Who are we kidding? Gluten Free Toaster Pastries? Who even says that? It’s like saying “facial tissues” or “adhesive bandages” when we all know we’re talking about “Kleenex” and “Band-Aids.” So, I say, cut the pretense and call these the real deal, because this recipe makes gluten free poptarts!
Pop Tarts are one of those childhood pleasures that we never give up as we age. Offer any grown-up one, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one who would turn you down.
Go gluten free, and you start craving all those kinds of things that were so taken for granted before, no matter what your age or status in life.
I love taking those gluten-filled favorites and converting them to gluten free. Every time, I feel like I’ve scored a victory in some undefined playbook of gluten v. the good guys/girls! So score one for the good team with this gluten free poptart recipe and do your whole family a favor by making these treats this weekend.
Don’t be afraid that gluten free poptarts are complicated or difficult to make, either. They most certainly are NOT! In fact, I’ve made this dough in advance, refrigerated half, and days later come back to make more poptarts another day. It’s super fun, super easy, and of course, super yummy.
And now that there are no Glutino gluten free poptarts being made anymore, there’s all the more reason to make your own (homemade has always been better anyway!).
No toaster necessary, but of course, feel free to use one, especially if you make a double batch and freeze some for hurried mornings down the road. You’ll be so glad to have these at the ready!
I’ve used both apple butter (or pumpkin butter) and gluten free (purity protocol) oatmeal in this poptart dough to hold it together deliciously without eggs, so these are both gluten free and vegan, plus they help pack some extra flavor and nutrition into this yummy, flaky pastry.
Score another for the good team! I’d like to see a gluten-filled “toaster pastry” do that!
Avoid runny jams or anything too thin as it will just seep out the sides when baking. It will still taste yummy, but it won’t be as neat and pretty to look at. Also, the leaked jam may burn in your toaster when you re-heat them. Again, not a deal breaker, but not ideal either.
So choose apple butter (I have a homemade recipe for that!) or a thick preserves for these special treats, but that’s a pretty broad category of choices!
So many flavors of jams, chutneys, apple/pumpkin butters … whatever will you pick? Not to mention icing!
To ice or not to ice, that is the question! Or is sprinkles or no sprinkles the question???
And here’s another fun homemade poptart idea: use cookie cutters and make festive shapes with your poptarts for holidays or just for fun!
The cookie cutters make it even easier to make two sides of your gluten free poptart the exact same size.
There’s no right and wrong in making homemade poptarts, only that you have two of the same, right?!
Just cut out your shapes, plop some of your fruit filling in the middle leaving a nice edge around the outside to seal together with a wet finger, then press together and go around the outside with a fork for that classic poptart edging.
Once baked and cooled, these gluten free poptarts are just as fun to decorate as homemade gluten free sugar cookies are!
They sure look cute and festive, but don’t forget how delicious they are. This dough makes light and flaky pastry that shouldn’t be overlooked for its sophistication in its own right.
Layers of tender pastry and hallmark flakiness, no grit … you know, all the things gfJules pastry doughs are known for.
So don’t skimp on the gluten free flour you’re using if you want to achieve gluten free poptart nirvana.
From my PopTart loving family to yours!
Gluten Free Toaster Pastries (Pop Tarts) Recipe
Homemade gluten free poptarts are a treat that you should definitely not have to go without! Adult or kid, everyone loves a pop tart (or gluten free toaster pastry, whatever you call them!).
Ingredients
Poptart Dough
- 1/8 cup certified gluten free instant oatmeal (purity protocol Gluten Free Oats) OR quinoa flakes, ground flax, rice bran or chia seeds* (see notes below)
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 2 ½ cups gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup cold vegan butter (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks) or butter (2 sticks)
- 2 Tbs. apple butter OR pumpkin butter OR applesauce OR mashed banana
- 1 Tbs. cold water
Filling
- 16 ounces apple butter OR pumpkin butter OR other thick jam
Poptart Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp.+ milk of choice
Instructions
Stir to combine gluten-free oats with boiling water and set aside to thicken.
Using a large food processor or stand mixer, pulse or whisk the next 4 ingredients (gfJules Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder) until blended. Cut the cold vegan butter into small chunks and pulse briefly until the mixture looks pebbly or starts to come together.
Measure out ¼ cup of cooked oatmeal and add, together with apple butter and cold water, to the flour-butter mixture, either by pulsing in the food processor or mixing with a stand mixer. Process or mix just until the ingredients are fully integrated and the dough is holding together. (If there is any extra oatmeal, save it for eating later!)
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until cold and not as sticky.
Once dough is chilled, prepare a pastry mat or clean countertop by dusting liberally with gfJules Flour. Roll the dough to a thickness no more than 1/8 inch. Cut rectangles using a 3×4½ inch cutter or using a butter knife to cut evenly-sized rectangles (size doesn't matter as long as there are two of a kind). Alternatively, use larger size cookie cutters.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and gently transfer half of the rectangles to the parchment paper. Spoon apple butter or jam into the middles of each rectangle, leaving at least 1/4 inch border around each rectangle for sealing. Don't put too much filling in, or it will seep out the sides as it bakes.
Dip a finger in water and dampen the edges of the rectangle. Lay another rectangle on top of each filled rectangle and press gently around the edges. Using the tines of a fork, go around the edges of each tart and press to further seal the two pieces of dough and provide design.
Cut a letter (might I suggest a “J”?) with a knife or poke holes with a toothpick into the top of each tart to allow steam to vent. Brush with your milk of choice and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or Demerara sugar if you're not planning to ice the poptarts.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the tarts are lightly browning but are not crunchy.
Remove to fully cool on a wire rack or serve warm. Drizzle with glaze when cooled, if desired (recipe below).
Optional: freeze fully cooled tarts and reheat in a toaster before serving.
Makes 10 tarts, depending on size.
Gluten Free Poptart Glaze (optional)
Once your gluten free pop tarts are cooled, whisk together confectioner's sugar, extract and milk until a smooth mixture is made.
Add more confectioner’s sugar if the glaze is too runny and would just slide off the top of the pastries; add more milk if the mixture is too thick to be easily spread. Drizzle or spread with the back of a spoon on top of the pastries you would like to top.
Allow to dry before wrapping or freezing for serving later.
Notes
For a worthy substitute to gluten free oats, try and equal amount of gluten free quinoa flakes instead! You could also use ground flax, rice bran, or chia seeds.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 368Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 53mgSodium 323mgCarbohydrates 46gFiber 2gSugar 32gProtein 3g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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Can these amzzing looking pop tarts then be toasted?
Absolutely! I wouldn’t put them in your toaster after they’ve been glazed because that can get a bit messy, but I toast them with glaze in a toaster oven. Otherwise, toasting them in a toaster is super yummy!
~jules
Good Afternoon from Texas!
I saw that someone had asked if eggs could be used to replace oatmeal. I don’t believe I saw the answer.
Thanks!
Cathy
Hi Cathy, I had missed that question earlier, so thank you for pointing it out. I just went back and answered it and have copied it for you here, as well:
I haven’t tried that substitution. I don’t know that it would be a 1:1. I think potato flakes (dried mashed potato) would be more of an equal substitution for oatmeal, but I’m all for a good experiment! It will just come down to getting the dough to the right consistency to be able to roll it out and hold together so you can transfer it to the baking sheet. There’s only 1/8 of a cup of oatmeal + water, so it’s not a main ingredient. If you give it a try, I would start with only 1 egg total for the oatmeal and water and expect that you’ll probably have to add more of my gfJules Flour to get the dough to hold together since you’re essentially just adding liquid to replace a flour and liquid. Hope that makes sense. Let us know if you give it a try!
~jules
Hello! I’m GF and have been craving poptarts and so I made a batch of these and they turned out pretty well.
However, I wanted to suggest a possible edit to the expected time the recipe says the whole process will take. For an expert baker who can whip things together really quickly with no errors/messes, I imagine they could probably get it all done in an hour to an hour 15min. But for those of us who are still learning and aren’t experts yet, I’d say to expect at least 1.5 hours… 2 HOURS if you’re kinda messy and inexperienced like me. I really appreciate you sharing this recipe, because it did taste REALLY good. I just wanted to share about my experience with the time expectation. Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Jocelyn, I suppose I should add a field for “clean up time,” as that always takes me the most! LOL! I appreciate you letting me know that the timing was a bit shy for you, and will keep that in mind. Bottom line is that you did it and you thought they tasted really good, so I’d call that a win any day!! May all your gluten free baking be happy, even if a bit messy!!! 🙂
~jules
Could be canned pie filling be used instead of Jan filling? I have some red raspberry pie filling that’s pretty thick.
Hi Michele, yes you could use a thick canned pie filling! Enjoy!
~jules
I haven’t made these as yet, buy plan to do so. I was thinking that “all fruit spread” as found in the jelly/jam aisle in grocery store could possibly serve as filling. Comes in several flavors, what do you think ?
Oh yes, Rita! That will work just fine as long as they’re not too runny. Enjoy!
~jules
These are the best. Better than non gf. Yum
Wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and let me know!
~jules
I would rather use eggs; can I use eggs instead of the oatmeal and if so how many?? Has anyone tried that?
Interesting idea, Ellen! I haven’t tried that substitution. I don’t know that it would be a 1:1. I think potato flakes (dried mashed potato) would be more of an equal substitution for oatmeal, but I’m all for a good experiment! It will just come down to getting the dough to the right consistency to be able to roll it out and hold together so you can transfer it to the baking sheet. There’s only 1/8 of a cup of oatmeal + water, so it’s not a main ingredient. If you give it a try, I would start with only 1 egg total for the oatmeal and water and expect that you’ll probably have to add more of my gfJules Flour to get the dough to hold together since you’re essentially just adding liquid to replace a flour and liquid. Hope that makes sense. Let us know if you give it a try!
~jules
These are really awesome gluten-free toaster pastries! They’re great, as you said, to put in lunches because they’re durable. And either eat them at room temperature, or pop them in a toaster or microwave, they are delicious either way!
What if I want to put a berry jam in my pop tart instead of apple butter? Will the apple butter in the dough flavor it and not mix well with my jam? Thoughts? Thanks! Excited to try these.
Hi Mary, no worries there. The apple butter in the dough doesn’t really flavor it much at all. A touch of sweetness but not too apple-y. Use whatever jam you like in the filling, I’d just recommend it not be too watery. Let me know what you try!
~jules
Is the milk for frosting…
Confused, add the boiling water to oatmeal, do you then cool it, as you say add oatmeal and cold water, help,
Hi Healing123,
WOW- when we migrated over the recipes from my old site to the new one, some of the formatting got screwy and this one was really bad! Thanks so much for pointing out the problems! I have reformatted it and I hope it all makes sense now! Boiling water added to oats, then measure out 1/4 cup and add as instructed. Milk is for glaze, if using.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
~jules
Hi Jules! Can’t wait to make these! Can I use stevia instead of the sugar in the dough? I know that you can sub it in some recipes but not others. If stevia would change the texture too much, I may try coconut sugar. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes and wonderful products. Yours is the only gf ap flour I use.
Hi Kiera, so glad to hear that you are having great success with my flour! As for a sugar substitute in this recipe, you could definitely use coconut sugar, or you could give Baking Stevia a try. There’s not much sugar in the dough so it’s easier to make a sub in this type of recipe. Come back and let me know what you tried and how it works!
~jules
I am SO excited to try these… maybe for Mother’s Day weekend
If I make it into a fun time with my boys in the kitchen it could be just the fun I was trying to find for us!
Wonderful, Cid! I hope you enjoyed a fun and tasty weekend together!!!
~jules
These look amazing! Like so amazing I may have to make them for my wife tonight! Jules, you have so many great recipes on here! You have become my go to source for delicious gluten-free recipes.
So happy to provide yummy recipes for you and your wife! And what a sweet hubbie to make the yummy treats for her!!! I hope you enjoy this one, too!
~jules
I have used the Earth Balance Soy Free in the tub with great success, the soy free sticks are not available here. The tub version has worked beautifully in everything I have tried though.
That’s so wonderful to hear, Jenny! Thanks for letting me know!!!
~jules
I love the idea of gf “Pop Tarts”, and am ecstatic they are low in sugar. I have pear butter here, not apple. Do you think that would work?
Hi Sue, absolutely! I think pear butter would be brilliant in this recipe! Enjoy!
~jules
O my!! Like poptarts but I shy away from them cuz they are premade n tons of sugar, no gluten issues here but I think I’m going to try making them, they sound delicious!
Great, Stephanie! I hope you try them!
~jules
OK, so I’m not gf or vegan but am changing my baking/cooking slowly but surely. If I were to use regular oats, would that work the same? Obviously quick oats so they would be smaller?
Also – flour….could I use an almond flour? Or coconut flour? Would that be weird?
Again, I’m new to this stuff, so am learning! But I used to love me a pop-tart, until I found out what was in them. Bleh. These looked delish. Thanks!!!!
Hi Tiffany, regular quick oats would work fine here. As for the flours, you could use a blend of almond, coconut and maybe a gluten-free starch. It’s not the type of recipe where you could just simply use almond flour or coconut flour straight up as a sub for a blend. Let me know if you experiment and how they turn out!
~jules
Where is the pin it button?!?
Hi Ann,
This is still my temporary site, so we haven’t added things like handy pin it buttons yet! They’ll be there soon, when my new site is fully up and running. In the meantime, I go to pinterest and add the pin there by clicking on add from the web. Hope that helps!
~jules