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I've always wanted to try a Pop Tart and now I've perfected my gluten free Pop Tarts recipe I see what I've been missing out on!
A sweet gluten free pastry parcel filled with strawberry jam and topped with icing and sprinkles, these might just be my new favourite snack.
Gluten free Pop Tarts are actually super easy to make and with the help of my failsafe gluten free pastry recipe, you're going to love them!
What are gluten free Pop Tarts?
A gluten free Pop Tart is actually really simple and they make a fantastic snack.
I guess it's kind of like a different variation of a jam tart crossed with a sweet pasty!?
You cut two rectangles of gluten free shortcrust pastry, fill them with jam and stick them together.
Once baked and beautifully golden, you can then decorate them with icing and sprinkles.
This creates a classic gluten free pop tart look and they're just delicious.
You can eat them while the jam is still slightly warm or have them cold; they're great in lunchboxes.
A great bake for gluten free kids
If you're after a fun baking activity with kits, this gluten free pop tarts recipe is perfect.
For starters, you need to get your hands in the bowl to make the pastry, which is always great fun.
Rolling the pastry is a great activity for kids to help with and they'll love putting the pop tarts together soon.
Of course, the decorating is also a perfect time to get creative.
This is a super child-friendly bake as kids can get involved in every stage and they'll also love taste-testing the finished pop tarts too.
If you wanted to, you could add different colours to your icing to create swirls and beautiful marble patterns.
You can also mix up your sprinkles, just make sure you double check the ones you use are gluten free as some contain wheat.
How to make gluten free pastry
Making gluten free pastry is not difficult, once you have the right recipe that is!
I am using my failsafe gluten free shortcrust pastry recipe in this gluten free pop tarts recipe and it works an absolute charm.
I’ve written a full, illustrated step-by-step guide to making gluten free pastry here, but I shall summarise it for you now.
Firstly, to make the gluten free pastry, you’ll need:
- 170g plain gluten free flour (I always use FREEE by Doves Farm plain gluten free flour)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 110 g unsalted butter, (cubed)
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp water
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar (for sweet pastry)
The process of making my gluten free pastry is simple – and there are no funky ingredients which you can’t pick up in the supermarket.
A few tips to get your perfect gluten free pastry
Firstly, do not skip the xanthan gum. This replicates the stretchiness of gluten and without it, you’ll find the pastry will be hard to handle and very crumbly.
Yes, the FREEE flour I use already has xanthan gum in but trust me, you’ll want the extra in this recipe.
I’d recommend using either the FREEE gluten free flour, or a similar blend, such as the supermarket own ones.
These tend to be a mixture of rice, maize and potato flour. If you try use a single flour, like coconut or almond flour, it will be completely different.
I’d also say definitely don’t skip the chilling on this recipe.
You want to use cold butter in the mixture, and you’ll find even this starts to soften as you rub it together with your fingers.
That’s why it’s important to chill your gluten free pastry before you roll it out.
If you don’t chill it, you’ll end up with a super sticky mess that even clingfilm can’t save!
How to make gluten free pop tarts
Once you've nailed the pastry and it has chilled in the fridge, it's time to construct your pop tarts.
First you want to roll the gluten free pastry out to around 3-4mm thick.
I use this awesome rolling pin I got for Christmas and it's been a game-changer as you can add/take off the discs so all your pastry is an even thickness.
I do recommend rolling your chilled pastry between sheets of clingfilm if you find it sticks, but usually a well-floured work surface and rolling pin is enough.
Once the pastry is at the desired thickness, use a ruler or straight edge to cut rectangles approximately 7cm by 10cm (3x4inches).
I found the recipe below makes around four pop tarts which great as they are much better eaten fresh, so I bake them in smaller batches.
Once you have your rectangles, spread around 1 tbsp of jam in the centre of half of the rectangles, leaving at least half an inch around the edges, like this:
Use a beaten egg to brush the edges of the pastry around the jam - this is important as it will help seal the pop tarts and ensure the jam doesn't leak out!
Prick the other rectangles with a fork. This will allow any steam to escape as they bake and again, stop your pop tarts exploding in the oven.
Lay the pricked-pastry rectangles on top of the jammy ones and seal the edges with your fingers. Then use a fork to press the edges down together, before egg-washing all over.
Once baked, your pop tarts should look golden and brown, and hopefully you won't have had any jammy explosions - though don't worry too much if you do!
You'll want to leave the pop tarts to cool completely before you decorate them, otherwise the icing won't set and will just melt off them.
I use a thick icing paste to cover the top, and then gluten free sprinkles to finish - it's that simple.
These are definitely best eaten on the day of baking. They can be kept for a few days but you might find the pastry isn't as crisp.
This is why I only bake them in small batches, so they can be enjoyed while still fresh.
My gluten free pop tarts recipe
Get your oven mitts ready because it's time to make my gluten free pop tarts recipe!
All you need in the ingredients for your gluten free pastry, jam for the centre and some icing and sprinkles to decorate.
You can make your own strawberry jam for the centre but if you're feeling lazy a standard supermarket jam will suffice.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
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Gluten Free Pop Tarts
This easy gluten free Pop Tarts recipe is a simple and sweet shortcrust gluten free pastry filled with jam and topped with icing. This recipe serves 4 - prep time does not include chilling time for pastry.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 170 g plain gluten free flour (I always use FREEE by Doves Farm plain gluten free flour)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 egg (beaten, for brushing)
- 110 g unsalted butter, (cubed)
- 1 medium eggs
- 1 tsp cold water
For the filling:
- 4 tbsp strawberry jam
- 100g icing sugar
- 3-4 tsp cold water
- Gluten free sprinkles
Instructions
- Add the flour, xanthan gum, salt and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir together.
- Cut the COLD butter into cubes and then add to the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl or mug and add the cold water. Whisk together until just combined. Then add to the mix and use a fork to start to ‘mush’ the mixture together. You’ll see it start to form a sticky dough.
- Once it becomes harder to use the fork to mix, use your hands to bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. You should be able to pick this up easily without it being too sticky.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This is a really important stage – you need the dough to chill a bit so it is easier to roll!
- Once you're ready to roll the dough, preheat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Roll the dough (either on a well-floured worktop or between two sheets of clingfilm) to around 3-4mm thick. Then use a ruler or straight edge to cut our four rectangles, measuring approximately 7cm by 10cm (3x4inches) each.
- Lay half of the rectangles out on the baking tray. Spread around 1 tbsp of jam in the centre of half of each one, leaving at least half an inch around the edges.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg around the jam – this is important as it will help seal the pop tarts and ensure the jam doesn’t leak out!
- Prick the other rectangles with a fork. This will allow any steam to escape as they bake and again, stop your pop tarts exploding in the oven. Lay the pricked-pastry rectangles on top of the jammy ones and seal the edges with your fingers. Then use a fork to press the edges down together, before egg-washing all over.
- Bake the pop tarts in the oven for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- Mix the icing sugar and water to form a thick paste. Smooth the icing onto the cooled pop tarts and then decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
- These pop tarts are best eaten fresh but can be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 1gSugar: 38gProtein: 8g
More gluten free pastry recipes...
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Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free sweet recipes a try!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple of autumnal baking ideas to get you going:
- Cherry and ginger oaty crumble bars
- Apple and blackberry crumble
- Plum and amaretto crumble
- Apple and salted caramel loaf cake
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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Like this Gluten Pop Tarts recipe?
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Can these be baked and then frozen?