Spiced Apple Galette with Caramel Cream Cheese

When you want something different from a classic apple pie, try this spiced apple galette with caramel cream cheese. The warm flavors with creamy filling and roasted apples tossed in spiced maple syrup will surely win you over!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Walnuts: The buttery walnuts add richness to the pie crust while adding another layer of flavor.
• Brown sugar: To add a hint of sweetness to the pie crust, we're adding brown sugar, which also adds moisture.
• Maple syrup: The sweetener, with notes of caramel, is used to flavor the apples while also finishing the galette when served. You can use honey instead if you prefer, but the flavor will be slightly milder than the maple syrup.
• Spices: We're using a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice to bring warm flavors to the galette. You can also add ground cloves or cardamom if you like.
• Apples: You can use any type of apple suitable for baking including Honey crisp apples, Fuji, Jonagold, Granny Smith, or Cortland. For a colorful appearance, use a variety of apples.
• Cream cheese: The soft tart cheese adds a creamy layer to the galette.
• Caramel: For a hint of sweetness that compliments the apples, use storebought or homemade caramel to flavor the mascarpone.

Substitutions and variations

• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour instead of regular all-purpose flour.
• Nuts: If you don't like walnuts, you can also pecans or almonds.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make the pie dough

Let's start by preparing the brown sugar walnut pie dough. Grind raw walnuts into a fine texture using a food processor or chop the nuts by hand. Add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, and cold, cubed butter and pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse sand. You want every bit of butter to be coated in flour.

I like to depend on my handy food processor, you can also use a pastry cutter to blend the ingredients.

Gradually add ice-cold water, adding just enough water to bring the dough together. It may look a bit dry and crumbly but should hold its shape when you press the dough together.

Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm. It's important to let the dough rest so that the gluten can relax and the moisture can distribute evenly throughout the dough. This will help ensure that you have the flakiest, most tender pie crust.

Step 2: Prepare the fillings

While the pie dough rests, prepare the filling. For the caramel cream cheese filling, all you have to do is combine softened cream cheese, egg yolk, caramel, and vanilla. You can use storebought caramel or make it yourself. If you want the full apple flavor, make apple cider caramel like I did.

Set aside the cream cheese filling and work on the spiced maple butter sauce next. This sauce is where the magic happens. By simmering the maple syrup with warm spices, we're able to truly bring fall flavors to the dessert.

Let the syrup cool slightly, then whisk it together with melted butter, vanilla, and salt.

Thinly slice about 4 large apples, ⅛-inch thick. I kept the peel on for more texture and presentation but you can peel the apples. Peeled apples will give you a delicately soft pie while unpeeled apples will give you more of a bite.

Toss thinly sliced apples in the maple-infused sauce and get ready to assemble the galette.

Step 3: Assemble galette

Remove the pie dough from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until it's about ¼-inch thick. It may seem thick but we need it to be sturdy enough to hold all of the apples.

Spread the caramel cream cheese filling in the center, leaving a 1-inch border. Then, arrange the maple-infused apple slices on top, overlapping the slices to create a shingled pattern. Fold over the edges of the pie dough to seal in the apples and brush them with an egg wash.

Step 4: Bake

Bake the spiced apple galette with caramel cream cheese for 50 minutes to 1 hour, ensuring a golden brown crust and tender, spiced apples. Then, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing.

Although the galette is wonderful on its own, you can go the extra step and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and extra warm maple butter sauce.

I've gotta say, this might be the fanciest apple galette I've ever created. With the spiced maple syrup, brown sugar walnut crust, roasted apples, and caramel cream cheese filling, this dessert is poised to steal the show at any gathering. I know it'll be an unforgettable finale for my Thanksgiving dinner.

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The pie crust can be prepared the day before and stored in the fridge. You can also make the cream cheese filling the day before and bring it to room temperature before using.
• Store: To preserve the freshness, store any leftover galette in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to enjoy again, you can gently reheat it in the oven for a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Spiced Apple Galette with Caramel Cream Cheese

Total Time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pie

Servings: 12

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Brown sugar walnut crust

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (370 grams)
• ½ cup walnuts (60 grams)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (25 grams)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold butter, cut into small chunks
• 6-7 tablespoons ice cold water

Caramel cream cheese filling

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¼ cup caramel sauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spiced apples

• ¾ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup melted butter (57 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ pounds baking apples thinly sliced
• egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make brown sugar walnut crust. In a food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter, pulsing until mixture resembles coarse sand. Alternatively, chop walnuts by hand and combine with remaining ingredients using a pastry cutter. Slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time just until the dough comes together. Shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour or until firm.
• Meanwhile, prepare cream cheese filling. Beat together softened cream cheese with egg yolk, caramel, and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
• Combine maple syrup with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Add spiced maple syrup to melted butter, vanilla, and salt, whisking until combined. Set aside half of the maple butter sauce, about ½ cup. Toss apples with remaining maple sauce, making sure every slice of apple is coated.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll brown sugar walnut crust until it's ¼-inch thick. Spread caramel cream cheese filling in the center, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange apple slices on top, overlapping the apples to create a pattern. Fold over the edges to seal in the apples and brush the edges with egg wash.
• Bake galette for 50 minutes - 1 hour or until golden brown and apples are softened. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired and extra maple butter sauce.

Notes

The pie dough can be prepared the day before and chilled overnight.

You can use one type of baking apple or a combination of Granny Smith apples, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Jonagold, or any other apple suitable for baking.

If the maple butter sauce has cooled before serving, reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds to reheat.