Grain-free Berry Pop-Tarts
gluten-free | grain-free | tree nut free | egg free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | August 1, 2024
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Sweet, soft, and glazed with the most perfect icing… you would never know these grain-free berry pop-tarts are grain-free and gluten-free! I must admit, I find the process of making pop-tarts a little tedious, but for this recipe I kept the steps as simple as possible while still getting perfect results. You can whip up a batch of these grain-free pop-tarts in no time at all, and they are guaranteed to be a hit with modern pioneers of all ages! My whole family loves these delicious berry pop-tarts! The dough is easy to work with and you can use homemade jam as the filling for a completely from-scratch homestead treat!
Modern Pioneer Recipe
These grain-free berry pop-tarts are a modern pioneer recipe. Pop-tarts were first made and marketed by Kellogg’s in 1964, so the early pioneers would not have been enjoying a frosted toaster pop-tart in the covered wagons! Not to mention traditional pop-tarts are loaded with refined sugar, the perfect way to start the day, right?!
Well… meet the modern pioneer pop-tart. We are not living in covered wagons and our homestead kitchens look a little different than the early homesteaders’ kitchens. Making pop-tarts in the homestead kitchen is now possible!
What’s even better is the fact that we can make allergy-friendly, healthier pop-tarts! No need to make pop-tarts with junk in them when we can just use simple, wholesome ingredients from the homestead pantry. I’ve never had a true pop-tart, but I am totally content with indulging in my homemade pop-tarts!
To make these even more a modern pioneer recipe, you can even use homemade jam in your pop-tarts! Whether it be a quick DIY jam (I’ll share that recipe in a minute!) or some home-canned jam, using your own jam in these pop-tarts is a great way to use resources from around the homestead for making these pop-tarts from scratch.
These pop-tarts are….
- grain-free
- gluten-free
- refined sugar free
- egg free
- corn free
- nut free
DIY Homemade Jam
I’ll admit, I’m a peanut butter and jelly lover. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are one of my favorite sandwiches to make, and really anything containing pb&j is good as far as I’m concerned! Since a lot of traditional jams contain lots of refined sugar, I knew I had to come up with a healthier alternative for homestead baking and meal prep.
Not to mention the early homesteaders would have made jam and jelly on their homesteads too! While I have home-canned jellies before, I also like to whip up a batch of DIY stove-top jam for when I’m making recipes that require some jam or jelly.
Making stove-top jam is quite simple, especially since I can use frozen berries that I set aside during the summer. I like to go berry picking during the summer and freeze lots of berries for using later on in the year. You can use any berries you want in this stove-top jam recipe!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups frozen blueberries (or any frozen berry!)
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
In a small saucepan, heat the blueberries and tapioca flour over medium heat. Mash constantly until the mixture starts to simmer. I like to use a potato masher for mashing the berries as they heat up. Continue to mash the berries and let them simmer until the mixture becomes thick. Once thick, remove the jam from the heat and let it cool before using it in this pop-tart recipe. You can even transfer the jam to a glass canning jar and store the jam in the fridge until you are ready to make these pop-tarts!
Some more delicious pb&j recipes that I like to use this simple stovetop jam for include these no-bake pb&j energy balls or these gluten-free pb&j bars!
Recipe Questions
How do I keep the filling from leaking out the edges?
A common problem that can occur when making homemade pop-tarts is to have the filling leak out the edges of the pop-tart when the pop-tarts are baked. While I have yet to find a solid solution for preventing the leakage, there are a few tips that I can offer!
Tip #1.– If you are using a store-bought berry filling, make sure it is labeled as a fruit spread or jam, NOT jelly. Jelly is made differently than jam and has more of a tendency to leak out of the pop-tarts.
Tip #2.– Make sure the pop-tarts are sufficiently forked around the edges, sealing the top layer of pop-tart to the bottom layer of the pop-tart.
Tip #3.– Poke enough holes on the top of the pop-tart to allow steam to escape without pressuring the edges. I do at least 3 fork pokes on each pop-tart.
Even if some jam does leak out, I have not had a problem with all of the filling leaking out from these pop-tarts! Let the pop-tarts cool before peeling them away from the jam that leaked out to prevent the jam from sticking to the edges of the pop-tarts.
What healthy sugar can I use for the icing?
Icing is pretty much sugar. If you are trying to keep these pop-tarts healthy, omit the icing part or make the icing using a healthier sugar! You can make icing using powdered coconut sugar or powdered maple sugar. Since both of those sugars are naturally brown in color, you won’t end up with as vibrant of a pink color compared to powdered cane sugar. With the coconut sugar, the icing will definitely be brown in color.
If you prefer to omit the icing, these pop-tarts are just as good plain! You can even toast them when you leave off the frosting to enjoy some toaster pop-tarts! As an alternative for icing, you can spread some peanut butter on as a topping (for pb&j pop-tarts) or indulge in some maple cream for a naturally sweet topping option!
How do I keep the pop-tart dough from breaking?
The dough will seem crumbly when you remove it from the food processor, but working the dough with your hands will warm up the butter some and make the dough come together into a firm ball.
You shouldn’t have too much of a problem with breakage when rolling and patting the dough out into a rectangle. If you do have some breakage or want to fix some creases, just use your finger to dab some ice-cold water on the crack and patch up the dough.
The ice-cold water method also works for fixing cracks in the dough when you are assembling the pop-tarts. If you have re-occurring breakage in the dough, allow the dough to warm up for a few minutes or work it more with your hands to melt the butter. As the butter becomes softer, the dough will be easier to work with and won’t break as much.
Can I make these pop-tarts dairy-free?
I have not tried making the pop-tart dough with any dairy-free butter alternatives. Proceed at your own risk with dairy-free alternatives!
Do I have to chill the dough?
Yes! Chilling the dough before baking the pop-tarts is essential for helping them keep their shape, preventing the filling from leaking out, and ensuring a flakey pop-tart texture! You will want to chill the dough for a minimum of 20 minutes in the freezer. If you are chilling them in the fridge, allow them to chill for at least 30 minutes.
It’s okay if the pop-tarts chill for longer while your oven pre-heats or if you accidentally forget about them!
These grain-free berry pop-tarts are made with simple, wholesome ingredients that turn them into a delicious and healthy homestead snack! I love snacking on these pop-tarts during the afternoon or having a pop-tart with icing for dessert!
Grain-free Berry Pop-Tarts
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Otto's Naturals cassava flour
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 3/4 cup cold organic, grass-fed butter (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1/4 cup + 1-2 T. ice cold water
Filling
- organic, gluten-free jam
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp. organic beet powder
- 2 T. coconut milk beverage
Instructions
- Add the cassava flour and salt to a food processor. Cut the cold butter up into 1/4" thick chunks and add them to the food processor.
- Pulse the mixture until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture is crumbly. Add 1/4 cup ice cold water and pulse a few times. Add the remainder of the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture starts to form a crumbly ball.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Form the dough into a ball and split the dough in half. If the dough still seems too crumbly at this point, add little sprays of cold water to the dough until it comes together.
- Working with one half of the dough, gently press the dough into a thick rectangle. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is 8"x10". Use your hands to straighten out the edges and make them straight.
- Cut the rectangle into 6 pieces. Transfer each smaller rectangle onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough but don't transfer the small rectangles to the baking sheet yet.
- Separate one small rectangle from the cut dough onto a cutting board. Spoon some jam onto the rectangle, leaving at least 1/4" of space around the edges. The jam can be about 1/8" thick.
- Take one of the rectangles from the baking sheet and place it over the jam filled rectangle on the cutting board. Place your hand over the top of the pop-tart and use a fork to press down all the edges of the pop-tart. Use the fork to poke 3 sets of holes on the top of the pop-tart.
- Transfer the finished pop-tart back to the baking sheet and repeat the assembling process with the remaining 5 pairs of dough rectangles. Place the baking sheet with the 6 pop-tarts on it in the freezer.
- Let the pop-tarts chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, keep the pop-tarts in the freezer and preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Once the oven is preheated, bake the pop-tarts for 30-35 minutes. The edges will be just starting to get lightly browned.
- Allow the pop-tarts to cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before icing them.
- For the icing, combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Add the coconut milk slowly until the mixture is thick but spreadable. Apply the icing to the pop-tarts and add some organic sprinkles!
- Enjoy! Note: I don't recommend toasting pop-tarts that have icing on them.
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Otto’s Naturals cassava flour
- Redmond sea salt
- Stonewall Kitchen gluten-free jam
- Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- Madhava coconut sugar
- Organic maple sugar
- Wholesome powdered sugar
- Organic beet powder
- SoDelicious unsweetened coconut milk
- Organic natural sprinkles
- Supplies: Cuisinart food processor, unbleached parchment paper
These grain-free berry pop-tarts can be made completely from scratch in the modern pioneer kitchen! Whipping up the flakey pop-tart dough is simple with the help of a food processor, and you can easily make some DIY stove-top jam for a quick and healthy pop-tart filling. Assembling and chilling the pop-tarts is the longest part, but it is well worth the effort in the end! Biting into a flakey, sweet pop-tart made from wholesome ingredients is a delightful sensation!
Don’t miss any other modern pioneer or heritage pioneer recipes! Make sure you join our modern pioneer newsletter community, and we even share our Pioneer Egg Recipes Cookbook to get you started on cooking from scratch on the homestead!
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