Apple Cider Caramel Pecan Galette
Reducing apple cider down to a syrup concentrates its tart-sweet fruit flavor into something that caramelizes into a proper sauce, which is what sets this galette apart from a simple spiced apple tart. That cider caramel does double duty — a few spoonfuls toss with the apples so they bake into a jammy filling, and the rest drizzles over the finished tart as a glossy finish. A pecan-oat streusel scattered over the exposed fruit adds the crunch a galette is usually missing. The crust stays unfussy: a rough circle, folded into loose pleats, no fluting required.
Dessert · Fall, Apple, Baking • 85 min
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 –6 tablespoons ice water
- For the apple cider caramel:
- 1 cup apple cider
- ¼ cup (50g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the filling:
- 5 medium apples (about 2 pounds), a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons of the apple cider caramel (from above)
- For the pecan-oat streusel:
- ⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (30g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅓ cup (35g) pecans, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- For assembly:
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon turbinado or coarse sugar
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Steps
- Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces, 8–10 pulses. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse just until the dough clumps when squeezed, adding 1–2 more tablespoons if dry. Turn out onto plastic wrap, press into a flat disk, wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).
- Make the cider caramel: Boil the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to about ⅓ cup, 10–12 minutes. Whisk in the brown sugar and butter and simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream and salt. Let cool to room temperature; it thickens as it sits. Reserve 3 tablespoons for the filling.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of the cider caramel. Let sit 15 minutes to macerate, then drain and discard any pooling liquid.
- Make the streusel: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture forms clumpy crumbs. Refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rough 14-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer to the baking sheet by rolling it around the pin and unrolling onto the parchment.
- Arrange the drained apples in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border, and mound them slightly. Fold the border up and over the apples, pleating loosely every few inches. Brush the folded crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Scatter the streusel evenly over the exposed fruit, then bake for 42–48 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling. If the streusel browns too fast, tent loosely with foil.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 minutes. Drizzle the remaining cider caramel over the top just before serving — rewarm the caramel if it has thickened too much to pour. Slice and serve warm.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Make the crust up to 2 days ahead (refrigerate) or freeze it for up to a month. The cider caramel keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to a week — rewarm gently before drizzling. The streusel can be mixed and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead. Assemble and bake the day of serving for the crispest crust.
Storage
Cover the cooled galette loosely with foil and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp the crust and warm the caramel. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed.
Substitutions
Pears substitute one-for-one for the apples, or use a pear-apple mix. Swap the pecans for walnuts or hazelnuts. For a gluten-free galette, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in both the crust and the streusel. No food processor? Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or two knives. If you're short on time, store-bought caramel sauce works in place of the cider caramel — but the cider is the point.
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
