A Summer Peach Galette
A pretty Summer peach galette that combines a flaky, rustic pie crust with vanilla scented, cinnamon-spiced peaches. Easier than pie, but just as tasty, this simple, sweet dessert easily adapts to feature whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand (peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, blueberries… you name it!).
A summer peach galette
Despite my penchant for berries, peaches might actually be my very favorite summer fruit to bake with. But, seriously, don’t make me choose. Maybe it’s because local peach season is so fleeting, but there’s something about a perfectly ripe peach, sweet and full of flavor, with syrupy juice that you can’t help but drip down your chin, that just screams Summer.
Of course, homemade peach pie is always a great way to take advantage of those lovely, ambrosial beauties, but an even easier option is a simple peach galette, with flaky pastry crust and caramelized layers of sliced peaches.
Why you’ll love this easy peach tart
Galettes – essentially free form tarts or pastries – are fantastic for showcasing seasonal fruit, and despite their simple construction, make beautiful, albeit rustic, desserts.
And while they combine all the flavors and elements of pie, galettes are much easier and quicker to make. In fact, they’re one of the first desserts I’d recommend for a beginner baker. And while I truly love making pies, sometimes you just need a great pastry, like, now.
The crust begins the same as pie, with the same ingredients (I use my favorite all-butter pastry here), but after being rolled out is then gently folded over layers of subtly-spiced, sugar-kissed fresh peach slices. There’s no crimping or complicated lattice topping and the galette bakes right on a rimmed sheet pan.
The ingredients you’ll need for a peach galette
This peach galette combines mostly pantry staples to create a simple yet showstopping Summer dessert. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- pie crust: my tried-and-true all-butter pie crust is made with flour, sugar, salt, butter, apple cider vinegar, and ice water, and comes together quickly in a food processor.
- peaches: are the star of the show, so look for the best, in-season fresh peaches you can find.
- brown sugar: adds sweetness and a hint of caramel.
- lemon juice: for a bright balance to the otherwise sweet peach filling.
- vanilla: just a splash of the good stuff.
- arrowroot starch: thickens the peach juices, and creates a smooth, shiny filling without any noticeable taste.
- cinnamon and ginger: warming spices complement the natural peach flavors (though with peak season fruit you may not even need them!).
- salt: a pinch, always, to enhance all the other flavors. My favorite to bake with is Diamond Crystal.
- apricot (or peach) jelly: optional, but adds a lovely, glossy shine, worthy of a bakery display case.
Find all the measurements and recipe instructions below.
The best peach galette filling (make it your own)
This peach tart is one of my favorite ways to highlight one of my favorite Summer ingredients: ripe and juicy peaches!
Sliced peaches are tossed with the sugar, lemon, spices, and starch, then layered over the dough. You can arrange the peaches carefully into symmetrical spirals, or pile them unceremoniously into a free-form mound in the center – equally delicious options. You can peel them, or not. The name of the game here is flexibility.
For a shiny bakery style fruit tart finish, I like to brush the peaches with some warmed apricot jam right when the galette comes out of the oven, but this is completely optional. You can also top with sanding sugar or simply leave the top plain. Of course, serving a la mode with scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream is always welcome, too.
Feel free to mix-and-match the peaches with any other stone fruit. Plums, nectarines, apricots, etc. – or even a handful of berries – would all work well. This is a dessert best inspired by the season.
How to make a galette crust
This peach galette begins with a classic all-butter crust. It’s the same dough I use for pies, and equally delicious in this form. I make mine with a food processor, which works quickly and keeps the butter cold (key for flaky pastry), but you can also go the traditional route and use a pastry blender.
The dough needs to rest for about an hour in the refrigerator before rolling, which allows the gluten in the flour time to relax and the butter to firm up and fully chill. This reduces potential for dough shrinkage, and makes for super buttery, tender, flaky pie crust.
Next, the pastry is rolled out into a roughly 12-inch circle. The peach filling is layered in the center, and the edges are folded around it. Finally, the pastry is brushed with an egg or milk wash, key for that golden shine, and topped with coarse sanding sugar for some sparkle.
Don’t worry if your galette isn’t exactly round or the edges are wonky or uneven. This is a rustic dessert, not an exercise in perfection. As long as the pastry folds around the edges enough to hold the fruit in place, you’re fine. The galette will still emerge from the oven, golden and bubbly, with caramel fruit, delicious and ready to impress.
Peach Galette FAQs
There are a few easy ways to ensure a fully cooked galette crust: Bake your galette on a parchment paper-lined heavy bottomed baking sheet. Use a baking stone if you have one. Be sure to use arrowroot starch in the filling. Most importantly, be sure to cook the galette long enough (and tent with foil if the top starts to brown too quickly). You’ll know when it’s done when the crust is golden and the peach juices begin to bubble.
A baked galette will be fine at room-temperature on the counter for the first day, then keep covered in the refrigerator for up to another 2 days, after which the pastry crust may start to get soggy.
Other easy and delicious peach recipes to make next:
- Brown Sugar Peach Pie
- Mini Peach Puff Pastry Tarts
- Maple Coconut Granola with Peaches
- Maple Peach Pancakes
- Ginger Blueberry Peach Pie
If you make this peach galette, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked them! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
PrintSummer Peach Galette
- Prep Time: 60
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert, Baking
- Method: Baking, Pastry
- Cuisine: American, French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A pretty Summer peach galette that combines a flaky, rustic pie crust with vanilla scented, cinnamon-spiced peaches. Easier than pie, but just as tasty, this simple, sweet dessert easily adapts to feature whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand (peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, blueberries… you name it!).
Ingredients
for the all-butter pie pastry:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter
- 1–1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4–6 Tbsp ice water
for the peach filling:
- 3 cups (about 4 medium) peaches, sliced¹
- 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch²
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- pinch fine grain sea salt
- optional: 1 Tbsp apricot or peach jelly
- optional: egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 tsp milk) or milk wash and sanding sugar
Instructions
All-Butter Pie Pastry:
- Cut the butter into quarter-inch cubes. Place the butter in the freezer for at least ten minutes or until ready to use.
- Pulse together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor, once or twice until just combined. Add the butter cubes to the flour mixture and pulse a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, with the largest butter bits about the size of large peas.
- Add the vinegar and ice water, pulsing once or twice between each tablespoon addition. The dough is ready when it appears crumbly, but will easily hold together when pinched between two fingers.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Form into a round, flat disk, working quickly and being careful not to over-handle the dough.
- Wrap the disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour prior to rolling it out. The pastry may be made in advance and stored for up to a day in the refrigerator or – if wrapped very tightly in plastic wrap – about a month in the freezer.
Peach Galette:
- Prepare the pie pastry: Remove the dough from the fridge. Wait about 5-10 minutes for the dough to warm slightly and become pliable.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the dough in the center of a clean, lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin – I prefer to use a French (tapered) rolling pin – start in the center of the disk, and roll outwards, with firm but gentle pressure. Turn the dough and continue rolling towards the edges. As you work, don’t be afraid to sprinkle additional flour on top of the dough and underneath, as well as on the rolling pin to avoid sticking.
- Continue rolling until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. As the dough gets larger, be careful to apply even pressure with the rolling pin across the entire surface of the dough.
- Gently transfer the dough to the sheet pan, being careful not to pull or tear the dough. Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the brown sugar peach filling: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, lemon, vanilla, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, until combined. Toss with the peaches.
- Assemble the galette: Spoon the peach filling onto the center of the pie pastry, in an even layer or a decorative spiral pattern, leaving about two inches around the edge. Fold the pastry over the peaches, overlapping the dough as needed.
- Brush the pastry with the egg wash and generously sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the peach juices begin to bubble. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room-temperature on a baking rack until set. While still warm, carefully brush the top of the peaches with the apricot/peach jelly to lightly glaze. Serve warm with a dusting of confectioners sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Notes
¹ Aim for thin, equal peach slices for even baking.
² I’ve tested multiple pie thickeners, and have found that arrowroot starch (a natural plant starch) works the very best. Unlike cornstarch, which can become cloudy and gummy, arrowroot starch creates a smooth, shiny sauce without a noticeably added taste. As a second choice, you can also substitute (blended) instant tapioca pearls. Or, simply don’t worry about it, and enjoy a saucier galette!
Keywords: peach galette, peaches, galette, crostata, tart, peach pie, dessert, baking, summer, brown sugar, stone fruit, butter crust
Originally published on August 19, 2012. Updated photos by Laura Kasavan.
I just made this delicious galette. I followed everything exactly as written with the exception of using 2T less brown sugar because my peaches were sweet and I didn’t use the ginger because I’m not a fan. I also didn’t have arrowroot so I used potato starch and it worked fine. Thanks for the great recipe Laura!
★★★★★
Thanks so much!! SO happy it was a hit 🙂
Followed the recipe and they look beautiful, but taste like I ate a craft store. The spices were so overpowering, and I had fresh and very ripe peaches from my local orchard. The crust was nice though…I will use that recipe again. I’m so sad I spent so much money on peaches and ingredients for two big pastries that are going in the trash 🙁
★
Followed the recipe to a T, except the jelly glaze. I agree about arrowroot, I love it in place of corn starch in most recipes. I usually use Martha Stewart’s pie crust recipe, but I tried out this slightly different one and it certainly did not disappoint. Absolutely beautiful recipe for the end of season peaches. Will make again. My son called it “peach pizza”. So yummy!
★★★★★
I love peaches, this is such a pretty galette!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Rohtak!!
My 7 year old daughter and I made this recipe together…(our first galette) and it came out fabulous! The crust survived even our novice hands and came out absolutely beautifully. We didn’t have the jelly for the glaze but we did the egg wash and it still came out gorgeously golden and flaky. The filling was so tasty that i spooned a little in over the peaches and saved the rest to serve over the ice cream or full fat yogurt that we served it with. Next time, I’ll resist adding that extra liquid and go with the recipe’s instructions to spoon out only the peaches. I think it would have enabled the bottom crust to be just as crisp and flaky as the rest. A very minor detail. It was delicious! We tend to like things less sweet, so we skipped the sugar sprinkle. Ours was done in 35 mins. and at 30 mins. we added the arching aluminum foil so as not to over-brown the crust. We found you through our search for peach galette and now we’re excited to check out more of your recipes! Thank you!
★★★★★
Aww, love this!! Thanks so much, Joy! So happy this recipe was a hit with you and your daughter 🙂
This was incredible. I think it’s the best dessert I’ve ever made. The crust was super flaky and buttery; the filling was thick and sweet. Ingredients wise I followed the directions except I used cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder because that’s all I had and it worked beautifully. I didn’t end up baking this the same night I made the dough so it sat overnight, so it was really easy to work with when I was rolling it out. For the filling I forgot to mix the wet ingredients separately and just dumped them all over the peaches and then stirred it all together gently, and it was still perfect. I baked mine on a silpat and was worried that the bottom would be gooey or need longer to cook but it wasn’t a problem at all. Mine only took 35 minutes but I find my oven runs hot. I followed directions and spooned the peaches onto the dough, leaving some juice behind. I poured that over our servings with ice cream and wow. I’ll return to this every peach season and look forward to using the dough for other galettes.
★★★★★
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you, Emeli! 🙂
Making 2 more. By popular demand. Love this Recipe
Thanks so much, Patti!
Wonderful recipe! I made this a few times already and will definitely be adding it to my recipe box. The pastry is super quick to make and turns out well every time; light and flaky with a beautiful golden colour (I always egg wash it prior to baking). I love that it doesn’t use shortening and it’s great that it can be prepped in advance. Overall, the dessert is not overly sweet, which is how I love it (I did not add the preserves at the end). Add a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and it’s to die for! And it’s the perfect way to use other fruit; all berries, apples, rhubarb… thanks for a wonderful recipe! This is definitely a winner!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Lidia!! So happy to hear you love it too!
I used a simple puff pastry, but I mixed the peaches according to your recipe. It was delicious
★★★★★
We also used puff pastry dough I stead of pie crust and boy oh boy was that amazing.
Puff pastry is an excellent twist! Did you cook it for the same amount of time?
I lost my old peach galette recipe, so I decided to try this one. It did not disappoint. It was superb! I’m now thinking apricots, cherries, blueberry/ nectarine combo etc. Thank you Laura!
P.S. I did egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, but did not use a jam glaze…the fruit alone was fresh, light and simple.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Paula!!
This came out so amazing, thank you so much for this delicious recipe, we are making number 2 right now because the first one was gone in a day. I did end up using corn starch cuz i didnt have arrow in my stash but it ended up coming out fine. My family thanks you. God BLess. Kim
So happy to hear it! This is one of my favorites, and lucky you to still have peaches! 🙂
Scrumptious! The vinegar gave the crust more flakiness, I guess- really kicked it up a few notches. Fun recipe, regular starch was ok. I really want another slice…something I will make again for sure, thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Made this tonight after a trip to the farmers market. I had fresh peaches and wanted to do something new. Saw this recipe and took a gamble. This paid off in spades! The crust was light and flaky and the filling decadent with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream on the warm galette. I’ll be doing this again and again it’s so easy. Thanks!
★★★★★
Made this for my family today and its already almost gone! The crust is the best thing I’ve ever tasted and is my favorite dessert I’ve had this summer. Definitely going to try with some other types of fruit!!
★★★★★
So happy to hear you loved it! Thanks, Maddie!! 🙂
I made the Peach Galette and it was delicious. I didn’t make the pastry but instead used puffed pastry. I
added the peach jelly to the peach filling and was happy how it turned out. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Thank you, Adel!! Using a puff pastry is a brilliant shortcut!
This recipe looks delish! I am going to try it when I get a few more peaches.I noticed that peaches weren’t as abundant in Georgia when I lived there for a short time. i live in SC now and love the peaches they grow here.They are not as big as Eastern WA peaches that my grandma had,but are sweet and juicy.We have a few small trees on our property now and are producing a few babies, so for now I still pick them up at the fruit stands.I found this recipe as I was scrolling through your website and am trying out the canned cherry tomato sauce recipe.I can’t wait to indulge into a jar this winter when I am missing all the summer garden galore!
It’s funny, because I only lived in Georgia for a short time too, but I remember thinking when I first got there (in early Summer), “Oh, there will of course be an abundance of ‘Georgia peaches.'” Well, apparently not where we lived in Columbus! I hope you like the galette – it definitely takes advantage of sweet and juicy peaches. The cherry tomato sauce is one of my very favorite sauces ever – so simple, but so delicious, especially if you have homegrown or farmers market tomatoes. Definitely love having a few jars on hand when the season is over. Thank you for your comment, Melinda!!
Hi Laura, I have made a version of this with a recipe for sugar cookie dough as the crust.
I hope you are all well and the wee one is growing I’m sure. Sorry you had to move, but sure it will be fabulous. Would love to hear from you. xoxo Terre
Hi, Terre! A sugar cookie crust sounds delish with this galette. It has been hectic, but we’re closing in finally getting settled again. Hope things are well with you, too! 🙂
Welcome back, Laura! I’ve missed you and your delicious recipes. This looks like a real winner!
★★★★★
Thank you, Louise! Happy to be getting back to it 🙂
I absolutely loved the combination of flaky pastry with sweet summer peaches in this galette. Summer dessert perfection! 🙂
★★★★★
Thank you for your gorgeous snaps of this favorite! 🙂
This looks like the perfect — and easy — solution to using at least a few of the peaches that are falling off my tree right now. They all ripen at once and it’s hard to keep up!
I’ll have to check out your brown sugar peach pie recipe, too. And maybe swap in peaches with your ginger pear puff pastry tart recipe.
YUM!
★★★★★
Thanks, Abigail!! That’s a good problem to have, right? 🙂 Enjoy all the sweet peach treats!
I want to try your recipe!