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It’s no secret that my older daughter has an interest in pop tarts (since I recently shared on facebook that she’s apparently been “trading” at snack time to get some!) so clearly I had to do something about it.
First of all, we took her to the store and let her pick out a box of organic frosted pop tarts. Organic or not…they are still completely junk food with loads of added sugar. I am not the one who is 7-years-old though, and I can understand how “store-bought” and “packaging” may sometimes play an important role at school.
So I showed her how much sugar they contain, in order to convey that they are really more of a dessert than a snack, and she decided she’d like to take one as a snack anyway and one as a dessert on another day (they come in packs of 2). I let my younger daughter do the same, and she was beyond thrilled to be an innocent bystander in all of this decision making :).
After all of that was behind us I put the box of remaining pop tarts “away” (up high and not visible in the pantry of course!) and thankfully neither child said much else about it. Hoping their need for “store bought” pop tarts was satisfied I decided we should try making our own as well.
I am not the first person to make a homemade knock-off pop tart recipe so just think of these as the super EASY whole-grain version. I honestly can’t believe how easy these are to make and how good they taste...everyone loves them! They are for the “kids” of course, but I find myself rationing out my share as well.
I never liked pop tarts as a kid myself because I was a toaster strudel girl, but this recipe somehow unites both of those worlds with one pretty awesome outcome. Just try for yourself, and you’ll see that this recipe does not disappoint.
Whole-Wheat Toaster Pastries (aka Poptarts!)
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour (plus extra for rolling out the dough)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (cold, unsalted (2 sticks))
- ½ cup water (plus ice)
- 1 egg (beaten with a splash of water)
- 8 tablespoons jam (we prefer either homemade jam or an all-fruit spread that’s sweetened with fruit juice concentrate as opposed to sugar or high-fructose corn syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the flour and salt in a food processor with the dough blade and pulse it together briefly.
- Meanwhile fill a glass measuring cup with ½ cup water and add a few ice cubes to it.
- Take the cold butter straight out of the fridge and cut it into ½ inch chunks. Sprinkle the pieces of butter on top of the flour in the food processor. Be careful to spread out the butter as opposed to letting it all clump together in one piece.
- Turn on the food processor and blend until the mixture resembles a crumbly meal. While the food processor is still running add ⅓ cup water through the top. Watch the dough come together and add 2 – 3 more teaspoons of water as needed so a dough ball will form. If some of the dough is in a ball and some is stuck to the sides that is okay…you can fix it with your hands. At this point the dough could be stored in the fridge in plastic wrap for up to 3 days or in the freezer (in a freezer safe container) for up to 6 months.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and put it on a lightly floured counter or large cutting board. With a rolling pin (and another sprinkling of flour) flatten out the dough to one big rectangle or square that’s no more than a quarter inch thick. Trim any uneven ends and use those to patch other edges as necessary.
- Using a knife cut out 14 to 16 rectangles of dough. Actually you could make them any shape or size that you want at this point. Lay half of your dough shapes onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon about a tablespoon of jam down the middle of those bottom dough pieces.
- Top them with matching dough shapes and seal around the edges by pushing down with a fork. Make a few holes in the top with the fork as well. Lastly, brush the tops of the uncooked toaster pastries with the egg wash.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 – 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the cooked pastries on a cooling rack (if you have one) then either eat them right away or store them in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for several months. They can be eaten cold or reheated. Enjoy!
Sam says
Can I use real fruit (or frozen) instead of jam? If so, should I smush it or something first?
Eliza says
Yep! I use frozen (organic)strawberries, let them thaw, then mash them with a fork, & add a wee bit of an all-fruit jam or sugar. It works great!...about one berry per tart is what works out, maybe less.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Sam. I don't see why you couldn't do that. You might want to run it through the processor to puree it before using it. Jill
Shannon says
When I made them, I just used frozen fruit (blueberries) right out of the freezer, and added a little maple syrup (maybe 1 teaspoon). They turned out great! :)
Chris says
I'm not a pop tart or toaster strudel girl, so I'm not sure where my kids get it, but they love, love, love pop tarts. I've always thought they tasted like sweet chalk. And I use the price as a reason not to buy them. But I'm gonna have to give these a try! I think the kiddos will be pleasantly surprised their mamma made them "pop tarts."
Brooke says
Having just moved to Nth America, pop tarts are a discovery - I'm not sure if it's a welcome one or not. These ones are much more appealing!
Quick question - as I understand it, pop tarts are usually heated up in a toaster. Are these ones heated up in the same way?
Thanks
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Hi Brooke - We eat them straight out of the oven, toasted or cold, depending on the situation.
jodi says
Has anyone tried to make a savory version? Like chicken with veggies and cheese or ham and cheese?
Susan C. in NY says
I haven't tried these but savory ones sound delicious. Repost if you try it out.
Kremy says
Yes,I make these for years now. They are great with cheese,feta cheese,tomatoes or spinach. Or whatever you like :)
Sayre Franke says
Yum! Too homely to bring for class snack tomorrow, but we will happily eat them ourselves!
Sarah says
I used 1.5 sticks of butter and they turned out fine. The water measurement is also a little off. But.....Yum!
Betty says
do u have to use a food proccessor?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Betty. I've not tried it but you may be able to do it in a stand mixer. Jill
Amanda says
I think the food processor helps cut the butter into the flour. In my experience, the stand mixer doesn't accomplish that very well. You could use a fork and press the butter into the flour.
Tiffany says
I just tried these today and I only have a tiny food processor. I was hoping I could use my stand mixer, but for the butter/flour mixing it was not cutting it. What I did was use my tiny processor with as much as would fit (ended up doing it 4 times) then I transferred to the stand mixer bowl. Once all the butter was added to the flour, I used the stand mixer (with dough hook) to mix as I added the water. Worked perfectly. :)
Cassondra says
I don't have a food processor and I always use my stand mixer with my paddle to cut in butter when making pie crust. It works great! I just cut the butter in half lengthwise and then cut little cubes. I make sure I distribute the butter well and have my mixer on medium speed. I never have had any problems.
Cindy says
Has anyone tried these with nutella? My kids are chocoholics!
Jenn says
Cindy, the mission of this website is actually to get people AWAY from fake processed foods like Nutella. So probably not.
Michelle says
Jenn, I've made a homemade Nutella recipe that I found on a Paleo website and it was easy and delicious!
Amy says
Mine didn't turn out pretty, but we all liked them. Of course, with 2 tablespoons of butter per serving, what's not to like? :-)
Melissa McKnight says
I just pulled my first batch out of the oven. They are definitely not the prettiest looking, but my kids love them. I am happy to be able to provide them with something I know what it contains and made with love. Next time, I will make a double batch for the freezer. Looking forward to making more real foods.
Nikki says
FYI - http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-175324/Wilton-Mini-Rectangular-Pie-Mold ... We use these little pie molds and they turn out GREAT!! It makes for a quick and easy whole wheat treat :)
Melissa Dupuis says
Has anyone tried making these Gluten Free? My kiddos would love these, but 2 of the 4 kids are on a GFCF diet. I'd love to hear of anyone's success stories :)
WNCmountaingirl says
@Melissa Dupuis I FOUND THIS GF cherry toaster pastry recipe using a brown rice flour..Hope its ok to post this here..
http://www.melecotte.com/2011/07/homemade_pop_tarts/
Rachel says
You should have gotten a dough blade with your FP. Mine is made of hard plastic, but otherwise looks like the metal cutting blade. :) Looking forward to trying this recipe. Love that it is ww flour as my old recipe was a mix. Thank you!
Tonya Mae says
I just purchased a food processor so I could make more of your wonderful recipes. However, I have somewhat of a silly question: when making doughs, like the poptarts, what tool do you use? The blade or some other attachment? I am new to food processors, hence the silly question. :-)
Btw, love your site. I've made several of your recipes and can't wait to make more once I learn how to use my processor!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Tonya. I have to admit my food processor is OLD! (so I only have 2 attachments :-() I use the blade, but, it sounds like someone else responded that there is another blade that is used for dough. Sorry I wasn't more help, but, I can tell you the regular steel blade will work. Good luck! Jill
Heather says
For those who were concerned about the amount of butter I just found this recipe
http://peasandthankyou.com/2012/02/20/healthier-homemade-pop-tarts/
which uses coconut oil instead of butter. I haven't tried either recipe, but I'm planning on trying both and comparing them this weekend!
Jyothi says
Made these today. I was foolishly skeptical and halved the quantity. The pop tarts were delicious. Just loved them. All over in minutes. Thank you for this healthy dish.
Jessie says
found your blog on pinterest about an hour ago. Found this recipe, got up and went straight to the kitchen to make them. As I write I'm eating the first batch out of the oven. Sooooooo good!! Anyone who bakes often will find this to be so easy. Anyone who does not bake often will still be able to accomplish this recipe with no problem. I think i will attempt to make them with a bit less butter. Thank you for your blog. I'm already downloading the sample menus.
Tiffany says
We made these with cream cheese and fresh chives, they were awesome!
Mindy says
Hey does anyone know if you can use a bread machine for this recipe and but it on dough cycle? I don;t have a fp or pastry cutter! Thanks in advance :0)
Tanya says
I will have to try this out as Ive long ago banned store bought pop tarts from our shopping cart, much to the dismay of my oldest son, I guess this will give me an excuse to buy that kitchen aid mixer I've been dreaming of! I love your blog!
Ashley says
I don't have a food processor. Can I use a blender or the
Dough hook on my stand mixer instead?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Ashley - I would try the dough hook. I think they'll be too think for the blender. Jill
Katie says
Can I make this without a food processor? I don't have one and was wondering what alternative there is to using one. I really wanna try this!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Katie. You could use a KitchenAid mixer. One reader also commented that a pastry cutter would probably also work. Good luck. Jill
jodi says
i just made a batch with a pastry cutter (my food processor cracked) they came out just fine.
Heather G says
Fabulous recipe! They turned out wonderful and they are even better the second day! I added about 3/4 c butter, not the full cup because I ran out, and they still turned out great. I didn't even use parchment paper (didn't have any) and just used a little olive oil spray and it still worked out great. My husband prefers them with organic honey drizzled over the top, for those of you that are looking for a topping option.
Natalie says
Hi Lisa!! These are the best poptarts ever! My 6 year old devoured them. My dough was very soft and difficult to work with though...I think I added too much water. I'll try again in a couple if days and hopefully I can get it right. Mine didn't look near as pretty as yours :-) Thanks for all the work you put into your site. It has been so helpful. We are day 3 of our first challenge and so far everyone is happy!
Veronica B. says
I love this blog and I am sooooo happy that it is growing! I am also very happy that Lisa is getting help from the assistants and "the team"! If I may make just one little suggestion. Answering back to readers posts... a lot of them... with "the team is happy", "the team thinks", "the team has not yet tried", etc is sooo impersonal! Kind of like the opposite of what it used to be. I would love to know the team members names. I usually read all of the comments before trying a recipe and all of these "team" replies sound a little autonomous. I feel like I am buying a book through Amazon. Other than that, great job really! Just my 2 cents!
100 Days of Real Food says
Thanks for your suggestion Veronica...based on your recent comment on the "Our Team" page I know you saw I finally had a chance to formally introduce everyone! It's been on my "to-do list" for too long so thanks for the extra push :) And we are no longer replying as "our team" now that we've put faces and names to everyone...thanks again for the feedback.
Veronica B. says
I made these for breakfast this morning and my daughter really liked them! I can now see why they make the toaster variety since it was kind of time consuming, but I just started cooking/baking in February after starting to read this blog. I'm getting better at everything so hopefully this will start getting easier too! (I know make my own bread, pasta, muffins, pancakes... well, everything we eat!) can't wait to try it with real fruit pieces like apple or peaches! Thank you!
Lynette Strickland says
Williams-Sonoma makes a toaster pastry cutter that makes these look even more beautiful (and more like the real thing for the kids).
Christie Chapman says
What about a cinnamon mixture? What sort of ingredients would keep a thick consistency, like jam, but with cinnamon? My daughter will only eat cinnamon pop tarts!
Lori B. says
Cream cheese
Claire says
You could try something like apple butter which tends to have a cinnamon flavor and comes out a lot like jam. I have some peach butter at home that I am going to try.
Sally says
Have you played with reducing the butter? 1/4 stick of butter per pastry seems like a lot! No wonder they are so yummy!
Just sayin'...
Lucika Sky says
A quarter stick is only two tablespoons of butter.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Sally. Our team has not tried to reduce the butter but give it a try if you like. Jill
Erica Thompson says
Flavours I havent tried but I think would be good -
Nutella or other choco/nut spread (homemade recipe)
Sultanas/raisins that have been soaked in juice or light syrup
sliced or pureed fruit (oranges, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, etc) like jam but more of a fruit tart feel to it
lemon curd
peanut butter
homemade toffee, fudge, or caramel
and how about a more savoury version -
cheese & onion
ham & cheese
meat & potato
bacon & egg
tomato & cream cheese
cheese & chives
sour cream & chives
Brittnie says
How would I make this without a food processor? Is that possible? I am very new to making such things but am rather enjoying it.
Lucika Sky says
I have not made this recipe yet, but from the sounds of it, it is exactly like making pie crust. You can use a pastry cutter, and if you don't have one of those, a fork will do and so will your bare hands. All it is, is cutting the cold butter into the flower until it's in very small pieces. You could just mash it with a fork until it crumbles, then mix in the cold water by hand to form a dough. It's easy.
Lucika Sky says
oops, flour*
Kara says
Thanks for the recipe! Has anyone tried this recipe with freshly milled wheat? I typically have not had good experiences converting recipes back and forth from milled wheat to store bought flour and vice versa.
Love the smarter comments on this post that show that folks aren't being blinded by the media and our pharmaceutically driven western medicine and all it influences. (For ex., gov't and the foods 'pushed' by our gov't and industries that would benefit from the sale of our biggest exports as a country) What us folks who have gotten the revelation on true healthier eating seem to have a hard time remembering is that there's a reason our country has been 'fed' the lies it has been and those big businesses profiting will not back away lightly or go down without a fight. They probably have eyes all over the web to see what it is we like and want to see done with our foods and what we all say here with be the next 'wave' of 'healthier' foods offered by the processing companies :)
The funny thing I see is that the folks who are so stubborn about opening their minds to the truth about real butter made from cows that have been in someone's backyard their whole lives and the eggs from the chickens that roam someone's yard as well are the ones that probably need that 'healthful' part in their diets more than anyone else. Let's just pray they see the light one day :)
Thanks for being here and being a positive voice for truth!
Kim says
I'd like very much to know the answer to this question as well. I agree Kara. I typically have not had good experiences converting recipes back and forth from milled wheat to store bought flour and vice versa either. Help anyone?
Tina says
I ALWAYS use freshly ground wheat in all of my recipes. If you are having problems chances are your flour is not ground fine enough. I'd recommend either changing the settings on your mill or running it through a second time.
Good Luck!
Gina says
Thanks for the reply! I too have had a little bit of trouble (just stuff seems a little too dry/crumbly) I'll try changing my mill setting tonight!
Lori says
Any advice for a novice on milling at home? What is the best mill to buy? Where do you buy your grains from?
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lori. These posts should answer your questions: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/05/grinding-your-own-wheat-is-not-crazy-after-all-including-video/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/09/07/giveaway-lequip-nutrimill-grain-mill/. Good luck! ~Amy
100 Days of Real Food says
I use freshly ground wheat myself (although I usually test recipes with store-bought flour since that's what most people use), and I've found you need a little extra of the fresh stuff to make most recipes work.
Kara says
Thanks! We tried them and loved them (made minor adjustments to suit us) and I have always used the finest setting on my mill. I think I used all soft white and I usually do add a little extra to make it work, but still have some recipes that just are not good with freshly milled wheat!
Thanks for posting. My husband's exact words were, "Those are dangerous." lol!
Megan says
Just made these today. After snagging a "Mommy Tax" (a bite from a child) I would have to agree - dangerous! So good!!
Grace says
These look delicious and the photo is gorgeous with the chubby children's fingers and golden toasty tarts. I plan to make some of these for my husband. (Although considering his bad eating habits he'll likely be happier with original thing.) But I'll likely avoid them, no matter how fantastic they look. There's just too much carbs and sugar going on for me. (I eat a lot of carbs, but I try...try to get them in high fiber/low sugar forms.)
May I weigh in on the carb vs. fat vs. good/bad discussion?
This is pastry, not health food. It's a delicious fantastic baked good even though the whole wheat flour and "natural" sugar makes it sound good for us. Carbs and sugar, no matter how organic and natural and wholesome they sound, are still viewed as high glycemic by the body. HFCS or "natural" sugar or fruit sugar or honey--it's all sugar. If I want healthy I'll have a bowl of steel cut oats with plain full fat yogurt and some sauteed kale. If I want delicious, these look great. But I'll have to plan on some good workout afterwards.
For me the fat isn't a weight gain culprit as the carbs and sugar are. Low fat foods are usually full of sugar. (Read labels of yogurt at the grocery store.)
I'm a nutrition student and love to crunch grams and numbers.
Here's a breakdown based on the recipe using choosemyplate.gov
Each pastry: 345 calories
calories from fat: 205
grams fat 23
calories from carbs: 139
grams carbs 35 (8 grams of sugar)
Gaby says
I just made these yesterday and have to stop myself from eating them all since I made them for my boys :) They are sooo good!
Marian says
The proportions don't seem right on this. Tried to make it but was a sticky mess until I added more flour. Then it was just right.
Katrina says
I have that cookbook and made these too. Yummm. :) I filled mine with homemade apple butter.
Judi says
Thank you, I found a regular recipe for this and didn't have the time to try to convert it, but these will be great for my oldest, who loves pop tarts. If I make them with the whole wheat and all fruit spread it should work, but I will have to put the jam in the blender as my daughter has texture issues.
Heather says
Yum! I will have to try these. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing :)
Amanda A says
My daughter craves chocolate pop tarts. I'm going to use the power ball recipe for filling!
erica thompson says
just read a few of the answers and particularly noticed the discussion about the amount of butter... this is a pastry, and like all pastries the ratio is half fat to flour, so with 2 cups of flour it would be 1 cup of fat, which is what there is here.. I am sure there are plenty of low fat pastry recipes on the web if you are worried about it, just substitute with one of those.