Pear Galette – Simply Home Cooked

Modified: Sep 30, 2024 by Dina

This Pear Galette is full of sweet and tender pear slices that are surrounded by a flaky, buttery crust made with cream cheese. This open-faced pie is a dessert you’re going to love.

If you love pies and pears, then you should try this Homemade Apple Pie and this Pear Tart.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

I love this Pear Galette recipe because it’s so flavorful and sweetly delicious. This French dessert is also much easier than making a pie with a top, so it’s no trouble to put together for friends and family.

• TASTE: Sweet and tangy pears are combined with sugar and warm cinnamon spice. The crust has tangy cream cheese and rich butter in it.
• TEXTURE: The crust is beautifully flaky in this Pear Galette. And the syrupy fruit in the center is soft and tender.
• TIME: It takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to make.
• EASE: Easy as pie… wait, even easier! This recipe is a breeze and you can prep it ahead of time to make it more convenient.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Pears- Bartlett pears are what I used, but you can use Bosc pears or other types if you like.
• Lemon- The lemon juice adds a bright citrusy flavor to the pears.
• Cornstarch- This thickens the pears’ juices.
• Sugar- Granulated sugar helps pull the juices out of the fruit.
• Cream cheese- This adds moisture and richness to the crust.
• Egg- This is for the egg wash that turns the crust a golden brown.
• Coarse sugar- Added on top for a touch of sweetness.
• Cinnamon- Adds warm, spicy flavor.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Use puff pastry- Save yourself time by using frozen puff pastry that has been thawed for the crust. Or use a frozen pie crust and some store-bought dough for the sides.
• Make it gluten-free- Using almond flour or brown rice flour for the crust will make this a gluten-free galette.
• Add buttermilk- Using this in the crust adds moisture in place of the cream cheese, as well as tangy flavor.
• Substitute the sugar- Use honey in place of the sugar to avoid refined sugars in this recipe.

How to Make a Pear Galette

• Make the pie dough. In a food processor, add the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Pulse a few times until the butter is the size of a pea.
• Shape it. Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface and begin shaping the dough with your hands.
• Chill. Form the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge for about one hour until firm.

Pro Tip: It may seem dry at first when shaping the dough, but eventually, the warmth of your hands will slightly melt the butter, making the dough more pliable.

• Roll it out. Lightly flour your work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the chilled dough out to a 14-inch circle.
• Transfer to a baking sheet. Use a rolling pin to gently transfer the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

• Macerate the pears. In a large bowl, add the sliced Bartlett pears, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Use a large spoon or your clean hands to mix everything together gently.
• Add the pears to the crust. Add the pear mixture into the center of the dough and spread it out while leaving a 2-inch border. Then fold in the crust border, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle a little bit of coarse sugar on top.
• Bake. Bake in the oven at 400 °F for about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream on top.

Recipe Tips

• Spoon and level off the flour- To avoid dry dough, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping packs too much in.
• Chill the dough- Doing this solidifies the butter than may have melted a little while it was worked in the food processor. It will also help when rolling out the dough.
• Use cold butter- You want the butter to be cold because it will melt as it bakes, leaving the crust flaky and moist.
• Add the egg wash- This helps the crust turn a golden brown and make the coarse sugar stick.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This easy Pear Galette recipe is flaky, sweet, and delicious. Serve it with coffee, ice cream, pastries, or cookies.

• Ice Cream: Serve this with a scoop of No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream, Easy Ube Ice Cream, or Honeydew Melon Sorbet.
• Pastries: Pair this dessert with some Cherry Danishes, Homemade Nutella Croissants, Apricot Rugelach (VIDEO), or Mini Pavlova with Chocolate (VIDEO).
• Cookies: Enjoy a slice of this Pear Galette with some Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies (VIDEO), Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam, Classic Shortbread Cookies, or Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
• Coffee/Tea: Serve it with a Iced Matcha Latte, Brown Sugar Boba, Hot Chocolate, or Iced Caramel Macchiato.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: Macerate the pears and store them in the fridge. You can also keep the pie dough in the fridge for a day, then assemble and bake the galette.

Store this Pear Galette covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze: You can freeze this galette, but it will thaw soggy because of the fruit. It’s best to enjoy this dessert fresh.

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Full Recipe Instructions