Subtly sweet, a little toasty, and totally nostalgic are all perfect descriptors for fall and for these mini apple butter pop tarts! Whether you grew up eating pop tarts or not, these vegan and gluten-free treats are sure to steal your heart.
They’re buttery, flaky, cinnamon-infused, and everything you want in a fall treat. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make and require just 9 ingredients. We hope you love them as much as we do! Let’s pop to it!
How to Make Gluten-Free Pop Tarts
The flaky gluten-free dough for these pop tarts relies on a combination of gluten-free flours for a balance of structure and tenderness: almond flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and arrowroot starch. Sea salt and cinnamon add flavor to the dough.
You can make the dough in a bowl using a pastry cutter or fork, but our preferred method uses a food processor. Not only is it easier, but it quickly breaks up the vegan butter while keeping it cold, which maximizes flakiness!
Next we add apple butter and maple syrup to the dough, which provides moisture and natural sweetness.
Then we roll out the dough and cut it into cute little squares. Starting to look like pop tarts, right!?
A dollop of apple butter goes between two squares of dough, and then we crimp and seal the edges with a fork.
A final “x” on the top allows steam to escape during baking and prevents cracking.
Pop them in the oven and get ready because gluten-free pop tarts are really happening, friends!
We hope you LOVE these apple butter pop tarts! They’re:
Flaky
Buttery
Perfectly sweet
Subtly spiced
Perfect for fall
& SO nostalgic!
Make a batch for a special weekend treat or enjoy all week long by reheating in a toaster oven. They would also make a delicious and decadent dessert topped with Creamy Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream.
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Butter Cheesecake Bars (Vegan/GF)
- Easy Apple Coffee Cake (GF, Vegan)
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Cider Baked Donuts
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Mini Apple Butter Pop Tarts (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 2/3 cup almond flour (we prefer Wellbee's)
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour*
- 1/2 cup sorghum flour* (plus extra for rolling out)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch* (also called arrowroot flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, cold and cubed (we used Miyoko’s)
- 1/4 cup apple butter (or sub store-bought*)
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
FILLING
- 1/2 cup apple butter (or sub store-bought*)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional if apple butter is unsweetened)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional if apple butter has no cinnamon)
TOPPING optional
- Cane sugar (organic for vegan-friendly)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Also prep your “rolling” station by placing a piece of parchment or wax paper on a clean work surface and dusting it generously with sorghum flour.
- DOUGH: In a food processor (or mixing bowl) combine the almond flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse (or whisk) to thoroughly combine. Add the vegan butter and pulse (or use a pastry cutter or fork) to combine until crumbly.
- Add 1/4 cup (60 g) apple butter (adjust amount if altering the default number of servings) and maple syrup (starting with the lesser amount) and pulse until the mixture comes together into a moist dough ball and there are no obvious streaks of flour. If it seems too dry and isn’t holding together when pressed between your fingers, add the additional tablespoon of maple syrup.
- Working quickly, transfer the dough to your floured parchment or wax paper. Dust the top generously with more sorghum flour and press into a thick, even disk. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle ~1/8-inch thick and about 10×15 inches, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Use a knife, pizza cutter, or small cookie cutter to cut the dough into 24 even squares (or circles).
- Transfer the dough (still on the parchment/wax paper) to a baking sheet and pop in the freezer for about 5-8 minutes. This will help it firm up and become easier to assemble. If using unsweetened/unspiced apple butter, combine it with the optional maple syrup and cinnamon and set nearby.
- Once firm, begin assembling! Using a spatula to pick up each piece, carefully place one rectangle of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and add ~1 tsp of apple butter to the center of the dough, leaving half an inch of dough on the outside. Then place another rectangle on top. Repeat this with the rest of the dough, then use your fingers or a fork to crimp and seal all the edges. Use a paring knife to cut a small X into the center of each pop tart (to prevent cracking) and sprinkle cane sugar on each pop tart (optional).
- Bake the pop tarts for 18-22 minutes until the edges are golden and the tops look soft and pale. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Let cool fully before storing leftover pop tarts lightly covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat in a 350 F (176 C) oven (or toaster oven) for best texture.
Video
Notes
*The closest sub for sorghum flour would be oat flour, but we haven’t tested it in this recipe.
*We tested these with Tap’n Apple Apple Butter Spread and it worked perfectly! If using a store-bought apple butter that’s pre-sweetened with cane sugar, reduce initial bake time to 15 minutes as the pop tarts will bake more quickly.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of maple syrup and without optional ingredients.
Nicole Militello says
Unfortunately, I have never baked anything vegan and therefore do not have many of these flours. I do not mind buying them but, I would like to first try making this with what I have at home. We are a gluten-free family and we have “Pamela’s pancake mix” that has many of the ingredients listed to make most of your recipes. I was wondering if you have ever used this company. I will list the ingredients to her pancake mix.
Hi Nicole! We haven’t tried Pamela’s Pancake Mix and aren’t sure how it would work in this recipe!
Meg says
Hi! Looking to try this recipe and wondered about making ahead and refrigerating or freezing and popping in the oven when we want them? Was just curious if anyone had tried that with success. Love to find new individual desserts that can be prepped and allow us to spend more time with guests. 🙌🏻
Hi Meg, we haven’t tried it, but we think that should work well!
Michelle W says
These little cuties are very good and fairly simple. I made two batches and here’s what worked best for me. Measuring these little squares made my brain hurt, but in the end it was easiest to roll out a 10×10 square and cut it into 25 (fairly) even pieces. Putting the cut dough in the freezer for just a few minutes seemed to dry it out. I think it’s better to work quickly and not freeze if you can. I used Kime’s apple butter at Whole Foods. It’s the cheapest and was totally fine.
Hi Michelle, we’re so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your tips! xo
Erica says
I baked these in my air fryer and they were delicious! I did 8 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was delicious 😋 (I preheated it first)
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Erica! xo
Kirilly says
Hi, This recipe looks delicious and I am excited to try it! I just wanted to clarify, if the recipe as written makes 12 pop tarts, shouldn’t we cut the dough into 24 squares rather than the 12 stated in the instructions, so that there is a top and bottom piece for each pop tart? Maybe I am missing something or have misunderstood the instructions?
Thank you!
Hi Kirilly, thank you for catching this! You are correct, the dough should be cut into 24 pieces to make the mini pop tarts! We hope you enjoy them!
Annie Watson says
Hello! This looks delicious! I was wondering if anyone has made them with AP or whole wheat pastry dough? We don’t have any problem with gluten and if I can use what I have on hand, that would be great.
Hi Annie, we used a combination of whole wheat + all purpose in this similar recipe. We haven’t tested this apple butter version with all purpose flour, but we think it should work! We’d estimate you’d need ~1 3/4 – 2 cups all purpose flour if replacing all the flours, or 1 1/2 cups if keeping the almond flour and just replacing the other GF flours. Let us know if you try it!
Amanda says
Do you think the dough recipe would work with regular all purpose flour as well?
Hi Amanda, we haven’t tested it with all purpose flour, but it might work! We’d estimate you’d need ~1 3/4 – 2 cups if replacing all the flours, or 1 1/2 cups if keeping the almond flour and just replacing the other GF flours. Let us know if you try it!
Erica says
To make this nut free, could I sub the almond flour for more gluten free flour?
Hi Erica, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work. If you try it, we’d suggest adding only 1/3 cup more gluten-free flour blend since it’s more absorbent than almond. Let us know if you try it!
Kat Davis says
Is there a recommended replacement for the almond flour?
Hi Kat, perhaps a seed flour or you could try adding ~1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp more of each of the other flour. However, we haven’t tested it that way and can’t guarantee it will turn out the same. Let us know if you try it!
Nicole says
If i use regular flour will it work?
Hi Nicole, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! We’d suggest keeping the almond flour and using 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour in place of the other 3 GF flours. Let us know if you try it!
Karen says
What if I don’t want to make this recipe gluten-free? What flour would I use?
Hi Karen, we haven’t tested it with all purpose flour, but you could try it! We’d estimate you’d need ~1 3/4 – 2 cups if replacing all the flours, or 1 1/2 cups if keeping the almond flour and just replacing the other GF flours. Let us know if you try it!
Cathleen says
My daughter just started at a nut free school. What would suggest to replace the almond flour?
Hi Cathleen, perhaps a seed flour or you could try adding ~1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp more of each flour, but we haven’t tested it that way and can’t guarantee it will turn out the same. Let us know if you try it!
Alex says
Can one use apple sauce in replace of the apple butter in the pastry? Not easily to come by. Maybe just less because it’s more watery???
Hi Alex, applesauce is much more watery than apple butter so we think the results would probably be a bit different, and we cannot guarantee results. If you try it, you may want to use a bit less in the dough because of the difference in texture. Hope this helps!
Edna says
Wow! This recipe looks like a delicious with a coffe . But I don’t know apple butter . What you suggest to substitute on it?
Hi Edna, you can make homemade apple butter using our recipe (linked in the ingredients). Or if you’re looking for alternate flavor ideas, check out our Strawberry Rhubarb Pop Tarts and Vegan Berry Pop Tarts. Hope that helps!
Rosanne Kilcullen says
Is is possible to fill with other fruit like peaches if you cook them down to a purée?
Hi Rosanne, that should work! Let us know if you try it!
Sara says
Any chance these would with with applesauce instead of apple butter?
Hi Sara, applesauce is much more watery than apple butter so we think the results would probably be a bit different, and we cannot guarantee results. If you try it, you may want to use a bit less in the dough because of the difference in texture. Hope this helps!