Gluten Free Galette (with strawberry filling)

This rustic, simple gluten free galette has a flaky golden crust wrapped around a glossy strawberry filling that’s packed with flavor but only lightly sweet.

It’s easier than pie, pretty enough for company, and made to let fresh berries shine while they’re in season.

Why this recipe works

A galette gives you everything you love about fruit pie without the pressure of shaping a perfect crust. Just roll the dough into a round, pile the fruit filling in the center, and fold the edges over to hold it all together.

This one has lightly sweet strawberry filling that’s packed with flavor, but the same method works with other berries, ripe stone fruits, or even thinly sliced apples.

Since there’s no pie pan for support, this recipe builds in plenty of protection against sogginess. The berries thicken into a glossy syrup, the crust is rolled a bit thicker for sturdiness without sacrificing flakiness, and a light brush of honey helps seal the pastry before the filling goes in.

Recipe ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe in your own kitchen. For full ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.

• Gluten free pie crust: We use a classic pie crust recipe here made with a high-quality, finely ground gluten free flour blend like Better Batter’s classic blend, Nicole’s Best with added xanthan gum or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 with an extra 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and cold butter for a flaky crust. You can also use my extra flaky gluten free pie crust, which is made with sour cream. For full details on what makes the best, flakiest pie crust, see that post.
• Strawberries: Fresh, fragrant and sweet thickly sliced berries in season are best, but they’ll work even if they’re not perfect. If you can find frozen sliced berries, you can try using those, but they will release more liquid than fresh, so add an extra tablespoon of tapioca starch to help absorb it.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the pie crust slightly, and the filling to enhance the natural sweetness of the berries. You can leave it out of the pie crust entirely, and add more to the berries if you taste them and they’re more tart than you’d like.
• Salt: Helps draw moisture out of the strawberries, and brightens the flavor of the pie crust and the filling.
• Tapioca starch: Absorbs moisture rendered out of the strawberries; during baking, the granules burst and create a clear, glossy gel that traps the moisture so it doesn’t run outside the pastry.
• Balsamic vinegar: The sweet-tart flavor of this particular vinegar enhances and balances the natural sweetness of the strawberries, adds depth of flavor, and helps draw out their moisture. I like to use white balsamic for its gentler flavor, but dark balsamic vinegar or even just regular white wine vinegar work, too.
• Honey: Helps seal the rolled out pie crust so it doesn’t absorb too much moisture from the filling, and lightly sweetens it.
• Egg wash: Helps seal the pleats of the pastry crust closed, helps it brown well in the oven, and leaves a shine. It also helps the coarse sugar stick.
• Coarse sugar: Adds extra sweetness and texture to the galette since it won’t melt in the oven. If you don’t have the white kind, you can try using Sugar in the Raw, or just leave it out.

How to make a gluten free galette (step by step photos)

Whisk dry ingredients for the crust
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and (optional) sugar) to ensure an even mixture with no clumps.

Add the butter
Add cold, chopped butter, toss to coat in the dry ingredients, then press each piece of butter into a thin shard between your floured thumb and forefinger. These pieces naturally layer themselves throughout the dough without melting easily, for a flaky crust.

Add water
Add ice cold water, filtering out any ice cubes, the butter and flour mixture and mix in to bring the dough together. There should be just enough water to hydrate all the flour, no more, so the crust isn’t soggy. Add more water to especially dry spots, stopping when the dough holds together when pressed.

Chill the crust
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, pressing it into a disk that easier to roll out. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Prepare the filling
Wash, dry and hull 1 pound of strawberries. Slice them thickly so they hold their shape during baking. Add a dash of salt, some granulated sugar and some vinegar and let them rest to draw out their moisture and flavor. 

Mix in tapioca starch to absorb some of the moisture and create a clear, glossy sauce with all that moisture, and let the mixture sit so the starch softens and the berries release juice.

Prepare the crust
Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface, adding as little extra flour as you can but enough to avoid sticking. Roll from the center of the disk outward to create about a 13-inch or 14-inch round. It should be about 1/4-inch thick, which is thick enough that it can stand up to the extra moisture in the berries without the support of a pan.

Transfer the crust to a piece of parchment paper. Brush the bottom with honey to help it brown gently and to help seal it so the crust becomes flaky and perfect in the oven, without ever getting soggy.

Fill the crust
Place the strawberry filling in the center of the prepared crust, leaving a 2-inch border of bare pastry dough. Wrap the bare crust up and over about 1/4 of the filling, leaving the rest of the filling exposed. Keep wrapping the crust over the filling in pleats, overlapping where needed, until you have a flat, mostly round pastry with most of the filling exposed. Press down gently on the crust to help it stick to itself and the filling.

Finish the raw galette
Brush the whole top of the raw galette with an egg wash to help it brown and develop a shine in the oven. You can also brush with more honey for some help in browning, but it may burn. Sprinkle all over with some coarse-grained sugar for extra sweetness and some crunchy texture.

Chill the raw pastry
Place the fully prepared raw galette and the parchment paper lining on a small cutting board or large plate, and place in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 375°F. This will ensure that the pie crust is cold before baking to firm up the butter that will have softened during shaping. Cold butter leads to crisp, flaky pastry; warm butter leaks and makes pastry hard.

Bake the galette
Place the parchment paper with the chilled pastry on a rimmed baking sheet, and into the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the exposed crust is golden brown all over and the berries are softened and the filling bubbly.

Let the galette cool on the baking sheet until stable enough to transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool there for about 20 minutes or until the filling is set, then slice into wedges and serve.

Expert tips

Adjust sweetness for your berries

If your berries are very fragrant and sweet, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar should be the right amount. Taste them, though, and add up to another 1/4 cup if they’re less sweet, or you just want a sweeter filling.

Make the crust ahead

Make the pie crust recipe up to 1 week ahead of time, and store it in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap. Be sure to wrap it well so it doesn’t dry out, and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling it out if it’s been chilling for more than a couple hours or it will crack as you roll it.

Avoid a soggy crust

If your fruit seems especially wet because it’s overripe, or you’re using frozen fruit, the liquid can seep out of the pastry crust during baking. That can create a soggy crust by preventing the crust from crisping in the oven because there’s too much moisture. Try draining some of the liquid from the fruit before filling the pastry and baking, and/or adding up to 1 tablespoon extra tapioca starch to absorb the excess moisture.

Try other fruits

Instead of strawberries, try raspberries or blueberries, or a combination. Ripe stone fruits like peaches, nectaries or plums should also work well if the flesh is soft enough that it’s similar in texture to berries so it bakes about as quickly as berries do in the oven.

For harder fruit with less moisture, like apples, try slicing them thinly (after you peel and core them) so the fruit is tender enough when the pastry crust is done baking. Apples have a lot more pectin than berries or stone fruits, so you may not need as much starch.

Ingredient substitutions

Dairy free

The only dairy in this recipe is in the pie crust. You can try replacing it with half block-style vegan butter, half butter-flavored Crisco or Spectrum brand shortening. That combination should mimic the moisture content of dairy butter best.

Tapioca starch

Tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour) is my favorite starch to add to the strawberry mixture, as it helps the liquid in the strawberries to gel slightly without ever becoming glue-like or cloudy. You can also try using cornstarch, arrowroot or potato starch.

Honey

Instead of honey, you can use Lyle’s Golden Syrup for brushing, or make your own simple syrup. And it’s perfect for making cocktails. Whisk together 1/2 cup (100 g) of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) of lukewarm water in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling gently. Boil for about 60 seconds, and remove from the heat. The simple syrup should be clear and slightly thickened but still pourable. You can store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 14 days.

Storage instructions

Prepare ahead
You can assemble the entire galette raw and freeze it on the baking sheet before it’s baked. Once it’s completely firm, wrap it tightly in a freezer-safe wrap and return it to the freezer. Unwrap it and bake it right from frozen whenever you’re ready. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time, but don’t defrost it first.

Leftovers
You can wrap any leftover slices of the galette in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Unwrap and refresh in a 300°F toaster oven until warmed through before serving to restore any lost flakiness.