These homemade gluten free pop tarts are so much better than anything store-bought! They're flaky, with a sweet jam filling and topped with raspberry icing.
For more easy breakfast recipes, check out my gluten free waffles, my no yeast cinnamon rolls and my air fryer French toast.
When it comes to adjusting to the gluten free lifestyle, there are undoubtedly certain beloved and nostalgic treats that may feel out of reach. The good news is, though, I'm all about recreating those favorites but making them both gluten free and eggless!
Which is why I decided it was time to try my hand at homemade pop tarts from scratch. And I must say, these are actually SO much better than the store-bought kind. Because they're not cloyingly sweet, and they just taste... well, homemade, for one.
It may seem like making your own gluten free pop tarts would be a lot of work, but I promise I'm breaking it down and making it as simple as possible.
If you're a regular reader, you know by now that I strive to make gluten free and allergy friendly baking as approachable as I can. There's no need to overcomplicate things! So I'm going to talk you through all of the steps.
Are Pop Tarts Gluten Free?
You may have landed here because you were wondering if pop tarts are safe to eat. While it IS possible to find store-bought gluten free pop tarts, traditional pop tarts are definitely not gluten free and not safe for anyone with a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance. These are made with regular wheat flour.
Which is why I set out to develop this recipe! Again, I know there are gluten free options out there, but it's just more fun to do it this way in my opinion 🙂
Why You'll Love These Gluten Free Pop Tarts...
- If you're a fan of pop tarts, then you are in for a real treat. These are flaky, filled with that raspberry jam filling, then topped with sweet icing.
- We're taking a few shortcuts to make this even easier. That includes using my favorite pie crust mix (more on that below) and store-bought jam.
- Because these are not overly sweet, they actually work great as a breakfast option (unlike traditional pop tarts, ha).
What Do You Put In Pop Tarts?
I wanted to develop a raspberry pop tart recipe specifically, so that's what we're doing here! We're filling these guys with raspberry jam.
That's it! Really. Plain and simple. Just your favorite store-bought jam. It goes without saying, you can opt for any type of jam you'd like here -- it doesn't have to be raspberry!
What You'll Need...
- Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix - I love this stuff! It's so easy to use and, if you follow the directions, pretty foolproof.
- Unsalted butter, cold and cut up into cubes
- Ice cold water
- Raspberry jam or preserves - I like to get organic jam, which doesn't include corn syrup or any other funky ingredients.
- Powdered sugar
- Freeze dried raspberries - Freeze dried fruit is a great way to add flavor to icing or frosting without altering the consistency. Plus it gives the icing that pretty pink color! I think this is pretty easy to find in most major grocery stores. You can always leave out the freeze dried berries and just make plain icing with powdered sugar and milk, too.
- Milk
How To Make...
Make the pop tarts:
To make my gluten free pop tarts, we'll start with the dough. Pour the pie mix into a large bowl and add cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the mix.
You'll end up with a mixture that looks like coarse sand. Some chunks of butter throughout is OK. Stir in ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough starts to come together when pressed. You don't want the dough to be dry, but you also don't want it to be too wet.
Divide the dough in half. Use your hands to flatten each half into a round disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Once the dough has chilled, you'll want to roll each out disc out into a 9x12 inch rectangle. Slice smaller rectangles - you should get three 3x4 inch rectangles from each half.
Arrange half the rectangle onto a lined baking sheet. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of jam on top, then place a second rectangle on top of that. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Bake on 350ºF for 27-30 minutes.
Make the pop tart icing:
While the pop tarts are baking, make the pop tart icing. All you have to do is combine the powdered sugar and freeze dried raspberries in a small bowl. Add two tablespoons of whole milk and stir. Then drizzle or spread on top of your cooled pop tarts!
Tips For Making The Best Gluten Free Pop Tarts...
Like pie dough, you want to work with cold ingredients here -- cold butter and cold water. For this reason, you really should also work with one disc at a time. That means, while you roll out your first disc of chilled dough, you should leave the second disc in the refrigerator.
If the dough gets too warm or starts to fall apart on you while rolling and cutting, just pop it back into the fridge for another 15 minutes.
If the dough is too dry and crumbly even after chilling, sprinkle some ice cold water on top and work it in with your hands before rolling.
I like to use a food processor to grind up the freeze dried raspberries, but you can also throw them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
Ingredient Substitutions...
To make these pop tarts vegan, you'll just need to use non-dairy butter. You'll also need to use non-dairy milk in the icing.
If you don't want to use freeze dried berries, feel free to omit them! Your icing will still be delicious, just not raspberry-flavored. You can use a tiny bit of gel food coloring to add that pink color.
Did you try my gluten free pop tarts? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog! And don't forget to subscribe to get new recipes right in your inbox.
Just As Tasty: Gluten-Free & Eggless Baking Through the Seasons
Be sure to check out my cookbook for tons of festive and easy-to-make gluten-free treats! From Valentine's Day and Easter to the holiday season and every celebration in between, this book has got you covered.
For More Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes, Check Out My...
Gluten Free Pop Tarts - Eggless
Ingredients
- 1 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Mix
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- 8 tablespoons ice cold water
- ¼ cup (85g) raspberry jam
For the icing:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freeze dried raspberries crushed to powder
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Empty the pie crust mix into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the mix until coarse and crumbly. Add ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and stir until the dough comes together.
- Split the dough in half and form each half into a round disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, working with one disc at a time, roll the dough out to a 9x12 inch rectangle. If the dough is crumbly, sprinkle ice cold water onto the surface and work it into the dough until it comes together.
- Use a knife to cut out 3x4 inch rectangles of dough. Gather the scraps of dough and re-roll as necessary. Arrange half of the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Scoop 1-2 teaspoons of jam onto the centers of each one.
- The remaining rectangles will be the tops of the pop tarts. Arrange on top of each and use a fork to crimp the edges. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Allow the pop tarts to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- To make the icing, stir the powdered sugar with the ground freeze dried raspberries in a small bowl. Add the milk and stir to combine. Drizzle or spread onto cooled pop tarts.
Notes
- While rolling out the first disc of dough, keep the second in the refrigerator. It's important for the dough to be cold.
- If the dough becomes too difficult to work with and starts to fall apart as you are rolling and cutting, refrigerate for 15 minutes. The warmer the dough gets, the harder it is to use.
- I like to use a food processor to grind the freeze dried raspberries, but you can also pour into a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to roughly crush.
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