This Mini Vegan Poptarts recipe is super simple and absolutely delicious. For this vegan pop tarts recipe I combine flakey homemade pie dough with store bought jam and top them off with a simple glaze.
Baking is cathartic for me so I’ve been doing a lot of it. Sometimes I love a more involved multistep process like Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting. Sometimes I want a one step item like Jumbo Double Chocolate Cookies or Peanut Butter Blondies. And sometimes I want something in between that is easy to make, but more interesting than a cookie. And for times like that, Mini Vegan Poptarts with Glaze are the perfect treat.
These Mini Vegan Poptarts are like mini homemade toaster strudel, but better! They’re made of flakey and tender pie dough filled with store-bought jam with a simple glaze. They are simple to put together, and so delicious! And, they’re a super cute brunch or dessert option- because everything is cuter when its mini.
Pie Dough Mixing Method
Pie dough is one of those items that can be tricky to master. Its very few ingredients so technique really matters. There are many pie dough recipes out there that are made in a food processor or even in a mixer, but I prefer to mix by hand. You have much more control and are less likely to overwork the dough when mixing my hand. And for thia vegan pop tart recipe, good, tender, flakey pie dough is crucial!
Choosing the Right Butter
I start by cubing the butter and placing it back into the refrigerator to chill. Cold butter is crucial for flakey pie crust for these Vegan Pop Tarts. And its also important to use a type of non-dairy butter that comes in stick form such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks. Non-dairy butter that comes in stick form has a more firm texture than the stuff in the tubs that is formulated for easy spreading.
Tips for Flakey and Tender Dough Every Time
For the flakiest and most tender dough, I like to cut the butter into the flour with two forks, which act as a pastry cutter. So, if you have a pastry cutter, feel free to use that. The butter is cut in until its the size of small peas. Its important to have little pieces of butter because thats what makes the baked dough flakey and the Vegan Poptarts incredibly tender and just like homemade toaster strudel!
Then, a small drizzle of white vinegar which acts as an additional tenderizer. And finally ice water a tablespoon at a time tossing the dough with your hands until everything just sticks together, wrap it in plastic and let it chill in the refrigerator.
The chill time is also important for a tender pie crust. mixing the dough works the gluten in the flour, so its important to let it relax. Your patience will be rewarded with tender and flakey Mini Vegan Poptarts.
If you don’t want to make these mini, then don’t! You can make the you can make these vegan poptarts as big as you like.
You can use any variety of jam you prefer in this vegan poptart recipe. I used store bought seedless blackberry jam by Trappist. These Mini Vegan Poptarts are delicious with any flavor, homemade or store bought.
Mini Vegan Poptarts with Glaze
Ingredients
For the Pie Dough
- 9 Tbsp Non-Dairy Butter, cut into cubes and chilled
- 18 Tbsp All Purpose Flour This is 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp
- 2 tsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp White Vinegar
- 3-4 Tbsp Ice Water
For the Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Jam
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2-3 tsp Cold Water
To Put The Tartlets Together
- 1/2 Cup Store Bought Jam I used Blackberry Trappist Preserves
- Small Bowl of Water
Instructions
To Make the Pie Dough
- Combine flour, sugar and salt into a medium bowl. Add cold butter cubes and cut the butter into the dry mixture with two forks of with a pastry cutter until the butter is the size of small peas.
- Add vinegar to the bowl, then add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using your fingers to toss the mixture together. Add just enough water to make the dough stick together.
- Gently press the dough into a rectangle, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
To Assemble the Tartlets
- Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and place onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.
- Using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut as many circles as possible, the remove the scrap dough, press it together, wrap in plastic and place back into the refrigerator to chill again.
- Wet your finger in the small bowl of water and wet around the edges of each dough round.
- Then, scoop about 1 1/2 tsp of jam into the center of half of the dough rounds. Top them with the jamless dough rounds and gently press around the edges with your fingers, then using a fork, crimp around the edges to seal them.
- Tranfser the tartlets to a parchment lined baking tray.
- Repeat with the remaining pie dough. You will get 10-12 tartlets. Once you are finished, place the baking tray of tartlets in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 400* F.
- Bake the tartlets for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden around the edges.
Mix the Glaze
- While the tarts are baking, mix the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, jam, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add water a teaspoon at a time whisking until the glaze is thick but pourable.
Glaze the Tartlets
- To glaze the tartlets, wait until they are cool and then either hold them from the bottom and dip the tops in the glaze, or place them on a cooling rack and spoon the glaze on top of the tartlets. Allow the glaze to set for and hour and serve!
