A buttery & flaky pie crust with juicy, syrupy cooked pears and caramelized walnuts.
This Pear & Brown Sugar Walnut Galette combines juicy and syrupy sliced pears with crunchy caramelized walnuts all nestled in a homemade buttery & flaky pie crust. This recipe highly encourages you to finish it off with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you’re intimidated by a homemade pie, then I can assure you a galette is what you need. It’s a homemade pies sibling, that requires much less prep, patience, and technique.
Galettes are great for any baker – no matter your skill level! I like to call it “rustic” because it definitely is not perfect looking. But it for sure tastes heavenly.
How to make Pear & Brown Sugar Walnut Galette:
Pie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle cold cubed butter over the flour mixture. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour until incorporated (butter should be about pea-sized).
- Slowly drizzle in the ice water and stir until a soft dough forms. You may need to get in with your hands to fully incorporate the milk. The dough should easily come together and not feel sticky. Form dough into a disc and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour (this is important).
Caramelized Walnuts
- While dough is chilling, prepare the walnuts. Add all ingredients to a small skillet over medium heat. Stir well to combine the nuts with the brown sugar and maple syrup. Toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. You will start to smell the toasted nuts once they are done. Transfer the caramelized walnuts to a bowl and set aside.
Pear Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the pears. Add the sliced pears to the bowl and toss carefully to combine. I found it easier to combine with my hands, combining the pears with the sugar/spice mixture so they don’t break.
Assembly
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough circle to the prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon the fruit and juices into the center of the dough (leaving a 3″ border along the edges). You can spoon the filling on or arrange it in a pattern of your choosing (see above photo for reference). Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, overlapping the dough as you do it. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle the crust with raw sugar.
- Refrigerate the shaped galette for 20-25 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake galette until golden brown, for about 20-22 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and (optional) drizzle over homemade coconut caramel. Enjoy!
Why you’ll love this Pear & Brown Sugar Walnut Galette:
- Much easier and straightforward than a pie, but still absolutely delicious.
- Contains jammy sliced pears in a syrupy and sweet brown sugar mixture.
- Filled with crunchy bits of caramelized walnuts.
- Can be made ahead and brought to room temperature before serving.
- Is heavenly topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips for making a delicious galette:
Use cold ingredients. Make sure your butter is chilled and the water is ice cold. The colder those ingredients, the more tender and flaky the pie dough will be!
Chill the pie dough. Whether you chill the dough before it’s rolled out or after, just make sure to chill it! You don’t want the dough to warm up or else the butter will melt. Hardening the fat helps create structure when baked.
Use firm pears. Purchase pears that are on the harder side. Pear varieties that are harder in texture include Bosc pears, Bartlett, and Anjou. If they are TOO soft they will easily break down when tossed with the filling ingredients. They might also come out mushy after baking.
Chill the shaped galette. Again, the colder everything is, the better! Chilling the shaped galette helps maintain the shape of the formed and crimped dough.
Serve with vanilla ice cream. Honestly, this should be a requirement. Haha, but in all honesty this makes your galette top notch. The contrast of the warm galette and cool ice cream is pure bliss.
If you’re looking for more delicious fall desserts, you’ll also love these Orange Chocolate Biscottis, these Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, and these Vegan Apple Cider Toaster Strudels.
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!
A buttery & flaky pie crust with juicy, syrupy cooked pears and caramelized walnuts.
- 1 ½ cups (203g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup cold vegan butter, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup ice cold water
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup (109g) dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp each: ground nutmeg, ginger, cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 5 bosc pears, thinly sliced
- Egg wash: 1 large beaten egg + 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp raw or turbinado sugar
- (Optional): Homemade coconut caramel for topping*
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle cold cubed butter over the flour mixture. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour until incorporated (butter should be about pea-sized).
-
Slowly drizzle in the ice water and stir until a soft dough forms. You may need to get in with your hands to fully incorporate the milk. The dough should easily come together and not feel sticky. Form dough into a disc and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour (this is important).
-
While dough is chilling, prepare the walnuts. Add all ingredients to a small skillet over medium heat. Stir well to combine the nuts with the brown sugar and maple syrup. Toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. You will start to smell the toasted nuts once they are done. Transfer the caramelized walnuts to a bowl and set aside.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the pears. Add the sliced pears to the bowl and toss carefully to combine. I found it easier to combine with my hands, combining the pears with the sugar/spice mixture so they don't break.
-
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough circle to the prepared baking sheet.
-
Spoon the fruit and juices into the center of the dough (leaving a 3" border along the edges). You can spoon the filling on or arrange it in a pattern of your choosing (see above photo for reference). Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, overlapping the dough as you do it. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle the crust with raw sugar.
-
Refrigerate the shaped galette for 20-25 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Bake galette until golden brown, for about 20-22 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and (optional) drizzle over homemade coconut caramel. Enjoy!
