Vegan Galette des Rois
It was about time that I shared my take on this French pastry, very traditional in Luxembourg too, called Galette des Rois!
If you have never heard of it, “Galette des Rois” is a traditional pastry popular in France and Luxembourg during the month of January for the Epiphany. It consists of two layers of flaky puff pastry filled with a sweet almond filling. It’s buttery, rich, and absolutly delicious!
A “Galette des Rois” usually contains a “fève” which is a small ceramic figurine that is hidden in the filling. The one who finds it becomes the king, or queen for the day! Yeee !
This version is vegan, refined sugar-free, and can be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free puff pastry.
Almond flour makes the base of the filling. Then we have coconut sugar, coconut oil or vegan butter, almond milk, applesauce, and cornstarch to help it thicken slightly. Since we are using coconut sugar instead of white sugar, the filling will be darker than in an authentic “galette des Rois”. It doesn’t compromise on flavor though.
To get that authentic flavor that makes Galette des Rois so addictive, we add almond and vanilla extracts. I know some people like to add a tablespoon of rum in the filling, I didn’t do it here but if that is your thing, feel free to do so!
Once your filling is ready, it’s time to assemble your galette. Place a disc of vegan puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and then spread your almond filling on top, leaving about one inch on the sides. I chose to make the filling thick because it’s just the best part of a galette des Rois!
Place the second disc of pastry on top and press down using your thumb to seal the edges. At this point, you can use a knife to flute the edges as shown above.
Now, brush your galette with a mix of maple syrup and almond milk, this will give it a nice golden color during baking. For the decoration, you can be creative and score a geometrical pattern, or draw round lines as I did there.
You want to make a hole in the middle and poke the top of the puff pastry a few times to prevent it from rising too much. If you don’t do it your galette will have a lot of air on the inside, not something you want. Plus the filling could escape from the sides, so make sure to poke holes!
Before baking, I recommend you refrigerate it for 30 minutes. The galette will rise more evenly and look better.
30-35 minutes in the oven and your Galette des Rois is ready!
This Galette can be served warm, or at room temperature. It is usually served with a glass of cider as a dessert or an afternoon snack. There is a tradition that says the youngest person needs to hide under the table and tells whoever is cutting the galette who gets which slice. This way he can’t see which slice has the fève so he is not biased!
This Galette des Rois is a real treat, it’s rich, buttery, and easy to make. Now, who will be the King/Queen!?
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Vegan Galette des Rois
Rich and buttery French “Galette des Rois” filled with a sweet almond cream! Vegan, refined sugar-free, and easy!
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: In a large mixing bowl, cream the coconut sugar with vegan butter ( < < check this homemade recipe) until soft and fluffy. Add the almond flour, cornstarch, almond milk, applesauce, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix using a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. It won’t look smooth and will be thick because of the almond flour, this is normal. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll your puff pastries and cut them into about 8 inches discs. Place one disc of pastry on your prepared baking sheet.
- Spread the almond filling on top of the disc of pastry, leaving about one inch of the border exposed. At this step, you can place a whole almond or a “fève” in the almond filling. The person who will find it will become the king or queen!
- Place the second disc of pastry on top and seal the filling by pressing the edges with your thumb. Using a knife, flute the edges as shown in the photos. Next, make a hole in the center of the top disc of pastry, this will prevent the galette from rising too much.
- Brush the top of the galette with the maple syrup wash (try to avoid the edges as it might prevent them from rising well) and draw a pattern using a sharp knife.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Remove from the refrigerator and brush it a second time. Using a fork or small knife, poke small holes in the top. Again, this will prevent it from rising too much and allow the steam to escape during baking.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool at least 35 minutes before serving.
- This galette can be served at room temperature or slightly warm. I found out it tastes even better the next day as the flavors have time to merge and the filling to firm up slightly.
- This Galette des Rois will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature, covered with aluminum foil.
Enjoy ! 😉
2 Comments
There’s no ingredient list?
See all ingredients in the recipe description.