Rustic Pear and Blue Cheese Galette with Honey and Thyme

Published: April 2, 2026
Tiffany MooreTiffany Moore
Categories: Pies, Fruits, French
Tags: Dessert, Baking, French, Vegetarian, Fall

Pear Galette

Buttery galette with caramelized pears, tangy blue cheese, and a honey-thyme drizzle.

Prep Time:25 minCook Time:40 minTotal Time:65 minServings:6Difficulty:Medium

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories:420 kcal
Protein:6 g
Carbs:42 g
Fat:24 g

This galette celebrates the beautiful pairing of sweet pears and pungent blue cheese wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust. It’s relaxed baking — no tins or fuss — just a free-form tart that looks as impressive as it tastes. The honey and thyme add brightness and a little herbal lift that keeps each bite balanced.

I love serving this at a casual dinner party or slicing it warm for a cozy dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The dough is forgiving, and the filling comes together in minutes, so don’t be intimidated — think of it as a delicious, elegant weeknight treat you can be proud of.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour:1 1/4 cups
  • Granulated sugar:1 tbsp
  • Salt:1/2 tsp
  • Unsalted butter (cold, cubed):8 tbsp
  • Ice water:4 tbsp
  • Pears (ripe but firm):3 pieces
  • Lemon juice:1 tbsp
  • Granulated sugar (for pears):2 tbsp
  • Cornstarch:1 tbsp
  • Blue cheese (crumbled):4 oz
  • Honey:2 tbsp
  • Fresh thyme leaves (chopped):1 tbsp
  • Unsalted butter (cold, for dotting):1 tbsp
  • Egg (for egg wash):1 pieces
  • Turbinado sugar (optional, for sprinkling):1 tbsp
  • Freshly ground black pepper:1/4 tsp

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In a bowl combine flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.

    Mixing flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter for galette dough
  2. Add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing until dough holds when squeezed. Form into a disk, wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

    Galette dough wrapped and placed in the refrigerator to chill
  3. Prep the pears: Peel, core, and slice pears about 1/4-inch thick. Toss slices with lemon juice, 2 tbsp sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of black pepper; set aside.

    Thin pear slices tossed with lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and black pepper
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Parchment-lined baking sheets ready beside a preheated oven
  5. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into a roughly 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to the prepared sheet using the parchment paper.

    Chilled galette dough rolled into a thin rustic circle on a floured surface
  6. Arrange pear slices in a single layer in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over the pears and dot with the 1 tbsp cold butter. Scatter chopped thyme over the filling.

    Pear slices arranged on galette dough with blue cheese and fresh thyme
  7. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pleating as you go to form a rustic edge. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the crust if using.

    Dough edges folded into rustic pleats around the pear filling
  8. Bake until crust is golden and pears are tender, about 35–40 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even color.

    Baked pear and blue cheese galette with a golden flaky crust
  9. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tbsp honey and additional thyme leaves before slicing.

    Warm pear galette finished with honey drizzle and fresh thyme
  10. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

    Slice of pear and blue cheese galette served with vanilla ice cream

Tips & Notes

  • Keep the butter and water very cold — that’s the secret to a flaky crust.
  • Use firm, slightly underripe pears (Bosc or Anjou) so they hold their shape while baking.
  • If you prefer less tang, mix half the blue cheese with a milder cream cheese to soften the flavor.