If you’ve missed Pop-Tarts since going gluten-free, you’re not alone. Pop tarts with buttery pastry and a gooey jam filling and a crisp finish. This homemade gluten-free pop tart recipe brings that back. I share how to make them with two types of dough. You can use the flaky pie dough recipe or for even more flaky layers, go with my gluten-free rough puff pastry dough.
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I am excited to share this recipe because it teaches you to make gluten-free pop tarts from scratch, two ways. Fill these gluten-free pop tarts with your favorite fillings. Do you love Nutella? Use that.
Make these pop tarts the original way with my popular gluten-free pie crust recipe, or or an even flakier pastry, make this recipe with my gluten-free rough puff pastry dough! You won’t believe all of the flaky layers!
I have tons of delicious gluten-free dessert recipes on the blog. Let me know which ones you try.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Glute-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Cup4Cup and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. Other blends will work, but each varies, so you may need to tweak the moisture level. Read more about why gluten-free flour blends vary to learn more.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon. Read why binders are important in gluten-free baking to learn more.Read why binders are important in gluten-free baking to learn more.
- Butter – Cold butter is the key to creating those flaky layers! I recommend using unsalted butter. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter with vegan butter.
- Eggs – Use large eggs. Eggs bind the dough and add richness.
- Filling – Fill them with jam, Nutella, brown sugar and cinnamon, or something savory. Use what you like!
- Sprinkles – Not all sprinkles are gluten-free; make sure to use gluten-free sprinkles. (This link has a good list for you to use.)
Check out my Gluten-Free Flaky Pastries!
A Note From My Kitchen
I created this recipe in 2021 after my kids were disappointed by store-bought gluten-free pop tarts. They wanted those buttery, flaky layers-and so did I. I started with my gluten-free pie crust recipe and tested it with different flour blends. Cup4Cup produced the flakiest layers, but King Arthur Measure for Measure also worked very well. If your dough feels too dry, add a splash of cold water; if it’s sticky, dust with more flour. These adjustments are normal in gluten-free baking, and I promise the results are worth it!
How to Make Gluten-Free Pop Tarts (Step-By-Step)
These directions walk you through making my pop tart recipe the original way. To use my rough puff pastry dough, make the dough and start at Step 9.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix them together with a wire whisk.
Step 2: Dump in the cold butter chunks. (You want your butter cold!) Again, use vegan butter if you are dairy-free. The colder the butter, the better! They create steam pockets while the pop tarts bake, making the flaky layers you love.
Step 3: Use a pastry blender (also called a pastry cutter) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The final mixture will look crumbly.
👀 Sandi Says: If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can freeze the butter and use a cheese grater to grate the butter into the flour mixture.
Step 4: In a small bowl, whisk your wet ingredients together.
Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 6: Mix the ingredients the best you can. You don’t want the dough to be too wet so that it will take some effort.
Step 7: I prefer to mix the final track by hand. It helps to get the bits of dough into one ball.
Step 8: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Getting it cold will help you get those flaky layers!
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Step 9: Lay a piece of wax paper or a silicone mat on the counter and place the dough ball on top. Sprinkle a little flour on the wax paper to prevent sticking.
Step 10: Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a pizza wheel or a sharp knife to cut the uneven edges off. Cut into evenly sized rectangles.
Step 11: Place jam or filling in the middle of a square. Use the back of a spoon to spread the dough evenly, but leave a generous amount around the edges. This is important so you can seal the edges together.
Step 12: Place a square the same size over the jam.
Step 13: Press the edges down around the square using a fork. Gently move each pop tart to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pop tart with milk or egg wash. Sealing the edges helps prevent the jam from leaking out.
Step 16: Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until the outside is golden. Your actual bake time will vary depending on the size of your pop tarts, so start checking at 18 minutes for the golden color.
Remove them to a cooling rack so they can cool. The inside filling will be very hot, so you need to cool it before eating or decorating.
Step 17: Mix the powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and milk to make your icing. Drizzle it over the top of each pastry and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. These are kid-approved gluten-free toaster pastries. Even better, have your kids help make them!
Delicious Filling Ideas:
- Fill them with Nutella and seedless raspberry jam.
- Fill them with brown sugar cinnamon (1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 TBSP gluten-free flour).
- Make them savory by adding some of my chicken pot pie filling!
Storage and Freezing Tips:
- Store leftover pop tarts in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the cooled, room-temperature pop tarts in a freezer-safe container or a zipper bag. To thaw, you can either let them thaw on the counter or microwave them for 25 seconds.
- To reheat: Pop them in a toaster oven at 300ºF for 5-6 minutes to re-crisp the pastry. Avoid microwaving if you want to keep the flaky layers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Unfortunately, Pop-Tarts are not gluten-free unless the package you buy specifically states that it is gluten-free. This is why I developed this gluten-free pop tart recipe.
I have found two tips to help keep your pastry flaky: Use very cold butter and Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. Again, most gluten-free blends should work, but of the ones I tested, Cup4Cup was the flakiest.
Yes, you can make these sugar-free by omitting the sugar in the dough, using a sugar-free jam, and skipping the icing!
You can easily make vegan pop tarts by using an egg substitute or egg replacer.
More Gluten-Free Pastry Recipes:
I’m thrilled to bring pastries back into your life. If you are excited to bake gluten-free pastries, here are some of my favorite recipes:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this recipe? Drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
The Best Gluten-Free Pop Tarts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cold!
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup water cold
For Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons water depending on how runny you want your icing.
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Instructions
- Add 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1 tablespoon cane sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend them all together. This helps make sure the dry ingredients are well mixed.
- Dump 8 tablespoons unsalted butter chunks. (You want your butter cold!) Again, use vegan butter if you are dairy-free.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. When finished, you want the flour to resemble crumbles. If you do not have a pastry blender, freeze the butter and use a large box grater to shred the butter into the dry ingredients.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/3 cup water together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Mix the ingredients as well as you can. You don't want the dough to be too wet, so it will take a bit of effort. Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. My rule of thumb is that if your batter or dough is too runny, add more flour; if it is too thick, add more liquid.
- I like to do the final mix by hand. It helps to really get the bits of dough all into one ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Getting it cold will help you get those flaky layers!
- Preheat the oven to 350º F
- Place a silicone mat on the counter and place the dough ball on top. Optional: sprinkle a little flour on the mat to prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut the uneven edges off. Cut into evenly sized squares or rectangles.
- Place jam or filling in the middle of a square. Spread it around but leave a good amount of dough around the edges. This is important so you can seal the edges together.
- Place a square the same size over the jam. Use a fork to press the edges down all around the square.
- Gently move each pop tart to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Optional: Brush each pop tart with egg wash or milk to allow it to get golden.
- Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes until the outside is golden. Your actual bake time will vary depending on the size of your pop tarts so start checking at 18 minutes for the golden color.
- Mix 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2-3 tablespoons water to make your icing. Drizzle it over the top and decorate with sprinkles if you like.
Video
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Cup4Cup and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. Other blends will work, but you may need to tweak the moisture as described above.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- To make this recipe sugar-free, omit the sugar in the dough and use sugar-free jam.
- The pop tarts will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze the pop tarts in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post has been updated from an older July 2021 version with more detailed directions.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Thank you for sharing this recipe and the ingredient list for making brown sugar cinnamon filling. I brushed the tops with melted butter and sprinkled them with leftover filling. Yum! The dough came together nicely, and it was easy to work with. Can’t wait to make again with fruit filling and icing! Thanks again!
I am so glad you loved the recipe, Debbie. Thank you!
I made these this afternoon and I’m really pleased with the results! I used Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves for the filling and made a lemon glaze for the top. I also grated some lemon rind into the crust mixture.
I will have to look for those cherry preserves, it sounds delicious. I am really glad you loved the recipe!
I have a lemon allergy. Can the lemon juice be omitted or is there a good substitute for this ingredient?
Hi, You can omit the lemon juice :-).
We just gave this our first try, and it is a success. Probably could have done with a bit more water for rolling out, but they came out flaky and delicious. We are already sharing ideas for future fillings….
I am so glad you loved these. I just posted a version with leftover cranberry sauce that are also amazing.
I used Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free flour and it worked awesome! What a great recipe with such good flavor and texture. Thanks for another winner!
You are so welcome Lisa. I am glad the Bob’s worked well for you :-).
I used the KA flour and these turned out amazing – dare I say better than the original!
I love the KA gluten free flour too!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Having been diagnosed with a sever wheat allergy over 20 years ago, I’ve missed having breakfast treats like this.
As a note on GF flours, I had better luck using King Arthur GF BAKING MIX for a flour substitute than I did with their actual GF flour blend. That being said, I generally use Bob’s 1 for 1 since it’s less expensive, more easily found, and works great!
I have just started to experiment with the baking mix (and adding xanthan gum to it.) I am glad it is working well for you. I like to use Bob’s 1 to 1 as well, though lately I am experimenting with Cup4Cup and Better Batter more for baked recipes that need rise time. Have a great weekend!
Do these freeze well by chance? I have a 10 yr old who also has a dye allergy so he’s never had the opportunity to have a pop tart I would love to be able to make a large batch and freeze.
Hi Sarah, They freeze really well! This is what we do then we reheat them in the toaster oven.