How to Make Vegan Pop-Tarts
Make vegan pop tarts at home following my detailed step-by-step instructions. The result is a rich flaky pastry and the filling of your choice topped with a sugary glaze.
Crafting homemade pop tarts or breakfast pastries is easier than you might realize. It requires a bit of pastry work, but the skill level needed is perfect for any baker.
Don’t worry about making them perfect; their imperfect shapes add to their unique character! No matter how imperfect the shape is, with one bite, you will immediately notice the difference. Homemade pastry has a rich flavor and a flaky texture that cannot be sold in a box!
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
Filling and Pastry Ingredients
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is the star flavor of this recipe. It creates a rich, caramel-like sweetness and adds depth of flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the foundation for the pastry dough. Its gluten content helps create the desired flaky texture while providing structure and stability to the pop-tart.
- Ground Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is a warm spice-enhancing brown sugar filling.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds a natural sweetness and a hint of maple flavor to the filling, balancing the flavors and adding warmth.
- Salt: Salt is a crucial ingredient in the pastry dough and the filling. It enhances the overall flavor profile, intensifies the sweetness, and helps to balance the taste by offsetting excessive sweetness.
- Vegan Butter: Vegan butter contributes the essential fat component to the pastry dough, ensuring its flakiness. It adds richness and moisture to the dough, creating a tender and indulgent texture.
Glaze Ingredients (optional)
- Confectioners Sugar: Confectioners sugar, also known as powdered sugar, forms the base of the glaze. It provides the sweetness and smooth consistency that drapes over the pop-tarts, creating a hard topping.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Non-dairy milk serves as the liquid component in the glaze, helping achieve the desired thickness and creaminess without dairy products.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon in the glaze echoes the warm flavor of the filling. It infuses the glaze with a hint of spiciness that complements the pop-tart’s overall flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract contributes to the glaze by enhancing its flavor.
Additional Pop Tart Flavors
Using pastry as your foundation, combine the ingredients below to create your preferred filling to create a personalized Pop-Tart.
| Type | Ingredients and Measurements |
|---|---|
| Apple Cinnamon | – Apples: 2 cups, peeled and diced – Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon – Brown sugar: 1/4 cup – Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon – Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon |
| Chocolate | – Vegan chocolate chips: 1 cup – Vegan chocolate spread: 1/4 cup – Almond butter: 2 tablespoons – Vanilla extract: 1/2 teaspoon |
| Raspberry | – Raspberries: 2 cups, fresh or frozen – Sugar: 1/4 cup – Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon |
| Strawberry | – Strawberries: 2 cups, fresh or frozen – Sugar: 1/4 cup – Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon |
Expert Tips
- Work Swiftly. Maintaining vegan butter at the coldest possible temperature is the key to achieving excellent pastry. This chilled fat is responsible for creating those delicate, flaky layers. If the dough softens, immediately place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- Precise Measurements – Bakers often prefer using metric measurements (weight) for accuracy. If using volume measurements (cups), gently mound the ingredients within the cup, then use a knife to level off the excess. This method is especially recommended for flour, cinnamon, and confectioners’ sugar.
- Use Flour Sparingly – Too much flour results in a tougher pastry. To avoid this, always use flour sparingly.
Make-Ahead and Storing
Make-Ahead and Refrigerate Instructions: Store in an airtight container on the counter for three days or in the refrigerator for six days. When ready, reheat in the oven for five 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.
Vegan Pop-Tarts
Make vegan pop tarts at home following my detailed step-by-step instructions. The result is a rich flaky pastry and the filling of your choice topped all topped with a sugary glaze. How is that for a perfect unprocessed breakfast treat?
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Servings: 8 Pop-Tarts
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Equipment
- Knife or pastry cutter
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- ¾ cup brown sugar (165g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8g)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (8g)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup (40g)
Pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
- 10 tablespoons vegan butter, cold and cubed (151g)
- 2 – 4 tablespoons ice-cold water (89ml)
Glaze (optional)
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar (90g)
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk (15g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (1g)
Instructions
- Prepare the Brown Sugar FillingCombine all the filling ingredients in a small bowl, then set the bowl aside.
- Prepare the Pastry Dough1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.2. Add cold unsalted vegan butter and shortening to the bowl.3. Use your fingertips to blend the ingredients until the dough resembles different-sized bread crumbs, with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.4. Gradually drizzle ice-cold water over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time.5. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together. Continue adding ice water in tablespoon increments until the dough forms a ball without being sticky.5. If the dough becomes too wet, mix in 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Shape the Dough1. Place the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangular form. Alternatively, divide the dough into two or three sections to work with each section individually2. .Roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.3. Cut the dough into an even number of 4 x 3-inch rectangles.4. Transfer half of the rectangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Assemble1. Spoon one tablespoon of the brown sugar cinnamon filling into the center of each dough rectangle on the baking sheet.2. Dampen the edges of the dough rectangles with a little water.3. Place another dough rectangle on top and press down gently to seal.4. Use a fork to crimp and seal the rectangle's edges.5. Make a few small holes in the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape.
- Chill and Bake1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).2. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap.3. Chill the pastries in the refrigerator for one hour or in the freezer for 20 minutes.4. Brush the pastries with a plant-based milk.5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the pastry is slightly soft. Avoid overcooking, as it can cause the cinnamon filling to caramelize excessively.
- Prepare the Glaze (Optional)1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the glaze ingredients until you achieve a spreadable consistency. If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of non-dairy milk.2. Use a knife to spread the glaze over each pop-tart.3. The pop-tarts can be enjoyed immediately, or if you prefer a firmer glaze, let them sit uncovered on the counter for 1 to 2 hours.
Notes
If you want to use a different filling, jump to Additional Pop Tart Fillings in the blog post for the recipe.
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 them in the oven for 5 minutes.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze 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. Do not put them in a toaster.
- The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products used in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg
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these were an absolute hit! will be making these again and again. thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! I am really happy you liked them.
My boys love pop tarts and I am in love with this recipe. They work so well and it makes them very happy. I am going to try experimenting with different kind of fillings.
So glad your boys liked them! Let me know how the other flavors turn out.