Vegan Pop Tarts are way better than boxed pop tarts. There's an easy Instant Pot Jam recipe too so go ahead and make homemade pop tarts this weekend.
There's a new breakfast or snack waiting for you that I bet you haven't made at home yet. They are so delicious and easy to make. Talk about kid friendly!
In fact, these vegan pop tarts will be a favorite with both kids and adults. You can use different jam varieties to make different pop tart flavors.
Strawberry pop tarts are also a favorite in our house but I am so partial to blackberries that I really wanted to show you this recipe.
Flaky golden crust and a sweet jam filling sounds might good doesn't it? Don’t forget the easy icing on top! It's all perfect for a breakfast treat or even for an afternoon snack.
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Ingredients
For the blackberry jam
- Fresh Blackberries - you can swap in another berry of choice too!
- Granulated Sugar
- Cornstarch is optional but helps thicken the jam.
For the pop tart and icing
- Rolled Pie Crust
- Aquafaba - for the vegan ‘egg’ wash. Aquafaba is the liquid that comes from a can of chickpeas. You can also cook your own chickpeas and use that liquid.
- Powdered Sugar
- Dairy-Free Milk - use your favorite but go with unsweetened.
- Vanilla Extract
How to make homemade pop tarts
Make the Instant Pot Jam: Making jam in the Instant Pot is so easy! Add the fruit and sugar to your pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for just one minute followed by a 15 minute natural release.
Once the pressure is released, use a potato masher to mash the jam. You can add cornstarch to thicken the jam if you'd like. Place jam in jars or a large bowl to cool.
Cut the Pie Crust: Lay out the pie crust and roll with a floured rolling pin to slightly thin out the crust.
Cut the crust into 3x5 inch rectangles (an index card is the perfect size!). Re-roll any crust scraps to cut as many rectangles as possible.
Assemble the Pop Tarts: Once your jam is cool, add a dollop of jam to the center of a pie crust rectangle. Brush the sides with the aquafaba ‘egg’ wash.
Top with another pie crust rectangle and use a fork to press the sides to seal. Brush the top of the assembled pop tart with more ‘egg’ wash and puncture holes in the top with a fork or toothpick.
Repeat with all pop tarts.
Baking: Add formed pop tarts to a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Make the Icing: Mix together the powdered sugar, dairy-free milk, a little jam, and vanilla extract.
Finishing: After baking, allow these vegan pop tarts to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, drizzle with the icing.
Best pop tart flavors
One quick stroll around the grocery store and you’ll find so many pop tart flavor options!
You can also make lots of pop tart varieties with this homemade recipe. Here are some of the best pop tart flavors to make on your own:
- Fruit of any kind: Just use different jams or preserves to make different fruit flavors. In addition to the Blackberry for this recipe, Strawberry, Raspberry, and Apricot are other great options!
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon: Instead of jam, make a filling using brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little melted dairy free butter. It should be a thick paste consistency that you can use as the filling.
- Berries and Cream: You can also add a thin smear of dairy-free cream cheese before adding the jam or preserves.
- PB&J: Use a thin layer of peanut butter and a layer of jelly for a delicious peanut butter & jelly pop tart.
FAQ’s
Yes, you can use frozen berries! The Instant Pot jam recipe instructions remain the same with fresh or frozen berries.
Yes, you can also make homemade jam in a saucepan on the stove. Add the berries and sugar to a saucepan.
Bring to a boil and mash into a chunky texture. Allow the jam to boil for about 20 minutes or until thickened.
You can absolutely use store bought jam. While the instant pot jam recipe is very easy, you can use your favorite store bought jam to make the pop tarts even quicker.
Leftover homemade pop tarts will keep for up to one week in the fridge. Once they are cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge. But the vegan pop tarts are at their crispiest and flakiest right after making.
Recipe tips
- Allow the pie crust to warm up at room temperature for a few minutes. If you try to use the pie crust straight from the fridge it will be difficult to work with and prone to cracking. I like to let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before using.
- Seal the edges well. Make sure to use a fork to pinch and well seal the edges. This is important to keep the jam filling from oozing out.
- Let the pop tarts cool before icing. If you ice the warm pop tarts, the icing will run right off and won’t stick.
- Use a stencil to cut the crust rectangles. I like to use an index card but you can also cut a piece of paper to a 3x5” rectangle. Using a guide or stencil makes it much easier to cut evenly sized pieces.
More breakfast pastries
Nothing beats a flaky, breakfast pastry! Here are some other easy vegan pastry recipes:
- Cream Cheese Danish - Transform puff pastry into a flaky and creamy danish. Top with fruit or jam for a special treat.
- Apple Turnovers - Puff pastry is the magic behind these flaky turnovers! The combination of apples and dried cranberries is the perfect pairing.
- Easy Apple Strudel - Don’t let the pretty spiral presentation fool you, this vegan apple strudel recipe couldn’t be any easier!
- Vegan Sticky Buns - Only 20 minutes of active prep to make these buttery and gooey pecan sticky buns. The most delicious breakfast or brunch treat!
📋 Recipe
Vegan Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Instant Pot Jam
- 2 pounds fresh blackberries - or other fruit that you like such as strawberries
- 1 cup organic granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch - optional
Pop tarts dough & filling
- 14 ounces rolled pie crust - one package that has two rolled pie crusts
- 1 cup blackberry jam - or preserves
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba
Icing
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy free milk - unsweetened, any kind you like
- 2 tablespoons jam
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the instant pot jam
- Add your fresh fruit and sugar to your instant pot. Mix well and then Twist the head on the instant pot to seal.
- Close the sealing valve.
- Set your instant pot to high pressure for one minute.
- Allow a natural release for 15 minutes.
- Once the final 15 minutes are up open the sealing valve to release. Be careful of the steam. Let all of the steam completely release. Remove the lid and use a hot pad or towel to prevent burns.
- With a potato masher, mash the jam well, and stir to make sure the sugar as well Incorporated.
- If you want your jam a little bit thicker, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch at a time. Mix and then add more if needed.
- Remove the jam to a large bowl to cool.
Making the tarts
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- On a flat surface such as a countertop or cutting board, lay out your piecrust. Lightly sprinkle some flour onto the crust and roll with the rolling pin to thin the crust slightly.
- Cut the dough into 3"x5" rectangles. Knead the remaining pie crust, and use the rolling pin to make more 3 x 5 rectangles. Place half of the rectangles on a baking sheet or two.
- Place about 1 ½ tablespoons of the cooled jam in the center of a half of the rectangles.
- Brush ’egg’ wash (aquafaba) and line the sides surrounding the rim.
- Take another plain rectangle and place it on top of that rectangle, with the jam, matching the edges.
- Use the back of a fork to press the sides to seal in your jam.
- Use the ‘egg’ wash (aquafaba) to completely coat the top part of your tart. Use a fork to puncture holes in the top of the tart to allow air to be released while baking.
- Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- While your tarts are baking in the oven, make your icing. Mix all of the ingredients for the icing and then set aside.
- Once your tarts have finished cooking, remove them from the oven and transferred to a cooling rack.
- Allow them to cool completely before putting icing on them.
- You can choose to put one or more layers of icing on your tart but allow the icing to cool and harden a bit before you add any more.
Video
Nutrition
Katie
These was really good! I used our favorite preserves instead of making my own jam and they were so easy to make. Much better than the store bought ones.
Sara Welch
Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and they did not disappoint! So easy and delicious; a tasty way to start my day off right, indeed!
Natalie
My kids thank you!! They love pop tarts and you are right, these are better than store bought! Excited to try different fillings!