Chocolate Strawberry Galette
This refined sugar free Chocolate Strawberry Galette features plump sweet strawberries, rich dark chocolate, and a hint of vanilla wrapped up in a crisp flaky pastry. This rustic galette recipe is perfect for beginner pie bakers!
An easy free-form chocolate strawberry pie
I gotta be honest with you here – I am no expert pie baker. Pastry is something that has always been a struggle for me, and it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve been able to find some easy tricks to produce perfectly adequate pies. Which is why free-form pies, like this Chocolate Strawberry Galette, are ALWAYS my go-to!
Galettes are incredibly easy to make, even beginner pastry bakers will have no trouble making this galette recipe. Trust me, I know.
Plus, with this wicked chocolate strawberry combo, how could you not want to give it a go?
What is a fruit galette?
A fruit galette is a flat French pastry made from a single flaky crust filled with a fruit filling. The base crust is folded over the fruit part way to keep it inside and contain the juices.
They’re simple and elegant. Imperfections are encouraged, unlike with a proper pie, because it adds to their rustic charm. If you’ve ever struggled with baking a pie before, don’t give up until you’ve tried a galette!
Is galette a pie?
Yes, a galette is a formless pie.
They are the easiest kind of pie to make and are perfect for beginner pie bakers, because you don’t need any technical skills nor any pie baking equipment. If you have a baking sheet, you’re good to go!
Ingredients in this chocolate strawberry galette
Only a handful of delicious, fresh, whole food ingredients come together to make this Chocolate Strawberry Galette. You probably have most of them on hand already! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Plain flour: To make the pastry base for this strawberry galette, we need plain flour to provide the structure.
- Coconut sugar: This caramelly brown sugar substitute is used to sweeten both the pie crust and the filling naturally.
- Sea salt: Salt helps season both the crust and the filling for a richer flavour.
- Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter when I’m baking because I like to control the amount of salt in a recipe. Make sure your butter is super cold before adding it to the flour!
- Strawberries: I used frozen strawberries for the Chocolate Strawberry Galette pictured, but fresh would also work great if you have them.
- Arrowroot powder: Similar to corn starch, arrowroot powder reacts with the heat in the oven to thicken the fruit juices and prevent them from running everywhere.
- Vanilla extract: I love the flavour of vanilla with the strawberries and the chocolate in this galette recipe!
- Quality dark chocolate: Make sure you get some good quality chocolate for this recipe. I love dark here because I think its rich bitter flavour provides a nice contrast to the sweet strawberries.
- Egg white: We use the egg white to help prevent a soggy bottom on our pastry. More on this method below.
- Egg yolk: Brushing the top of the pastry with egg yolk helps the coarse sugar stick and encourages the pastry to brown in the oven.
How to make a strawberry galette
This Chocolate Strawberry Galette recipe is super easy to make. Here’s how to do it:
1. Make the crust
Mix together the dry ingredients and then cut the butter into them with your hands. Then add some ice water to bring it all together into a loose dough. Knead it very gently together and then chill the dough for 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling
Combine all the filling ingredients into a bowl and stir them together well.
3. Create the galette pastry base
Roll the chilled dough out into a 30cm (12 inch) diameter circle and place it on a baking sheet. Wash the base with egg white to prevent a soggy bottom and keep all the juices neatly inside.
4. Assemble the Chocolate Strawberry Galette
Dump the filling into the centre of the pastry. Then, pull up and crimp the edges of the crust to surround the filling. Wash the edges of the pastry with egg yolk, sprinkle with coarse cane sugar, and bake!
Full details are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Galette Baking Q & A
How do I keep my galette from getting soggy?
No one likes a soggy bottom on their pastry! I keep my galette from getting soggy by using one or a combination of these tips:
- Don’t overpack your pastry. Make sure you’re using the exact amount of filling called for in the recipe, especially if it’s fruit. Too much fruit will create excess moisture and soak through the bottom of the pastry.
- Roll the pastry thin. Follow the directions in the recipe to make sure you have a thin layer of pastry at the base. If it’s too thick, it won’t cook through in the time allotted and will be doughy and soggy.
- Use an egg white wash. I protect my Chocolate Strawberry Galette from getting soggy by washing the base with a thin layer of egg white. This creates a barrier between the wet filling and pastry, ensuring a crispy base.
- Cover the base with frangipane. Similarly, you can also use a layer of frangipane between your fruit and pastry base to avoid it getting soggy.
Can you make a galette ahead of time?
Yes! You can totally make a galette ahead of time – up to 48 hours in advance.
For this Chocolate Strawberry Galette, I would recommend following all of the steps up to the egg yolk wash. Cover it with foil or cling film on the baking tray and then brush it and bake it the day you’re going to eat it.
The pastry dough can be made up to 1 week in advance.
How do you know when a galette is done?
When the galette is done, the top of the pastry should be a deep golden colour and it should look puffed, risen, and flaky. The underside should be browned and sound solid when you tap it gently.
Is galette served hot or cold?
Both! You can serve a galette hot or cold, depending on your preference.
Personally, I love this Chocolate Strawberry Galette slightly warm with a scoop of homemade refined sugar free vanilla ice cream!
Tips for making this Chocolate Strawberry Galette perfectly
- Make sure your pastry ingredients are COLD. The cold butter will react with the heat of the oven and help lift the pastry to create flaky layers.
- Don’t overwork your pastry. Kneading the pastry too much will develop the gluten in the flour and produce a chewier texture. It will also melt the pockets of butter and prevent them from expanding to form a flaky crust. Bring it together gently a few times and then leave it to chill.
- If you get little holes in your pastry as you’re rolling it out, simply take a bit from the edges and patch them up.
- Turn your pastry disc 90º with every roll. This will help you get a circular crust.
- Don’t skip the egg white wash. This will ensure you don’t get a soggy bottom on your Chocolate Strawberry Galette.
Looking for more refined sugar free pies and tarts?
Chocolate Cherry Galette
Blackberry Peach Pie
Frozen Margarita Tart
Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Pretzel Crust
If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this Chocolate Strawberry Galette recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!
Chocolate Strawberry Galette
An easy, refined sugar free Chocolate Strawberry Galette with juicy strawberries, dark chocolate and vanilla, all wrapped up in flaky pastry.
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 115 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3-4 tbsp ice water
Filling
- 400 g frozen or fresh strawberries
- 50 g coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 50 g quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg, separated
- 2 tsp coarse raw cane sugar
Method
- Make the crust by sifting together the flour, coconut sugar, and salt. Add in the cubed butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Drizzle in the water and bring it together with a fork until it forms a loose ball.
- Dump the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a disc. Do not overwork it. Cover entirely with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, get on with the filling by folding together the strawberries, coconut sugar, arrowroot powder, vanilla extract, sea salt, and chopped chocolate. Keep mixing until all of the arrowroot powder disappears, then set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking tray with a silicone mat or non-stick paper.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll the chilled dough into a 30cm (12 inch) diameter circle. Lay the pastry dough on the prepared tray and brush egg white over the surface.
- Spoon the strawberry filling into the centre of the dough, leaving 4cm (2 inch) around the edge bare.
- Gently fold the edge up and over the filling, taking care to crimp together the folds as you go.
- Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and evenly sprinkle over the coarse sugar. Bake the galette for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark.
- Remove the galette from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 15-20 minutes before serving to let the juices firm up a bit. If desired, sprinkle over some chopped fresh mint and a dusting of icing sugar.
Notes
This galette is best eaten warm on the day it is made, but will keep sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply whack it in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
