Warm brown sugar and cinnamon wrapped in a breakfast pastry and topped with a sugary glaze. Did I mention these brown sugar pop-tarts are vegan and corn syrup-free? That's right; this warm tasty, anytime snack is dairy free and healthier!

Vegan brown sugar Pop-Tarts taste so much better than the store-bought version. The homemade pastry has a rich flavor and flakey texture. The brown sugar caramelizes when baked in the oven. The result is a homemade pop tart is soooo much better than anything in a box.

Did you Know Pop Tarts are Not Vegetarian?

I have this tradition when it is a snow day; I go to the grocery store the night before and buy pop tarts. I usually eat the entire box with the record -- and embarrassing -- speed.

However, I was crushed when I learned most pop-tarts include gelatin. All my years of eating vegetarian, I was unknowingly eating gelatin. As vegetarians and vegans can attest, this is a crushing realization.

Since then, I have begun making pop-tarts at home. The ingredients are all-natural, with no preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup is used in this recipe!

Jump to:

Did you Know Pop Tarts are Not Vegetarian?
About this Vegan Pop Tarts
What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
How to Make Vegan Brown Sugar Pop Tarts
Other Pop Tart Flavors
Expert Tips
Make-Ahead and Storing
Recipe

About this Vegan Pop Tarts

Homemade pop tarts, or breakfast pastries, are actually really fun to make. The shapes are never quite right, which adds to the character. What many people find surprising is that homemade pop tarts are very easy to make! It does take little time to make, so I make them in batches. I freeze the extra pop-tarts, so I always have a few on hand.

Once you bite into a homemade pop tart, you will immediately notice the difference. The pastry is richer and flakier. I love them, but the real test was serving them to my grandkids. Admittingly I was nervous but pleasantly surprised they liked them more than the boxed version.

Finally, while I made this recipe with a cinnamon brown sugar filling, you can use any filling you prefer. Replace the brown sugar with your favorite jam or compote. If you prefer a homemade filling, try my strawberry compote or my peach compote. The fruit adds a pop of freshness to each bite!

What I Love About This Recipe

The recipe is easy to make!
Most ingredients are pantry staples.
I can eat cinnamon brown sugar pop tarts again!
Homemade pop-tarts freeze well, making them easy to stock.
This recipe does not contain high fructose corn syrup or preservatives!

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Filling

Light or dark brown sugar - ¾ cup
All-purpose flour - 1 tablespoon
Ground cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
Maple Syrup - 2 tablespoons

Pastry

All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
Vegan butter - ¾ cup - Cold and cubbed.
Ice water - 2 - 4 tablespoons

Glaze (optional)

Confectioners’ sugar - ¾ cup
Non-dairy milk - 1 Tablespoon
Ground cinnamon - ½ teaspoon
Vanilla extract - ¼ teaspoon

Try One of My Other Pastry Recipes

How to Make Vegan Brown Sugar Pop Tarts

Prepare the Brown Sugar Filling

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set the bowl aside.

Make the Pastry Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt together. Add cold unsalted vegan butter and shortening. Using the tips of your fingers, mix the ingredients. The dough should resemble different-sized bread crumbles. Also, pea-sized amounts of butter in the dough are desirable.

Drizzle ice-cold water over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to form. Add ice water in tablespoon increments until the dough can develop into a ball but is not sticky.

If the dough becomes too wet, mix in 1 tablespoon of flour.

Shape the Dough

Place the pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangular shape. (Alternatively, divide the dough into two or three sections to work each section one at a time—roll the dough to a ⅛-inch thickness. Cut the dough into an even number of 4 x 3-inch rectangles. Move half the rectangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Assemble

Place one tablespoon of brown sugar cinnamon filling in the center of the baking sheet rectangles. Lightly dot water around the border of the baking sheet rectangles. Place a rectangle on top. Seal the edges by crimping with a back of a fork until all rectangles are sealed. Poke a few additional holes into the top of the pastry.

Chill and Bake

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Cover the baking sheet with cling wrap. Chill for an hour in the refrigerator or the freezer for 20 minutes. Before going in the oven, brush on the vegan egg wash (optional). Bake for 18 - 22 minutes. The pastry should be on the soft side. If you keep cooking, the cinnamon on the inside will caramelize.

Prepare the Glaze (Optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients together. The glaze should be at a spreadable consistency. If the glaze is too thick, add a teaspoon of non-dairy milk. Using a knife, spread the glaze across each pop-tart. The pop-tarts are ready to eat or if you want hardened glaze, allow the pop-tarts to sit on the counter uncovered for 1 - 2 hours.

Other Pop Tart Flavors

Using the pasty as a base, you can add any filling type to make your favorite version of pop-tarts. Follow these instructions to make your favorite flavor.

Strawberry Pop-Tarts - Place one tablespoon of strawberry jam or strawberry compote instead of brown sugar. If the strawberry jam is stiff, warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds to loosen it up. Make this pastry super fun by adding rainbow sprinkles to the glaze.

Chocolate Pop-Tarts -

Dough Ingredients and Instructions: Add 3 tablespoons of dark cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of plant-based milk to dry pastry ingredients and mix.

Filling Ingredients and Instructions: - 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cut of full-fat coconut cream, and ½ cup of dairy-free chocolate chips. Place the coconut cream, unsweetened cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until smooth and melted. Take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool.

Glaze Ingredients and Instructions: Add one tablespoon of chocolate cocoa powder to the glaze recipe and mix. Follow the recipe as written.

Expert Tips

Work Fast - The key to good pastry is keeping the fat (vegan butter) as cold as possible. The fat creates flaky layers. If the dough becomes too soft and pliable, place it in the refrigerator to firm it back up.

Weigh Ingredients - Bakers prefer to use metric measurements (weight) for precision. If baking with volume (cups) measurement, gently heap ingredients over the top of the cup. Then take a knife and scrape the top for level measurement. I recommend using this for flour, cinnamon, and confectioners' sugar.

VERY Lightly Flour Surfaces - Too much flour results in a tougher pastry. Most of the extra flour happens when surfaces are over the flour.

Make-Ahead and Storing

Make-Ahead and Refrigerate Instructions: Store in an airtight container for three days on the counter or in the refrigerator for six days. When you are ready, reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.

Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked pop-tarts without glaze (sorry, the glaze does not freeze well). Place in an airtight container and store for up to three months. To reheat, place them in the oven for 10 minutes. Please do not put them in a toaster.

Great British Show Bake

Season 7, Episode 5, Signature - Petit Fours

This bake is part of my challenge to bake through the Great British Baking Show.

Count: 15 down, 268 to go!

Vegan Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts