Vegan Pop Tarts
Ginny McMeans
Published:
November 24, 2023
Last Modified:
April 16, 2026
With a flaky crust and gooey jam filling, these vegan pop tarts are a childhood classic, all grown up! A sheet of homemade icing enrobes each pop tart in a sweet and fruity coating.
Each bite of these homemade vegan pop tarts, dripping with luscious blackberry filling and topped with a sticky sweet icing, is sure to have you feeling like a kid again!
I have tried all different types of fillings and though brown sugar is always a favorite in my house, these blackberry pop tarts have my heart. Especially now, when ripe baskets of sun-drenched, summer berries are all I have on my mind.
Using store bought dough is a simple shortcut, and with just a few strokes of aquafaba, you’ll ensure these pastries seal tightly around their bubbly blackberry centers.
It takes a little rolling and measuring to get the crust just right, but once you do, you’ll be batching these pop tarts like a pro! Whether you’re baking these vegan pop tarts as a breakfast treat or setting yourself up for a nostalgic midnight snack.
Ingredient Notes
- Prepared vegan-friendly pie crust – Look for the frozen pie crusts that are rolled up in tubes or in a ball instead of the frozen pie crust shells that are already pressed into a tin. My grocery store carries a brand called Wholly Wholesome which makes great vegan pie shells. If you have trouble finding an option, you can definitely use homemade pie dough here.
- Aquafaba – Also known as chickpea liquid! You’ll use a few dabs of this starchy fluid for sealing your pop tarts and brushing your dough to a golden brown finish, replacing the role of egg wash in traditional pastry recipes. I always make sure to save some juice whenever I crack a can of chickpeas and keep it on hand in the fridge, or you can use leftover cooking liquid from boiling your own chickpeas.
- Blackberry jam – You can use any brand or type of blackberry jam you like, just make sure to check the label for vegan certification. Ingredients like gelatin, refined (non-organic) sugar, or some food dye may not be vegan. You’ll use the jam as the gooey berry filling for your vegan pop tarts, and again later to make the sweet glaze for topping.
- Vegan powdered sugar – This superfine sweetener is the key to a smooth, sweet glaze that will have just the right thickness for coating your homemade pop tarts. Regular, refined powdered sugar is often not vegan, so make sure to choose an organic variety or one that is otherwise vegan certified.
- Non-dairy milk – You need just a splash of liquid to thin out your fruit glaze, and almost any dairy-free milk will do here! Almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk would be my top picks here; just make sure to choose an unsweetened, unflavored version.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a sweet floral flavor to your icing, perfectly balancing the tartness of the fruit and sweetness of the sugar. A dash of vanilla will bring a deeper, more complex flavor to your vegan pop tarts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare pie dough. Unroll your pie crust dough and let it rest at temperature for about 10-15 minutes; this will make it much easier to work with and less likely to crack. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, then use a floured rolling pin to press out the crust a bit. Slice the crust into rectangles that are about 3” x 5” each. Combine and re-roll the scraps to cut out more rectangles, then set those aside and repeat with the second roll of pastry dough.
- Arrange and brush. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and arrange half of the pie crust rectangles (keeping the other half of them aside for now, as these will be the tops) on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Use a pastry brush to apply your aquafaba vegan egg wash along the edges of each pastry rectangle. You want to aim for about a 1” strip of the wash along each edge.
- Fill. Dollop some fruit jam to the center of each rectangle. Keep it as centered as you can, avoiding getting any jam along the edges will help to ensure a nice tight seal with the top crust.
- Top and press. Now top each jam-filled rectangle with one of the reserved pastry rectangles. Use a fork to press all along the outer edges of each pop tart. This action glues the two sides of the crust together, forming a seal that will keep your delicious berry filling inside instead of spilling out all over the place during baking. Brush the top of each pop tart with more aquafaba for a beautifully golden brown bake, then use a fork or toothpick to poke a few holes in the top of each pastry. These vent holes will help steam to escape during baking so that your tarts don’t get too puffy.
- Bake and cool. Transfer the baking sheet(s) to the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly crisp and the surface of the dough is pale golden. They may feel a little softer than you expect, and that’s okay! As your pop tarts cool, the crust will harden up a bit and become more sturdy. Remove them from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
- Make icing. While your pop tarts are cooling, make your blackberry-vanilla glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, blackberry jam, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. The mixture should be glossy and translucent, though a few small lumps of fruit from the jam are to be expected.
- Glaze. Once completely cooled, drizzle each pop-tart with as much blackberry glaze as you like.
- Enjoy! Serve your vegan pop-tarts right away or let the glaze set up a bit and enjoy later.
Tips From Ligia
For evenly sized dough pieces:
Use a 3” x 5” index card as a stencil, or use a large rectangle cookie cutter if you happen to have one. I have tried to eyeball the dough pieces before, and truthfully I always end up a little off base, so using a stencil or a cookie cutter makes a big difference.
To slice the pie crust:
Use a pizza cutter pastry cutter for smooth, seamless slicing of the pie dough. If your pastry cutter has fluted edges, that will work just fine in this recipe.
How To Store
Refrigerating Let the pop tarts cool, then pack them into an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to one week. They will soften during storage, so enjoying them fresh is when they’ll be the most crisp and flaky.
Reheating Just pop your refrigerated pop tarts in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes until warm! Make sure the rack is not too close to the top, as this could cause the icing to burn. Better yet, if you know you will be storing these pop tarts, save the frosting until after you reheat them.
Vegan Pop Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pop Tarts:
- 1 14-ounce package frozen vegan pie crust (1 package of 2 pie crusts)
- 3 Tbsp aquafaba
- 1 cup blackberry jam or preserves
For the Icing:
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as oat milk or almond
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp blackberry jam or preserves
Instructions
- Unroll the pie crust dough on a work surface lightly dusted with all-purpose flour. Let it rest at temperature for about 10-15 minutes to make it easier to work with. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the crust a bit. Then slice the dough into 4 rectangles, each measuring 3” x 5”. Combine and re-roll the scraps to cut out more rectangles, then repeat with the second roll of pastry dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and arrange half of the pie crust rectangles (keeping the other half of them aside to be the tops) on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Brush the aquafaba along the edges of each pastry rectangle, aiming for a 1” strip of the wash along each edge.
- Dollop some fruit jam to the center of each rectangle, avoiding the brushed edges. This will help to ensure a nice tight seal with the top crust.
- Place one of the top crust pieces over each jam filled piece. Use a fork to press all along the outer edges of each pop tart to seal the top and bottom together. Make sure to press all the way around the corners of each pop tart; this is important for keeping the fruit filling inside the dough. Brush the top of each pop tart with more aquafaba to help them brown, then use a fork or toothpick to poke a few holes in the top of each pastry.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the edges are lightly crisp and the surface of the dough is pale golden. If they feel slightly soft that’s okay, the crust will firm up a bit as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- While your pop tarts are cooling, make your blackberry-vanilla glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, blackberry jam, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. The mixture should be glossy and translucent.
- Once completely cooled, drizzle each pop-tart with as much blackberry glaze as you like.
- Serve your vegan pop-tarts right away or let the glaze set up a bit and enjoy later.
Video
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3 responses to “Vegan Pop Tarts”
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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. -
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! -
My kids thank you!! They love pop tarts and you are right, these are better than store bought! Excited to try different fillings!
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