Homemade Healthy Poptarts
By
Yay…the promised poptart recipe!!
I truly don’t like boxed poptarts…blech. But these I DO like…which is why I hesitate to even call them poptarts. Can we call them Delightful Little Jelly Pastries? Maybe we could call them Flaky Fruity Melty Yumminess?
At our house, I suppose I’d have to call them “Gone“. Or “The Empty Plate“. They don’t last long. :)
For the crust, I found that using the same recipe I use for my Homemade Pizza Pockets and Mini Apple Pies works the best. Buttery and flaky…and oh so easy.
Homemade Healthy Poptarts
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup plain yogurt
About 5 ounces of 100% fruit jelly or jam – any flavor you like!
Begin by mixing the flour, salt, butter and yogurt. If you want to soak this dough overnight to break down the phytic acid and make the grains more digestible, go for it. Just be sure to soak the dough on the counter overnight, not in the fridge, or the dough will be terrible to work with! (The recipe will work with or without this step.)
Knead the dough just a little bit to make it nice and workable. Roll out the dough on a large, well floured surface. Use a knife to cut the dough into the desired poptart size you would like. I tried to cut mine into “normal” poptart sizes. But nothing I ever do is very normal so I came out with a nice variety of sizes.
Place about a 1/2 teaspoon of jelly on 1/2 of the dough rectangles (squares?).
Spread the jelly around, leaving the edges free.
Find a second square or rectangle or thingamajigger that matches closely
with each jellied one. Place it on top and use a fork to seal the edges.
Lay each poptart in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake in a 350° oven for about 25 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
This recipe makes around 15-20 poptarts, depending on how big you make them.
I have found that making them ahead of time and then putting them in our toaster oven to re-heat makes for a very fast and popular breakfast! These CAN be frozen as well. Bake them first, let them cool and the freeze until you’re ready to re-heat and eat!
Is it just me, or is it more than a little bit tempting to reach through the screen to lick the jelly oozing out of that poptart?
Edited to add: Many of you who are new to this site are commenting that while this is a healthier poptart, this isn’t necessarily a healthy breakfast. Sure, good point. I totally hear what you’re saying. This was a reader requested recipe. Many are taking baby steps toward better nutrition and working their way “out of the box” when it comes to feeding their families. If you’re looking for a healthier variety of Poptart…this is your recipe. If you’re looking for a special treat for your family…here you go. If you’re looking for a well balanced diet…don’t eat these Poptarts for every meal. :) (Want to see my menu plans to know how I feed my family regularly? I’d love for you to click over and take a peek!! Maybe you’ll even find more recipes you’re interested in!!)
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I love homemade pop tarts! Sure, they aren’t HEALTH FOOD per se, but anyone who believes they are is just plain silly. And like you, I’m not afraid of a little butter. It isn’t like I’m going to eat one at breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. (Okay, so what if I did a few days ago? Go ahead and judge, I had a bowl of fruit with homemade yogurt, and big green salads at lunch and dinner as well… ;)
My theory on food is this – homemade is ALWAYS better. Even if I’m making candy, it’s still better. We brew our own beer, we make our own wine…and I consume them freely knowing what went into them, how they were prepped, etc, because I MADE THEM. That is the point to be taken away from this – nowhere was it inferred that these are healthy. Serving our families ONLY stuff that would be considered purely healthy sure would get boring after a while. Everyone needs a little treat now and then!
I also use a very, very similar dough to make drunken apple turnover poptarts. Apple butter is also nice, and I’ve been known to make these savory with some cream cheese and either Cowboy Candy (candied jalepenos), or cream cheese and pepper jelly in them for parties.
We also put pb and j in them. And pizza stuffin’s…and cheddar cheese with bacon…you get the picture. ;) I just serve a nice big green salad on the side. hehe.
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I want to make these NOW…LOL. All I have is vanilla greek yogurt? Do you think that would work as an alternative. I’m 15 miles from a grocery store.
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Laura Reply:
April 26th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Sure, vanilla greek yogurt should work fine!
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I love how people in glass houses love to throw stones. Very few people with small children NEVER reach for the easiest option. And I for one think these sound awesome. You could easily work them into a healthy diet, even on a regular basis. I suppose one could use a homemade fruit filling that has no sugar added.. But I think if you served this with a little yogurt on the side, or some fruit that this would be a fairly well balanced breakfast. Thanks for sharing the recipe, regardless of the original feedback you received.
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We had these this morning along as a mid morning snack and we LOVED them! I think I need to roll the dough out thinner, but my husband and daughter absolutely love them! We only had peach jam and apple butter on hand, but once it’s strawberry season we’ll be making some strawberry jam for inside! Thank you for this recipe!!
Kim
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Thanks so much for the recipe. Any thoughts on a ratio of cinnamon and brown sugar to make that version? :)
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Is there a way to make these WITHOUT the yogurt? We have allergies…
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Laura Reply:
May 11th, 2012 at 6:55 am
You can use milk or a milk substitute like coconut milk or rice milk if you want. :)
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Rachel Reply:
September 23rd, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Do you think Almond milk is too thick?
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Laura Reply:
September 23rd, 2012 at 7:57 pm
No, I think it should be fine.
Kate Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Same question. But could I use soy yogurt? My son is allergic to dairy.
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Laura Reply:
June 14th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Yes, that would work, although I recommend coconut milk as a great dairy substitute.
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We made these today- my boys and I had so much fun! I had vanilla yogurt on hand instead, but it was perfect!
You can see a picture of our delights here:
https://www.facebook.com/weakandloved
Thanks so much for posting this!!!
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I would love to do a chocolate version of these…any ideas?
Your blog is one of my very favs.! Thank-you for all of the time you put into sharing all of your wonderful recipes & pictures with us. :)
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Laura Reply:
May 19th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
I need to experiment with that idea!
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Kris Reply:
May 24th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Try using Nuttella.
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Faeyth Reply:
August 24th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
I wonder if the fudge sauce made from coconut oil, cocao powder and
agave nectar (or Stevia) would work for that. I was just thinking it
too! :) Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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Faeyth Reply:
August 24th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Ooops! Vanilla is also in that homemade chocolate sauce
Paudy Byrne Reply:
September 3rd, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Try using Nutella instead of the jelly/jam
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If you want to make the poptarts healthier use apple sauce instead of butter
Use greek yogurt. Add whet germ and flax and add whey protein
Make the jelly yourself.
Use agave or a low carb syrup or zero sugar or none at all fruit is already sweet
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jsnels Reply:
October 2nd, 2012 at 5:38 am
Could you please detail amounts of flax/whey/applesauce? Have you experimented with other protein sources? I try to include protein (usually nuts) into my baking, as I have a very particular eater and need to be sneaky. Thank you!!!
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Thank you so much for posting all these delicious recipes. I have made these poptarts before and my munchkins ate them all up in no time. Will definitly be making them again soon.
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I have a question! :) How do you soak dough? I’ve never heard of it, but since you said it makes the grains a bit more digestible, I’m wanting to try it. I have been grinding my own grains for the last 8 years would love to see if soaking the dough helps some of my other recipes too! :)
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These are great for a quick after school snack. I use 1/2 c butter and 1/2 c coconut oil and they turn out perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!
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REALLY random question here. Do you think these could be made with mashed sweet potatoes or steamed, mashed carrots (or other veggies) inside? Also, could other kinds of flour be used, like oat flour or rice flour?
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Laura Reply:
June 14th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Hmm, never thought about doing something like this, but it would be worth a try.
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Did you mix your flour, yogurt, salt, butter by hand or in a machine..?
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Laura Reply:
July 3rd, 2012 at 6:07 am
I just mix it by hand.
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I am imagining pineapple cherry filled Pop-tart with coconut icing..
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Jennifer Reply:
March 24th, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Mmmmmm! That sounds yummy!!!
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Awesomeness!
If well balanced is what people are looking for, serve with an apple.
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I am wondering if these would work for crescent rolls….I would roll them onto a dowel and cook over a campfire. Any better suggestions?
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
August 28th, 2012 at 10:12 am
Ohhh! That sounds amazing! I think you are onto something…
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After wanting to make these for forever, I finally made them today! We love them!!! So good!!! Why, oh why did I wait so long??? Thanks so much, Laura!
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Just made these…SO easy to make….maybe 20 minutes.
As far as healthy…sometimes as a treat, I buy organic pastries…to avoid the crud in the real deal…so…these are an AWESOME option – much cheaper & better tasting :) These will be entered in to our “family favorite recipes” book.
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I didn’t see a reply on how to soak the dough and I am curious as well as I have never done that before.
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Laura Reply:
September 6th, 2012 at 8:01 am
To soak this, you can just mix all the ingredients together, cover, and let it sit on the counter overnight.
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The thing is, these are much better than what you get at the store! That’s what makes them a “healthy” alternative. I rarely buy any canned or boxed things anymore since I discovered that I can make those things at home and I love Heavenly Homemakers!!
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I was curious if you think you could throw in maybe scrambled eggs and sausage? Maybe a little salsa…make it a grab and go breakfast. Not sure if the pastry would hold up? Any suggestions?
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Laura Reply:
September 11th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Yes, that would work, although I think you’d need to do more of a “fold over” method with the dough to maybe make a breakfast pocket of some sort. :)
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Thank you, thank you…I always wanted a potart with lemon, and now I’ll make my own.
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HI! I completely stumbled onto this site by accident, and I’m so excited about it :) I went Paleo (very clean eating) about a year and half ago. I didn’t transition my two small children, but I do want to see them eat healthier foods. Of course, they love the junk, and I’m excited to try this pop tart recipe and your granola bar recipe. Kudos to you for demanding better for your family and sharing with the rest of us! I am definitely bookmarking this site for future use :) Thanks again!
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Laura, making the poptarts and my dough is crumbly, any particular reason? sometimes I wish I had your number so I could call you but then again, you’d get so many calls from me you’d have to block my number, LOL. thanks
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
December 10th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Haha! Laura is too sweet to ever block a number. ;) Try using more water next time and see if that helps.
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
December 10th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
I meant to say butter or yogurt and my fingers typed water…Sorry!!! :)
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So I’m thinking of doing this. It with fresh fruit…has anyone tried this? Any points or advice?
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I am totally looking forward to this! We only eat organic pop-tarts, so this is going to be fun for us to do, and less costly, I hope. Thank you so much for posting this!
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Lynell Reply:
December 30th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
As a follow-up thought, have you made these with Nutella? And…have you ever put an icing on them? Even the organic ones do, so I was just curious. Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
December 31st, 2012 at 6:06 pm
I haven’t, but I think it would be yummy!
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Hi Laura,
I make these for my family regularly, however I do not put jelly in them. I just put pureed fruit or even fruit pieces,applesauce or just blend canned fruit or frozen fruit. It this makes it even healthier and taste really good!
Rachel
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What if you cut the rectangles a little longer then folded it over and crimped all 4 edges…might be easier than finding a matching square :) Thanks for sharing. My daughter is reading along and we want to try them!
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we’ve been making homemade poptarts for some time, and just introduced them to some friends.
We us a pizza cutter when working with the dough, the fun part is seeing what the kids will add as the filler, peanutbutter and jelly, shredded coconut, organic chocolate, it can go on and on.
We have 4 kids between 9 an 19, so it can be fun.
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I just made these & can’t wait to pick up the kids so we can try them.
The dough was very sticky & I had a hard time rolling it out and had to work in a lot more flour. I only got 10 poptarts so I think it was still too thick. Did I go wrong somewhere? Any advice?
I absolutely adore this website and the comments on the recipes are soooo helpful!!
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
I would try to add more flour if they were sticky. That might help a bit. :)
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Fletcher R. Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
Thank you. I did work in more flour, but they were kind of floury tasting. The next time I made them I realized my mistake. I had used vanilla yogurt instead of plain and it was much more watery. The second batch made with regular plain yogurt were just about perfect!!
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These taste wonderful! My 3 kids have no idea what poptarts are, and when I gave up packaged foods I never imagined I’d make them at home one day. But these are quicker and easier to roll and bake than making muffins, and they’re great! My son wants this for his birthday breakfast. :)
I’m going to freeze one from the next batch and see if that works. I’m having a baby in 3 months, and need to stock up on things for my husband to give the kids.
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Reba Cloud Reply:
March 23rd, 2013 at 8:55 am
I haven’t tried these yet (but plan to) but I was reading on another site to freeze them before you cook them. Then when you are ready, pull them out to cook. I may try that…
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I have quite a few soft white wheat berries and I was wondering if I ground those down, do you know if that wld be equal amounts of flour? I also have some over cooked jam that wold be perfect for these! So, I am hoping the wheat berries will be perfect for this.
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Laura Reply:
April 4th, 2013 at 8:22 am
I’m not sure, but you can always add more or less depending on how it mixes up. Just add more yogurt if it becomes to dry or stiff.
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Heather Durfee Reply:
May 21st, 2013 at 10:58 am
2/3 cup wheat berries = 1 cup ground flour
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Have to try these! One store brand tastes and feels like cardboard and the other brand tastes like chemicals! These have to be delicious!
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Someone may have mentioned this already, but I may try adding PB to make homemade Uncrustables.
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These were so good! Absolutely perfect for fast mornings or snacks.
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I see that you have sugar sprinkled on yours. Did you add before baking or after and what did you dampen the dough with to make it stick? Cant wait to try these and I am just trying to think how to make smores tasting ones….nutella and marshmallow fluff????? The possibilities are endless!!!!
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Laura Reply:
May 24th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
I actually don’t have sugar sprinkled on mine – I guess what you see in the picture is the flour that stuck to the dough when I rolled it out! :)
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I just made these and I LOVE THEM! What a good way to take a yummy “box” food loaded with bad stuff and making it from scratch. And my fav part…It was so EASY!
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