Blackberry Almond Galette

When in doubt, make this blackberry almond galette. It's an elegant version of a typical galette with a buttery cream cheese crust, creamy almond filling, and fresh blackberries. A lovely summertime treat fit for any occasion!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Sliced almonds: When ground with sugar and combined with eggs and butter, the almonds create a rich, nutty custard-like layer, also known as frangipane, that prevents the bottom crust from becoming soggy. The additional sliced almonds on top provide textural contrast and visual appeal.
• Cream cheese: In the pie crust, cream cheese adds tanginess that complements the sweet fruit and makes the crust more tender and flaky than traditional all-butter crusts.
• Blackberries: Provide natural sweetness, tartness, and beautiful color. Their high water content creates the characteristic juicy filling.
• Cornstarch: This is the thickening agent that prevents the galette from becoming a soggy mess. Cornstarch absorbs the juices released by the blackberries during baking.
• Lemon: The juice and zest enhance the blackberry flavor in the filling.
• Egg wash: The egg yolk mixed with water creates a glossy, golden-brown finish on the crust edges and helps the almonds stick to the crust.

Substitutions and variations

• Almonds: Replace sliced almonds with pecans, hazelnuts, or walnuts for a fun twist.
• Fruit: Try this galette with strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. You can also try it with peaches or plums for a stone fruit variation.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Blackberry Almond Galette

Total Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: pie

Servings: 10

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Almond filling

• 1 ½ cups sliced raw almonds (165 grams)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup butter, cut into small chunks (113 grams)

Cream cheese pie crust

• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (156 grams)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks (57 grams)
• 2 ounces cold cream cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons ice water

Blackberry filling

• 18 ounces fresh blackberries
• ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• juice and zest of ½ lemon

Remaining ingredients

• 1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the almond cream. In a food processor, pulse together sliced almonds, sugar, and salt until the nuts are finely ground. Add eggs and butter, and puree until smooth. Chill the almond cream for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Prepare the pie dough. Combine all-purpose flour with sugar, salt, butter, and cream cheese in a food processor. Pulse for 5-10 seconds or until the mixture is coarse and the butter and cream cheese are blended in. Slowly add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until the dough comes together. Alternatively, use your hands to mix the dough, adding water just until the dough starts to form. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
• Combine blackberries with brown sugar, cornstarch the juice and zest of ½ lemon, vanilla, and cinnamon, gently mixing to coat.
• Dust a clean counter with flour and roll out the pie crust until it's a 14x12-inch rectangle. Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
• Spread the almond cream in an even layer on the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top the almond cream with the blackberries. Fold the pastry edge up and over the blackberries to create a 1-inch border. Brush the crust with the egg yolk wash and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
• Bake galette for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is browned. Cover with foil if the pastry gets too browned. Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

You can prepare the almond cream filling and pie crust up to 2 days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

I used sliced almonds but you can also use slivered almonds or chopped almonds.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make almond filling

This blackberry almond galette is not an ordinary galette because of the pastry crust and the almond cream. The almond cream adds another layer of filling that complements the blackberries perfectly. You might also recognize it by its proper name, frangipane.

To make the almond cream, process sliced almonds with sugar and salt in a food processor until the almonds are finely ground. Then, add the eggs and butter and puree until smooth. It may sound strange, but trust me, it's so delicious.

If you don't have a food processor, you can use a high-powered blender. However, you do need to use a device in order to get the almonds properly ground.

Another option is to combine ground almonds with the remaining ingredients; however, you will still need a food processor in order to properly incorporate the butter and eggs.

Step 2: Prepare pie crust

While the almond cream is chilling, make the dough. I wanted to make this galette extra special by having a creamy cheese pie crust. By swapping half of the butter for cream cheese, you end up with a more tender crust that's still flaky. Plus, what's not to love about the added flavor of cream cheese to your pie?

To make the dough, you can also use a food processor. Add the dry ingredients with butter and cream cheese, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

While the processor is running, slowly add cold water one tablespoon at a time. Keep an eye on the dough, stopping the machine when the dough starts to come together. You don't want to overmix it or the pastry can become tough.

Alternatively, make the crust by hand. Although it takes longer, this is the safer way to ensure that the dough isn't overmixed.

Chill the dough while you prepare the filling. Since you don't have to worry about the pie crust shrinking while baking, chilling it for at least 30 minutes isn't required. However, you don't want the butter and cream cheese to melt while you're preparing the filling, so stick the dough in the fridge until ready to use.

Step 3: Season berries

The filling is as easy as 1-2-3. Gently toss the blackberries with the seasonings, and it's good to go.

We're using brown sugar for sweetness, lemon zest and juice for a touch of acidity, vanilla and cinnamon for extra flavor, and cornstarch to thicken the juices. A simple combination but effective.

Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, really any fresh fruit would go well in this galette. You can also use frozen instead of fresh; however, I recommend using fresh if berries are in season.

Step 4: Assemble galette

Now comes the fun part, putting all the components together!

Roll out the pie crust on a clean work counter dusted with flour until it's a rectangle about 14x12 inches. Transfer the dough to a lined parchment paper and spread the top with almond cream, leaving a 1-inch border. It's going to be a generous amount of cream, but don't worry, it'll turn out great!

Use a slotted spoon and spoon the blackberries on top. As delicious as the juices are, we want to avoid adding them to the galette. Adding too much liquid can result in a soggy bottom.

Fold over the ends, slightly covering the berries and cream. No need to be perfect - the more rustic, the better! Brush on the egg wash, sprinkle on the sliced almonds, and bake until golden brown.

The addition of cream cheese will make the crust brown a little quicker. If you notice your crust getting a little too dark before it's done baking, simply cover it with foil.

Let the blackberry almond galette cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature. Want to make this even better? Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

For another tempting berry treat, check out this triple berry chocolate cobbler!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The almond cream and dough can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
• Store: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 5 days. The crust will soften slightly over time, but it's still delicious.

Frequently asked questions

More blackberry dessert recipes

Looking for more blackberry dessert ideas? Try these: