Flakey brown sugar cinnamon crust folded over vanilla chai apple and pear slices, baked until perfectly caramelized and topped with a vanilla chai whipped cream. This is apple pie all grown up—but without the fuss of a pie pan!

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Anyone else feeling extra nostalgic lately? Maybe it’s the coronaversary (which is really a string of anniversaries for a cascade of changes that hit us daily last March). But I’ve been looking at photos, comparing so many things in my life to what I was doing on this same day last year.

I believe reflection is good. I’m able to look back at last March and preserve the good memories and learn from the bad. And man, I wish I had been more appreciative of that time and how much rest I was able to get.

For some reason, this galette makes me feel nostalgic, too. The warm vanilla chai spices remind me of cozy, rainy days as a kid. And they remind me of visiting my sister, back before we had kids and we could stay the night and go get vanilla chai lattes in the morning. And the apple pear filling is of course reminiscent of childhood holiday baking.

I loved how simple this was to make. Sure, it takes a couple hours. But most of that is hands off. Mix the dough and let it chill. Mix the apples and pear and let them chill. Roll out the dough, fill it and let it bake.

The best part is that it won’t leak and you don’t have the stress of all that can go wrong with a traditional pie crust.

How to make vanilla chai apple pear galette

First, make the galette crust and let it chill. You could use a frozen crust, but I highly recommend making your own. It’s not difficult and uses a method called fraisage (where you basically smash the dough with your palm) that helps it not leak like traditional pie crust.

Next, peel, core, and slice the apples and pears. Mix them with lemon juice, chai spice, flour, brown sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Chill for about 30 minutes to help release some of the juices of the fruit.

Roll out your crust. Build a ring of apple and pear slices about 2 slices tall, leaving a 2 inch border. Fill the middle of the ring with the rest of the apples, drizzling just a bit of the juices on top.

Fold the edges of the crust over the fruit, making pleats. Top with diced butter.

Brush the crust with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles.

Once cooled, slice and serve with vanilla chai whipped cream.

Tips and notes for this recipe

Use chai mix to taste

I like a bold, cardamom forward chai, so I actually used almost 1 teaspoon of it in my mix. Feel free to experiment a bit with the mixture until you like the smell—don’t taste it, trust me. In addition, you might want a lighter or bolder chai taste in the galette, so start with 1 teaspoon of spice, taste a small slice, then mix in more spice if you want. Remember that the taste will become a little milder with baking.

Peeling is optional

To be totally honest, I just plain forgot to peel my apples and pears. I was slicing them when I thought about it, but I figured why not see what happens. I actually liked it! It’s technically more nutritious, and it made a slight crunch and a more rustic look. However, feel free to peel your fruit. And if you’re like me, you’ll forever think of Sleepless in Seattle as you try to peel your apples in one long strip.

Where to buy vanilla bean paste

Usually, I just buy vanilla bean paste at Trader Joe’s. Then the world ran short on vanilla and I nearly cried. I even went to Whole Foods and they acted like I was asking for tires when I asked if they carry it. Come on, guys. Luckily, I was able to find some on Amazon, of all places! It’s actually just as good as my regular kind, a lot larger, and in a glass container (yay no plastic!) so I’m set for a long time.

You might also like:

Browned Butter Dutch Apple Pie Bars

Apple Pie Cake

Caramel Apple Crumble Tart

Grandma’s Spiced Apple Cake

Honey Cardamom Fig Mascarpone Tart

Vanilla Chai Apple Pear Galette

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prep time: 15-20 minutes
chill time: 1 hour (or up to 2 days)
bake time: 40-50 minutes
total time: 2 hours, 10 minutes (crust and filling)

servings: 8-12

Ingredients:

one brown sugar cinnamon galette crust

for the chai spice mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
couple pinches ground nutmeg
couple pinches ground cloves
small pinch freshly ground black pepper

for the filling

2 medium apples
1 pear
1-2 teaspoons of the chai mix
1 tablespoon flour
½ tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, diced and chilled
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (for brushing the crust)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch ground cinnamon

for the vanilla chai whipped cream (optional--you could sub vanilla ice cream)

1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon extract)
couple pinches chai mix

Instructions:

Make the brown sugar cinnamon crust and let it chill.
Whisk the chai ingredients together. Set aside.
When you’re ready to make the tart, first peel, core, and slice the apples and pear into ⅛ inch slices (peeling is optional--I was lazy and didn’t mind the crunch). Toss with 1 teaspoon of the chai mix, the lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, and brown sugar. Taste, adding another teaspoon of chai mix if desired, reserving at least a couple pinches for the whipped topping. Refrigerate while you roll out the crust.
Roll out the crust. Let the dough sit on the counter 5-10 minutes, until a little pliable. Place dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle a little more flour over the dough. Begin rolling out the dough, rotating the rolling pin as you go. I like to imagine it’s a clock and I need to roll it over every hour—so top down is 12 and 6, left right is 3 and 9, etc. Be sure to flip and rotate the dough every so often, sprinkling a tiny bit more flour as needed to 1) keep it from sticking and 2) ensure you’re rolling evenly. I tend to roll the bottom left too thin and the top right too thick. Rotating balances this out.
Roll it to about 12 inches. If any bits of the edge crack or break, gently press them back together with your hands. If your crust has become warm, chill on the parchment paper for 20 minutes.
With the crust still on the parchment, fill it by layering apples and pears (by hand--don’t dump it out) in a ring along the edge of the crust, leaving at least 2 inches of crust around the edge. Make the ring about 2 slices tall. Then scoop the rest of the apples and pears into the middle, making a mount. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the juices on top of the fruit.
Fold the edges of the crust over the filling, making pleats every 2-3 inches. Try not to pull the crust tight over the filling, leaving a small gap between the edge of the filling and the edge of the crust. Make sure the filling that’s not covered by crust is mounded up slightly, as it will fall during baking.
Sprinkle the cubes of butter over the filling. Brush the edge of the crust with milk or heavy cream (optionally, you can mix an egg in, but I love the rustic look of just milk) and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon.
Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes on the parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet, until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Check it around 30 minutes, as bake times vary by oven and climate. Let cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes.
Make the whipped cream. In a chilled mixing bowl, gently mix the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and chai mix. Taste, adjusting sugar and spice to taste. Whisk vigorously (or with a mixer on high) until soft peaks form. Dollop whipped cream on each slice as you serve!

Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a warm oven for 10 minutes.

Note about flour: be sure to spoon then level the flour into your measuring cup OR weigh it to prevent packing it in and ending up with too much.
European butter is better for pie crust because it has less water and will make a flakier crust.
I often use a combination of water and vodka, since the vodka will evaporate faster in baking to create a flakier crust.