I don’t know if it was my obsession with Gilmore Girls or the fact that pop tarts were on the bad list growing up but my love of the sugary “breakfast” pastry goes way back. And let’s be real. Pop tarts are meant for all times of the day. But now I’m an adult who leads a paleo lifestyle and those tasty treats don’t quite love me as much I once loved them. So what’s a girl with google and an insatiable inner curoisity to do? Make my own paleo pop tarts of course!
I’m sure there are those out there who will take the time to make their paleo pop tarts look just like the real ones. However, I’m not that girl. Give me taste and a speedy dish over pinterest worthy any day. We’ve all seen the pinterest fail memes. We’ve also probably experienced it in our own kitchen. So if your pop tarts don’t look perfect, don’t fret. They will TASTE amazing.
I’ve given you all the steps for everything including the filling, the crust & the icing. But if you’re short on time, you can opt for a pre-made jam or jelly. And if you don’t have a paleo friendly powdered sugar, you can use the recipe here to turn any sugar into powdered sugar in under a minute. Handy right?
I will say I did try testing this with cassva flour and the pastry was WAY too chewy. Kind of like a rubber toy. The taste wasn’t awful but it was missing that pastry flake. However, I do think there’s a paleo biscuit recipe in our future. Maybe even a paleo chicken pot pie?
But for now, I’ll leave you to your drooling and baking. Be sure to tag me in your creations! Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
Strawberry Pop Tarts - Paleo
A healthy alternative to a childhood favorite! Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free.
Ingredients
Filling*
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder mixed with 2 tbsp of water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder + extra for rolling
- 1 dash salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or ghee solid or cold
- 4 tbsp ice cold water
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
Glaze
- 1 cup maple powdered sugar*
- 1 tbsp strawberry filling
- 1 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp beetroot powder*
Instructions
Filling
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In a 3 qt sauce pan, combine frozen strawberries, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla extract over medium heat.
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Cook for about 10 minutes using the back of a spoon/spatula to break up the strawberries into smaller chunks as they soften. Be sure to stir the mixture occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom.
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Stir in arrowroot powder that you dissolved in water. Lower the heat and continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes until the mixture thickens.
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Remove from heat and allow it to cool while you prep the dough.
Crust
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Pre-heat oven to 350 Ā°F
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Add the almond flour, coconut sugar, arrowroot powder and salt to a food processor. Pulse a few times to make sure the mixture is combined.
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Add coconut oil or ghee and pulse into a crumb like mixture is formed. Alternative you could do this by hand with a pastry cutter. Make sure the coconut oil/ghee is cold/solid otherwise the pastry won't properly form.
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Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time and mix into a soft dough forms. You don't want it too sticky. If you add too much water, add some extra arrowroot powder in.
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Prep a surface with arrowroot powder so you can transfer and roll out the pastry dough.
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Use your hands to roll out the dough to about 1/8" thick. Then cut into sections that a 3"x5".
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Transfer your pastry to a parchment lined baking sheet. Be careful with transferring the dough. It breaks easily.
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Add 1 tbsp of filling to the center of the dough and then top with another piece of pastry.
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Use your fingers to press together the edges.
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Brush the top of the dough with almond milk to help the pastry brown.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check in around the 15 minute mark. Bake until golden.
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Let the pastry cool while you make the glaze.
Glaze
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Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. If you're using cold filling, you might need to warm it up first or mix the ingredients together on the stove.
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Once combined, pour over your pastry. If you're patient enough, you can wait for it to set. Or if you're me, you can pour & eat. Either way, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you can't be fussed with making your own, your favorite jam/jelly would work well.
*Coconut would work as well here. You can make your own paleo powdered sugar in less than a minute. Find the
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*optional. This tends to help give it that extra red coloring.
