I have loved pop-tarts ever since I was a little kid. Every single morning (almost) I would unwrap one of those wonderful silver pouches and feast on the crumbly pastry goodness inside. It has been years since I've had a pop-tart, so I decided to make a gluten-free and vegan recipe that would taste just as delicious.
Filling
- 1 punnet (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh raspberries
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1-2 tbsp water
Put the raspberries, sugar, and a dash of water into a saucepan on medium heat. Mash the ingredients together with a fork until a soupy mixture starts to form. Let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should be bubbling slightly. About ten minutes into the cooking process, add the cornstarch and mix well. After 20 minutes, the mixture should be thick. Transfer into another bowl and let it cool down and solidify further while you make the dough.
Dough
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend + more for rolling
- 2 tbsp sugar
- pinch of fine salt
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil or earth balance
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or agave
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 c almond milk + extra
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, syrup, vanilla extract, and milk. Add the wet to the dry, mixing with a spoon at first and then kneading the dough together with your hands. It should be moist, and when it's mostly combined, it shouldn't stick to your fingers very much. You can add a few teaspoons of flour or milk depending on how the consistency of your flour turns out.
Divide the dough into four different sections and roll them out on a floured flat surface, cutting pairs of rectangles with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. spoon about a tablespoon of the raspberry filling onto half of the rectangles, leaving no more than a 1/2 centimeter room on the edges. As you assemble the pop-tarts, using your fingers, wet the edges of the filling rectangle, and then gently lay the second rectangle on top. Do not press! Take a fork and press down on the edges of the pastry so the top and bottom pastry layers seal together. Using a fork tine, press little holes in the top of the tart.
Arrange the assembled tarts on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. (At this point, the raspberry filling might be leaking out and bubbling a little bit. Don't worry about it!) Let them cool for ten minutes at room temperature, and for another 20 minutes in the fridge while you make the glaze.
Glaze
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp almond milk + extra
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles (if desired)
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until a smooth, sticky glaze forms. You can adjust the amount of milk you use to your liking. Once the pop-tarts are completely cool, you can begin frosting them. You can either leave them unfrosted, drizzle them like toaster strudels, or frost completely and top with sprinkles - any way you do it, they're delicious!
Many of the homemade pop-tart recipes I've seen use jelly or jam as the filling, but it's the fresh fruit that really makes them taste almost gourmet (and much better than their corn syrup and preservative filled counterparts). I hope you enjoy making and eating them as much as I did!