These brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts are not just gluten-free; they're downright irresistible! So, gather your ingredients and prepare to elevate your breakfast game to new heights. Trust us, this recipe is truly fantastic, and you won't want to miss out!
As a child, one of my cherished flavors was brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. When we couldn't find a gluten-free version that tasted like a pop tart for my youngest daughter, we decided to come up with a recipe!
I'm confident you'll find these gluten-free pop tarts even more delightful than their store-bought counterparts.
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Homemade Pop Tart Ingredients
The ingredients for these gluten-free pop tarts are pretty straightforward. Unlike store-bought brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts, which are loaded with unnecessary ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients.
Our homemade gluten-free version boasts less than 15 ingredients and none of them contain gluten or any artificial additives.
- Powder Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk
- Coconut Oil
- Light Brown Sugar
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour
- Xanthan Gum (If your flour doesn't have it included)
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Unsalted Butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
Prepare Pop Tart Dough
First step is to start off with making your dough:
STEP 1: Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
STEP 2: Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. In a small bowl, add the
melted butter, vanilla extract, large egg, and ¼ cup milk and whisk to combine.
STEP 3: Mix dough ingredients. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add your wet ingredients.
STEP 4: Knead the dough. Knead the dough with your hands until it’s smooth, you can add more milk by the half-teaspoonful as necessary to bring the dough together.
Dough Making Tip:
When you first make the pop tart dough, it might not hold together well and feel a bit crumbly. This can happen because we're using gluten-free flour, which doesn't act the same as regular flour!
Another tip would be try not to over work your dough to much! Gluten-free dough can get tough if kneaded to much!
STEP 5: Divide up the pop tart dough. Divide the dough into two equal parts and work with one at a time. Take the other half of the dough and place it in ziplock bag so it doesn't dry out in the meantime.
STEP 6: Roll out the dough. Place the first piece of dough on a lightly floured surface and dust the dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking. Roll out the dough to about an ⅛ inch thick.
STEP 7: Cut rectangles in the dough. Slice it into rectangles approximately 3-inches x 4-inches. Gather and reroll any scraps that you might have, and repeat with the other half of the dough. There should be at least 16 rectangles in total.
Filling The Gluten Free Pop Tarts
Now to make the pop tart filling, which in my opinion is the yummiest part!
STEP 1: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and combine them well. I found it easier to melt my coconut oil first then add it to all the dry ingredients. You want the end result to resemble wet sand!
STEP 2: Add filling to pop tarts. Spread filling out on half of the rectangles (8 rectangles) while trying to keep the filling about ½ inch away from the edges. This doesn't have to be perfect, the filling will spread out during baking.
STEP 3: Add the top dough layer. Place another rectangle over top of the filling and use a fork to crimp the edges.
STEP 4: Bake your pop tarts. Bake your pop tarts at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Make sure the pop tarts are spaced about 1 inch apart from each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You want the gluten-free pop tarts to have a golden brown crisp edge when done!
Before you frost your pop tarts make sure the pop tarts are completely cooled! Cool them on a cooling rack. If they aren't cool when frosting, the frosting will run all over and not dry well.
Frosting The Gluten Free Pop Tarts
Now, for the exciting part! Here are instructions for frosting the pop tarts:
STEP 1: Mix frosting ingredients. In a small bowl mix powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk till creamy and smooth. You want it to be thin but not runny. If it's not the correct consistency just add a tiny bit more milk.
STEP 2: Frosting your pop tarts! Take your spoon to drizzle the frosting over the top of your pop tarts, and then take the back of the spoon to smooth it all out.
Frosting Tip:
Make sure to always add the frosting when pop tarts are completely cooled down. To add a fun twist to your pop tarts add some Rainbow Softies Natural Sprinkles by Supernatural!
Expert Baking Tips
- Brush The Pop Tarts With Milk - Before baking, brush the tops of the gluten-free pop tarts with milk to encourage them to brown while baking and also seal any tears or cracks that might've happened while assembling them.
- Properly Measure Flour - This is so important to not over measure your gluten-free flour. You want to either weight it with a scale or use your spoon to level the top of the flour in the measuring cup.
- Don't Overmix The Pastry Dough - Like I said up above do not overwork your pastry dough! This can make your dough rubbery.
Pop Tart Substitutions
This recipe can actually be made a lot of ways! Here are some ingredient substitutions:
- Gluten-Free Flour - You could use whatever flour you like whether that is another brand of gluten-free flour or if you NOT gluten-free you can use regular flour.
- Whole Milk - Any milk works well in this recipe. I prefer using whole milk, but oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk is just fine.
- Cinnamon - The cinnamon filling and cinnamon frosting are what makes these pop tarts so tasty! Try adding nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice for even more flavor!
Storage And Freezing
Your finished pop tarts can be stored in a glass container on your countertop for about 3-5 days. I always suggest using glass containers when you can when storing food.
For longer storage, try piling the prepared pastries in a freezer-safe container for 3 months or so. We personally eat them so fast that they never make it to the freezer but we do have plans to prep a larger batch once a month and freeze them to eat throughout.
When piling them for storage I suggest waiting till they are completely cured and dried. If not the icing will stick to the parchment paper and smear.
Consider heating them in the microwave for a few seconds to enjoy a warm pop tart for breakfast or desert!
Recipe
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Gluten-Free Pop Tart Recipe
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking Sheet
- Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Pop Tart Dough
- ¼ cup (315 g) gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (We used King Arthur)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) xanthan gum (if your blend doesn't have this included (King Arthur Doesn't)
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons 112 g unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk plus more by the half-teaspoonful as needed
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
Cinnamon Frosting
- 1 cup (115 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Making The Pop Tart Dough
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. In a small bowl, add the melted butter, vanilla extract, large egg, and ¼ cup milk and whisk to combine.
- Mix dough ingredients together. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add your wet ingredients.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it’s smooth, you can add more milk by the half-teaspoonful if needed to bring the dough together.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and work with one at a time. Take the other half of the dough and place it in ziplock bag so it doesn't dry out in the meantime.
- Place the first piece of dough on a lightly floured surface and dust the dough lightly with flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter. Roll out the dough to about an ⅛ inch thick.
- Slice the dough into rectangles approximately 3-inches by 4-inches. Gather and reroll any scraps that you might have, and repeat with the other half of the dough. There should be at least 16 rectangles in total.
Filling The Pop Tarts
- Place all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and combine them well. I found it easier to melt my coconut oil first then add it to all the dry ingredients. You want the end result to resemble wet sand!
- Spread filling out on half of the rectangles (8 rectangles) while trying to keep the filling about ½ inch away from the edges. This doesn't have to be perfect, the filling will spread out during baking.
- Place another rectangle over top of the filling and use a fork to crimp the edges. Lightly brush milk over top the pop tarts before baking.
- Bake your pop tarts at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Make sure the pop tarts are spaced about 1 inch apart from each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You want the gluten-free pop tarts to have a golden brown crisp edge when done!
- Allow them to cool completely before icing them.
Frosting the Pop Tarts
- In a small bowl mix powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk till creamy and smooth. You want it to be thin but not runny. If it's not the correct consistency just a tiny bit more milk.
- Take your spoon to drizzle the frosting over the top of your pop tarts, and then take the back of the spoon to smooth it all out. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store the pop tarts in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days.
- To freeze the pop tarts, place them in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Consider heating them in the microwave for a few seconds to enjoy a warm pop tart for breakfast or desert!
- Try not to over work your dough to much! Gluten-free dough can get tough if kneaded to much!
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