Add a touch of nostalgia to your morning with these homemade toaster pastries. Baked to perfection with fresh milled flour, strawberry jam and drizzled with a vanilla glaze, these flaky whole grain pop tarts will be a welcome site at the breakfast table.
Breakfast foods come in a wide range of choices — waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, French toast, sausage links, hash browns, granola and even old fashioned oatmeal. Growing up, breakfast was pretty simple. Often times my Dad and I would make a piece of toast, butter it then put a scrambled egg on top. I also remember my Mom dunking a thick piece of bread into an egg/milk/vanilla mixture to make my brother and I some French toast.
My husband grew up with fond memories of pop tarts. In fact, one day he showed me a video on YouTube of the many different flavors of pop tarts available. I had no idea there were so many!
When I began milling our own grains I set out to transform some of our favorite dishes that used commodity flour into recipes with freshly milled flour. Thanksgiving stuffing and overnight dutch oven bread were just the start. To make breakfast healthier, I decided to turn the wildly popular but very innutritious toaster pastry into a low sugar, whole grain breakfast food.
This recipe for easy pop tarts with fresh milled flour has all the nostalgia of a breakfast pastry but it is made with only whole food ingredients. It starts with a 100% wheat pie crust that is rolled into a rectangle and cut into small tart shapes. A dollop of real fruit jam is placed into the center of the crust and then covered with another piece of pastry. The edges are sealed and the healthy toaster pastries are baked to a warm, flaky perfection. If you like your pop tarts to be sweeter, be sure to drizzle or spread the vanilla glaze on top!
Is There a Healthier Version of Pop-Tarts?
Pop tarts, commonly known as a highly processed, sugar filled food can be made at home for breakfast or an afternoon snack using wholesome ingredients. This whole wheat pop tarts recipe includes fresh ground flour, healthy fats, fruit and significantly less sugar, making these a healthier version of store-bought pop tarts. Scroll below for the complete recipe.
Tips
If you are new to baking with fresh milled flour, making pie crust with whole grains is not for the faint of heart. Here are a few tips to make the process of creating pie crust with fresh milled flour a smoother process.
- Fresh milled flour pie crust likes to fall apart. Be sure you add enough water to help form a ball of dough but do not overdo as too much water will not create a flaky pie crust.
- It is important to mention that your countertop or cutting board that you roll your dough out on is heavily floured to prevent the pop tarts from sticking.
- A pizza cutter helps to create precise lines and trim off excess pie crust.
- Having a kitchen ruler will help you to keep each rectangle the same size.
- A large, wide cookie spatula works wonders when transferring the finished pop tart from the countertop to the prepared baking sheet.
- Do you want to add a natural color to the pop tart glaze? Add 1/2 tablespoon of jam to flavor and color the glaze.
Tools You May Need
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Food processor
Rolling pin
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Grain mill
Pizza cutter
Baking sheet
Pop Tarts With Fresh Milled Flour
Bring back childhood memories with a homemade pop tart. This flaky toaster pastry is made with fresh milled flour, filled with sweet jam and covered with a creamy vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
3 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lard or palm fruit shortening
10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
4-7 tablespoons ice water
Filling
3/4 cup jam or fruit butter
1 egg
Glaze, Optional
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a food processor, add flour and salt and process until combined. Add lard and process again for about 10-15 seconds. Scatter small pieces of butter over top and pulse until mixture has coarse crumbs, about 15-20 pulses.
Transfer mixture to a bowl. If any butter chunks remain, break them up with your hands or a pastry cutter. Start by adding 4 tablespoons of ice water and press together using a spatula. If dough is still dry looking and does not come together, continue to add remaining water, one tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough in half. Set first half of dough on a heavily floured surface. Carefully roll into a 14” x 10” rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 8 equally sized rectangles. Trim off any uneven edges.
In a small bowl mix egg and 1 tablespoon of water together. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of jam or fruit butter to the center of the rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash around edges. Place the remaining rectangle on top of the jam and use a fork to crimp the edges. Poke a few holes in the top of the whole grain pop tarts. Carefully transfer the tarts to a baking sheet with parchment paper. (A large cookie spatula helps keep everything together during the transfer.) Repeat this process with the remaining half of the dough. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove tarts from oven. Allow to cool. For the glaze, in a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. Drizzle glaze on top of homemade pop tarts. Serve and enjoy!
FAQ
What Should You Fill a Pop Tart With?
Our favorite whole grain pop tart filling is jam. We love strawberry, raspberry and grape jam the best. You could also fill the tart with fruit butters, cinnamon sugar or even a chocolate spread.
What Kind of Dough is Used to Make Homemade Pop Tarts?
These healthy whole grain pop tarts are made with a fresh milled pie crust dough. If you are new to using freshly milled flour, check out my tips above.
What are Some Other Whole Wheat Dessert Recipes?
You can make healthy desserts at home using whole grains in place of all purpose or pastry flour. Some of our favorite whole grain dessert recipes are strawberry shortcakes, cranberry oatmeal cookies and cinnamon rolls.
More Fresh Milled Flour Recipes
Whole Grain Pop Tarts
Add a touch of nostalgia to your morning with these homemade toaster pastries. Baked to perfection with fresh milled flour, strawberry jam and drizzled with a vanilla glaze, these flaky whole grain pop tarts will be a welcome site at the breakfast table.
Ingredients
- Pie Crust
- 3 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lard or palm fruit shortening
- 10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 4-7 tablespoons ice water
- Filling
- 3/4 cup jam or fruit butter
- 1 egg
- Glaze, Optional
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. In a food processor, add flour and salt and process until combined. Add lard and process again for about 10-15 seconds. Scatter small pieces of butter over top and pulse until mixture has coarse crumbs, about 15-20 pulses.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl. If any butter chunks remain, break them up with your hands or a pastry cutter. Start by adding 4 tablespoons of ice water and press together using a spatula. If dough is still dry looking and does not come together, continue to add remaining water, one tablespoon at a time.
- Divide dough in half. Set first half of dough on a heavily floured surface. Carefully roll into a 14” x 10” rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 8 equally sized rectangles. Trim off any uneven edges.
- In a small bowl mix egg and 1 tablespoon of water together. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of jam or fruit butter to the center of the rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash around edges. Place the remaining rectangle on top of the jam and use a fork to crimp the edges. Poke a few holes in the top of the whole grain pop tarts. Carefully transfer the tarts to a baking sheet with parchment paper. (A large cookie spatula helps keep everything together during the transfer.) Repeat this process with the remaining half of the dough. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove tarts from oven. Allow to cool. For the glaze, in a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. Drizzle glaze on top of homemade pop tarts. Serve and enjoy!
