Apple Cheddar Galette | Ambitious Kitchen

Say hello to a gorgeous new fall appetizer that doubles (and triples) as a snack, delicious lunch, or festive brunch treat. OH and it might just be your new favorite way to show off those gorgeous fall apples.

This apple cheddar galette is made with my famous all butter pie crust as the base, plenty of melty cheddar cheese, juicy apples, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of honey for sweetness and savoriness in every crispy bite. I’ve had so much fun experimenting with unique apps that are perfect for the holidays (like this Pear, Walnut & Cheddar Puff Pastry Tart) or just when you need something a little fun for get togethers this season.

Make it your way with your fav cheeses, try a new fruit if you’d like, or just bake it up as is and watch family and friends swoon! I know you’re going to love this one.

Everything you’ll need to make this apple cheddar galette

The best part about this apple and cheese galette is that it requires super simple ingredients and a buttery, flaky homemade crust. Here’s what you’ll need:

• For the crust: we’re making my famous homemade pie crust but mixing in white cheddar cheese and thyme for extra savory flavor. You’ll also need butter, all-purpose flour, salt, a little sugar, and vodka or buttermilk. Learn how to make homemade buttermilk here!
• Cheese: we’re adding more shredded white cheddar cheese to the base of the galette, plus sprinkling more on the crust.
• Apples: you’ll mix apple slices (I love honeycrisp) with melted butter and granulated sugar before spreading them out onto your the cheese layer of the crust.
• For topping: I love garnishing the galette with flaky Maldon sea salt, honey, and fresh thyme leaves.

Make this galette your own

There are a few easy ways to customize this apple cheddar galette:

• Choose your fruit: pears would also be delicious and pair perfectly with the cheddar cheese. You can, of course, use any type of apple you’d like, too.
• Try a new cheese: if you like a kick of heat try a spicy cheddar (I love Cabot’s habanero cheddar), pepper jack. Alternatively, any shredded, melty cheese will work well in this recipe!
• Add a savory element: if you’re not vegetarian, feel free to add prosciutto to this galette!

Tips for making the perfect galette crust

I actually have a whole blog post all about making a homemade all-butter pie crust here! You’ll roll it out, fold the edges over into a simple crust, and add all of the delicious toppings.

You can also freeze the dough for up to 2-3 months! Simply wrap it well in both plastic and then foil or a zip-top bag.

Can I use a store-bought crust?

Absolutely! Feel free to roll out any store-bought crust you’d like, just note that it won’t be as cheesy.

How to make this apple cheddar galette

1. Make the pie dough. Start by pulsing together the pie dough ingredients in a food processor, then shape the dough into a disc on a well-floured surface, wrap it well, and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
2. Prep the apples. Mix sliced apples with melted butter and sugar.
3. Assemble the galette. Roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch circle, top with the shredded cheddar cheese, then arrange the apple slices in a spiral pattern.
4. Make the crust & bake. Fold over the edges to form a crust on the galette, brush with a little milk, then top with extra shredded cheese. Bake the galette until it’s golden brown and the apples are soft.
5. Top & devour. Garnish the galette with honey, flaky sea salt, and thyme leaves, and serve it up!

My favorite way to serve this apple cheese galette

I love serving this with some baby arugula tossed with a drizzle of olive oil for added freshness and flavor.

Storing & reheating

This galette is delicious served warm or at room temperature! Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, or freeze in an airtight container. To reheat, bake slices on a baking sheet at 350ºF until warmed through — about 15 minutes from the refrigerator, or 25-30 minutes from frozen.

More appetizers you’ll love

Get all of my appetizer recipes here!

I hope you love this apple cheddar galette! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

Apple Cheddar Galette with Crispy Herb Cheddar Crust

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

Sweet and savory apple cheddar galette with a crispy herb cheddar pie crust. Top with flaky sea salt, a drizzle of honey, and fresh thyme for a fun way to use up fall apples in an appetizer, snack, or easy brunch recipe.

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• ½ cup (1 stick or 113 grams) salted butter
• 1 ¼ cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup (2 ounces) sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon vodka (or sub buttermilk)
• 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water, plus more if necessary
• For the galette:
• ¾ cup (3 ounces) sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 large honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk of choice
• For topping:
• Flaky salt
• A drizzle of honey
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, stems discarded

Instructions

• Make the thyme cheddar pie crust:

• Cut the butter into ½ inch cubes and set on a plate. Place the plate in the freezer for 10 minutes so it gets VERY COLD. While you do this, you can get all of your other ingredients out and ready to go.

• Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse again for 10-15 seconds until the butter resembles tiny peas. Add in the shredded cheddar cheese and thyme leaves and pulse again a few times to incorporate.

• Next, add 1 tablespoon of vodka (or buttermilk), then add in 2-3 tablespoons ICE COLD water to the dough. Pulse until dough comes together just a bit, resembling small beads. The dough should still be somewhat crumbly; I recommend squeezing a small amount of dough between your fingers; it should stick together well, but if it doesn’t and is very crumbly, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, until it just comes together. If your dough is too wet, add ½ tablespoon flour until it comes together. I usually don’t mess with ratios too much because this is what works for me. Do not overwork the dough.

• Place dough onto a well-floured surface and form into a disk shape, then wrap with plastic wrap or in a reusable bag. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour (or up to 2 days). Dough can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months if well wrapped in both plastic and then foil or a zip-top bag.

• Make the galette:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• While the pie dough chills, prepare the galette filling: Add sliced apples to a medium bowl along with the melted butter and sugar and toss together with your hands until the apples are fully coated.

• Dust your counter or a cutting board with flour, then place the chilled pie dough disc on the counter. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle (it should be about ¼ inch thick and it’s okay if the edges are a little cracked!) Place the dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

• Arrange ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the pie dough, leaving a 1 ½ inch border uncovered. Arrange the buttered apples on top of the cheese in a spiral pattern, beginning at the outer edge of the cheese and working inward towards the center. Fold the outer edges of the pie dough inward to create a crust. Brush milk on the crust, then sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of shredded cheese on top of this crust.

• Bake the galette for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the apples have softened. Cool the galette for 10 minutes, then top with a drizzle of honey, sprinkle of flaky salt, and the fresh thyme leaves. Cut into 6 or 8 slices and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This galette is delicious served warm or at room temperature.
I love serving this with some baby arugula tossed with a drizzle of olive oil for added freshness and flavor.
Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, or freeze in an airtight container. To reheat, bake on a baking sheet at 350ºF until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 402calCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 9.1gFat: 27.7gSaturated Fat: 17.3gFiber: 1.3gSugar: 7.6g