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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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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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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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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