Galette des Rois

This frangipane-filled galette des rois is traditionally enjoyed in January, but you can make it whenever you’re craving a sweet treat. 

What Is a Galette des Rois?

A galette des rois is a French cake that consists of frangipane sandwiched between two puff pastry circles. It is baked in January to celebrate Epiphany, which is the day the Three Kings (les rois) visited Jesus. A galette des rois traditionally has a “fève” baked into it -– this can be a trinket (often a small baby figurine) or a bean. 

Often, a paper crown is used to decorate the dessert and whoever finds the fève gets to wear the crown. 

How to Make Galette des Rois

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Galette des Rois Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make galette des rois at home: 

• Almond paste: Use store-bought or homemade almond paste.
• Sugars: You’ll need white sugar for the frangipane and confectioners’ sugar to dust over the finished galette des rois. 
• Butter: Butter lends richness and moisture. 
• Eggs: One egg goes into the frangipane, while the other one serves as an egg wash. 
• Extracts: You’ll need both vanilla extract and almond extract. 
• Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the filling. 
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor. 
• Puff pastry: Use store-bought or homemade puff pastry. 
• Kidney bean: A dried kidney bean is the fève in this galette de rois, but you can use whatever trinket you like!

How Do You Make Galette des Rois? 

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this homemade galette des rois:

1. Make the frangipane filling. 
2. Roll both pastry sheets out, cut into circles, and freeze. 
3. Mound the frangipane onto one pastry circle and press the bean into the filling. 
4. Place the other pastry on top, seal the edges, and brush the egg wash over the galette.
5. Make a crisscross pattern in the egg wash, then prick several small slits in the top.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and keep baking until golden brown.

How to Store Galette des Rois

While galette des rois is best eaten the day it’s made, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three day or freeze them for up to three months.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This was an amazing recipe,” raves evacosgrove. “I used canned almond filling and omitted the sugar. Super easy and wonderful. Brought me right back to sitting around the table with my friend's French host family.”

“Simply outstanding,” according to DLD. “I served this warm, although I bet it would taste just as delicious cold. The filling blended so nicely with the puff pastry. It truly melted with each bite.”

“I live in New Orleans and this surpasses expectations! I make mine in the shape of the square pastry dough so that none of it goes to waste, and then I stick a plastic baby in the bottom after it is out of the oven,” says htiz. “Delicious!”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams