This cherry galette uses fresh ingredients instead of canned cherry pie filling, and the results are easy and addicting! This sunny, rustic cherry tart is a great way to showcase seasonal cherries. You won’t believe how easily this dessert comes together.
If you’re new to the world of baking and are nervous about working with tart dough, I highly recommend starting with galettes!
Galettes are a perfect way to get comfortable working with homemade tart or pie dough, since they have a very rustic shape. You don’t have to deal with fluted crusts, rolling the dough super thin, or shrinking in the oven.
This cherry galette recipe is an especially great choice for summer.
What is a Galette?
A galette is simply a rustic, free-form tart prepared with a single crust. It can be sweet or savory.
Check out my butternut squash and goat cheese galette for a savory version! For more kitchen terms, check out my glossary of culinary terms. You can also read more about galettes over at Fine Cooking.
Ingredients for Cherry Galette
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Sweet cherries (sour may be substituted)
- Granulated white sugar
- Cornstarch
- Lemon
- Egg
- Turbinado sugar
- Optional: Kirsch (cherry liqueur)
- Optional: vanilla ice cream for serving
Equipment for Cherry Galette
- Food processor (you can combine the dough by hand if you don’t have one)
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
How to Make a Cherry Galette
This recipe is very simple. You can use store-bought pie dough if you prefer. However, if you have a food processor, that will bring this tart dough together in no time.
Then, you simply combine the filling ingredients:
Roll out the dough:
Add the cherry filling, then fold the dough over to form a rustic tart. Brush with some egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar for a golden crust with a light crunch.
Bake, and serve!
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- If you don’t want to use homemade tart dough, you can substitute store-bought pie dough.
- I used sweet bing cherries since they’re the most readily available where I live. You can use sour cherries, but I recommend decreasing the lemon juice by half (or even omitting it entirely) if you do.
- You can get away with using frozen cherries (don’t thaw them first), but I recommend using fresh if possible. I tested this galette recipe with frozen cherries, and the final product wasn’t as good. Less juicy and almost a slight artificial flavor. I definitely recommend topping with ice cream if you go this route.
- Rainier cherries are much sweeter than bing cherries and they don’t hold their texture as well in baked goods, so I recommend saving those for snacking.
- I love adding Kirsch (cherry liqueur) to cherry recipes for some added flavor depth. I wouldn’t run to the store and buy some just for this recipe! Use it if you have it.
Serving Suggestions
I highly recommend serving this with vanilla ice cream. The creaminess of the ice cream pairs perfectly with the acidity of the cherries.
More Cherry Recipes
If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my Fresh Cherry Crisp, Cherry Vanilla Muffins, and Cherry Gazpacho.
You can also see my full archive of cherry recipes here!
Cherry Galette
Ingredients
For the Tart Dough (store-bought pie dough may be substituted)
- 6 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 1 1/3 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water
For The Cherry Filling:
- 3 cups sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted (1 pound)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: 1 tablespoon kirsch cherry liqueur
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
- Optional for serving: vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Add the flour and salt to a food processor, pulsing several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly add the water with the machine running until the dough begins to form a ball (see notes). Wrap in plastic wrap and press flat into a disc. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using so the butter can firm back up.
- Place an oven shelf on the center rack, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and Kirsch (if using). You don’t want the filling to sit for very long before going into the oven, so do this right before rolling out the dough.
- Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface until it's approximately 12 inches in diameter. You can optionally roll it a bit thinner and then use a pizza cutter to clean up the edges. Transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. (The best way to do this is to roll the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll it on top of the baking sheet).
- Place a colander or fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl, and strain the cherries to separate the liquid (this is technically optional, but will make shaping the galette easier).
- Spread the cherries evenly onto the dough, leaving about 2 inches around the edges. Fold the excess dough on top of the cherries in a circle, until you have a tightly formed tart. Pour the reserved cherry liquid over the cherries.
- Chill the tart for 10 minutes to firm up the dough. Brush the top of the dough with a light coating of egg wash and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue baking for an additional 20 minutes, or until the dough is firm and the cherries are bubbling.
- Allow to cool briefly before serving. Top slices with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Notes
- I recommend using fresh cherries instead of frozen for best flavor and texture.
- Sour cherries may be substituted; reduce or omit the lemon juice if using.
- When using a food processor to make dough, you want the machine running for the least amount of time possible once you add the water. This will help keep the dough flaky. You can let the dough form a ball, but it will be a tougher crust. If you stop the machine once the ingredients are just combined and flaky, you can press them together by hand for more tender results. I press them together while wrapping the dough in plastic wrap.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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I am living for this! Perfect for cherry season and we loved every bite.
Galettes are so easy to make! we love to make them, adding the cherries was so good! I loved that you used fresh cherries in this recipe!
I am blown away by how pretty and delicious this turned out! Thank you so much!
So pretty and perfect for cherry season!
Great recipe and loved the tip about using the pizza wheel to trim the edges. Took an extra tablespoon of water for the dough and needed to cook it for ~35 min at 375 to get the dough on the bottom to cook. Yummy!