Easy Vegan Pop Tarts (Air Fryer or Oven)

These Vegan Pop Tarts are just like the pop tarts from childhood, yet better in every way! They’re flaky, buttery, perfectly sweetened, and free from animal products. Make them at home in your air fryer or oven then top with an easy homemade icing and rainbow sprinkles. Enjoy as a sweet treat or indulgent vegan breakfast! 

Ingredients You’ll Need + Helpful Tips

• Vegan pie crust: We included a super easy homemade pie crust that requires just 5 ingredients, but if you’d like, opt for a store-bought vegan pie crust to speed up the recipe prep time. You can also swap the pie crust for store-bought puff pastry – this will make these vegan pop tarts more like vegan toaster strudels. 
• Strawberry jam: We opted for strawberry jam to make these vegan pop tarts like the classic, but you can use any jam you like. Our Chia Seed Jam would work really well or even our Vegan Cinnamon Butter for a cinnamon sugar-like pop tart.  
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the filling and keep it inside the pie crust. You may be able to substitute tapioca flour, arrowroot powder, or all purpose flour in a pinch. 
• Powdered sugar: For best results, sift the powdered sugar before whisking it with the remaining frosting ingredients. This will prevent the frosting from being clumpy and make it as smooth as possible! And to ensure your sugar is vegan, purchase organic. Conventional sugars are often processed with nonvegan ingredients. 
• Non-dairy milk: A splash of non-dairy milk helps make the frosting the perfect consistency. Feel free to use your favorite, but we’d recommend an unsweetened plant-based milk.
• Rainbow sprinkles: These are optional, but really give these pop tarts that classic Strawberry Pop Tart look! When looking for vegan sprinkles, avoid these ingredients: whey powder or dairy, beeswax, carmine (often in red sprinkles), or shellac. If you can’t find vegan sprinkles in stores near you, there are several options available online. 

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk 
• Spatula
• Air Fryer 
• Rolling pin
• Pastry brush 
• Fork 
• Wire cooling rack
• Spoon or butter knife 

How to Make Vegan Pop Tarts 

1. Start the crust. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed vegan butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is evenly distributed through the flour mixture and resembles breadcrumbs. 
2. Add the water. One tablespoon at a time, add the ice water to the bowl and mix together with a spatula or your hands until the dough begins to come together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Make the filling. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup of the strawberry jam and 1 tbsp of cornstarch until there are no clumps of cornstarch. Set aside.
4. Roll and cut the dough. Once your dough has chilled for at least 30 minutes, roll it out on a clean surface into a rectangle roughly 10”x12” in size and about ¼” thick. Cut off any rough edges so the edges are straight. Cut the dough into 8 even rectangles about 3”x5” each. 
5. If you’re baking in your oven: Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet. 
6. Add the filling. Add 1½ tablespoons of the jam filling to each of the 4 rectangles. Gently brush water around the edges. Top each rectangle with the remaining 4 rectangles of dough and use a fork to seal and crimp the edges.
7. Air fry your pop tarts. Place the pop tarts in the bottom of your air fryer basket or air fryer tray, making sure they do not overlap. Cook for 13-17 minutes or until golden brown. If necessary, air fry in batches and refrigerate any pop tarts that do not fit until ready to air fry.
8. Oven Baking Instructions: Evenly spread the pop tarts onto the baking sheet and bake for 16-22 minutes, or until crispy. 
9. Cool pop tarts completely. Once the pop tarts are cooked, remove the pop tarts and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Make the icing. While the pop tarts cool, make the icing. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam, and oat milk until smooth. 
11. Add the frosting and enjoy. Once the pop tarts are completely cool, add the icing and spread it out with a spoon or butter knife. Add sprinkles if using, then allow the vegan pop tarts to set and enjoy.

Serving Suggestions 

Vegan Pop Tarts make a great breakfast, midday snack, or even a delicious dessert and can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

We love eating them on their own with a glass of Almond Milk. The best way to enjoy pop tarts is to keep it simple! 

Storage Instructions

These vegan pop tarts will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature. We have not tested freezing these pop tarts and cannot be certain it will work well. If you’d like to try to freeze them, we’d recommend freezing them without the icing tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. 

Reheat leftover pop tarts in the air fryer for about 5 minutes at 350°F. The frosting may melt a bit so keep an eye on it! 

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these vegan pop tarts gluten-free?

We haven’t tested it, but if you’d like to give it a try, we’d recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or purchasing a store-bought vegan and gluten-free pie crust. Gluten-free flour blends are created to act similarly to wheat-based all-purpose flours and will likely yield the best results. Using single gluten-free flours such as almond flour or oat flour is not recommended as it would require extensive testing. 

Can I bake these pop tarts in the oven?

Yes! Follow the recipe steps up until air frying and instead of cooking in the air fryer, cook them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden. 

More Vegan Breakfast Recipes You May Enjoy: 

• Vegan S’mores Baked Oatmeal
• Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal (Gluten-free) 
• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
• Golden Milk Cinnamon Rolls w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
• Vegan Crepes
• Classic Vegan French Toast

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!

Print

Nutri Fox.

Disclaimer:  This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase them! Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!