank youuuu for your review and giving the galette a go. SO excited you’re enjoying it!
Your Cherry Gallete Looks Great! I like Cherry a lot… I am Tempting to make one…
Nathan
We are on the same page Nathan! Cherry season goes so fast. Lmk if you give it a go!
Having fun looking at your new and earlier recipes. Think I’ll go bake a galette. It’s September now and blackberries are ripe. Yummm. I can taste it now. Thanks for the recipe & photo guide.
Ooooh I’m curious about how your galette turned out… ! I’ve not yet picked enough blackberries!! Thank you for your note Ina! xo
How I adore galettes, especially in the summer. These cherries… that melting whip on top… that golden crust!! Gorgeous, Traci! I’m getting my spoon…
I’m with you Alison! I’d love to share a slice with you. xo
This galette is just stunning, Traci! I’m a bit obsessed with cherries and imagining them baked into that flaky coconut oil crust is making my mouth water. Such a beautiful piece of edible art!
Hehe… thank you Sarah. I’m loving the melty ice cream over this warm galette…. cherry season is way too short.
What a pretty pie (or should I say galette), Traci! Love cherries – they are perfect baked up in some sweet pastry. I’m intrigued by the coconut oil in the pastry – I’ve been using it when I make stir fries. Hope you’re having a great weekend – and the weather isn’t too terrible – saw on the news you’ve been hit with a fierce heatwave.
Oh the coconut oil…. in stir fries.. in just about anything I cook. The flavor comes across as pretty neutral too. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised Geraldine. The heat is done for now (omg it was so hot!) but the smoke from the wild fires in BC is tough to deal with… Hopefully it will clear out soon!
Swooning over these photos, Traci! I haven’t made a galette in ages and now you’ve sold me on using coconut oil in the dough. So, so pretty!
It’s time for a galette Tessa! You’ll love that crust with coconut oil… I can’t wait to see your GF version! xo
Beautiful and delicious!
Thank you love xo
Prettiest galette I’ve seen all summer Traci! And coconut oil pastry…hmmm. I’ll definitely heed your recommendation and give it a go. I love making galettes so much more than pies. So much easier and they turn out just as beautiful in my opinion. My friend’s birthday is next weekend and she wants a peach pie. No ifs, ands or buts! I think I’ll give your coconut oil pastry a try! I’ll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck! Happy weekend.
Thank you Mary Ann. I’m with you on Galettes, but when I’m feeling like being a little fancy with pastry, I give it a go. I do enjoy making pretty lattice and leaves for the top. A peach pie for your friend sounds incredible. The thing about peach pie is it’s always good with a few dollops of butter… :D What a generous friend you are. I hope you and your friend enjoy the recipe Mary Ann!
I have also been consuming copious amounts of cherries this summer. They seem to be exceptionally sweet this year. I actually broke down and bought the same cherry pitter that you have pictured which makes life much easier! I’m in total agreement with your comments about the challenges of working with pastry dough. The addition of coconut oil intrigues me and if it makes for easier rolling I’m in!
Oh the cherry love, Jean! I’m SO with you! And that cherry pitter? It makes pitting cherries so much easier and faster than what I used to do :/ I was so pleasantly surprised with the coconut oil pastry – I had never made an oil based pastry before two years ago. I hope you’ll give it a go! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it too! :D
So gorgeous! I love galettes and this one is such a beauty! :)
Thank you Laura!