You thought the holiday feasting was over, you’d finally got your eating back on track — and then, ta-da, galette des rois season arrives! Hard to resist… Yet when you consider that 100g of a classic frangipane galette contains around 500 calories, the impact on your figure becomes very real, very fast! But this year, there’s no need to deprive yourself. We’re sharing our best tips for getting through Epiphany without overdoing it and making your galette des rois a little lighter. And as a bonus, we’re giving you our favourite galette des rois recipe — wholesome, delicious, and kind to your waistline. That said, do enjoy it in moderation, ladies — one slice is plenty! 😉
On galette des rois day, avoid calorie overload!
The date is set — today’s the day you’ll be sharing a galette des rois with family or friends! Here’s a quick reminder that will help you keep your calorie count in check. For a plain galette, allow around 350 calories per 100 g. On average, it contains:
- 7 g of protein
- 32 g of carbohydrates
- 17 g of fat
- 1.4 g of dietary fibre
- 470 mg of sodium
For a frangipane galette, expect an average of 500 calories per 100 g, with:
- 8 g of protein
- 40 g of carbohydrates
- 34 g of fat
That’s quite a lot! It all comes down to the combination of several high-calorie ingredients — puff pastry, butter, sugar and so on… But that’s no reason to skip it entirely! Everything in moderation, of course. On the day itself, keep your other meals light by focusing on winter fruits and vegetables such as cabbage, leek, spinach, clementine, grapefruit, apple and more — all great allies for your figure. So you see where we’re going with this? By all means invite everyone over for galette des rois, but give yourself every chance of keeping the scales happy! One small slice is all you need to enjoy the moment without any frustration.
What if you made your own galette des rois?
This is THE perfect solution for keeping a closer eye on ingredients and quantities. And there are plenty of ways to lighten up a galette. How do you make it lighter without sacrificing any of the indulgence? First, swap out the butter and frangipane — they’re the main culprits behind the calorie count. The alternatives? Replace the butter with plain or soy yogurt, and the frangipane with apple compote!
Another ingredient that doesn’t do us any favours: white sugar! Swap it for a plant-based alternative like agave syrup. It’s much lighter and far easier to digest — you’ll see the difference! And above all, don’t forget to slip a charm (fève) into your homemade galette des rois!
The day after galette des rois, eat lighter!
We know — galette des rois is very calorie-dense. Had one slice, maybe even two? Don’t panic! You can easily balance things out by eating lighter the next day. For example, go for a seasonal vegetable soup with a piece of white fish or lean white meat, and everything will be back on track.
Our perfect, 100% lighter galette des rois
Ingredients
Serves 8
- 2 sheets of puff pastry
- 4 apples
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp liquid honey
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- A handful of flaked almonds (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C
- Peel and slice the apples thinly
- In a bowl, combine the apples, honey and cinnamon, and mix gently
- Lay the first sheet of puff pastry in a tart tin
- Spread the apple mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2 cm border all around. Add the charm (fève)!
- Cover with the second sheet of pastry and seal the edges by pressing the two sheets firmly together
- Score a criss-cross pattern on top with a knife, then brush with the egg yolk mixed with a little water
- If you like, scatter a few flaked almonds over the top
- Bake for around 30 minutes, until the galette is golden brown
It’s ready! Enjoy this galette warm or at room temperature.