As I was trying to come up with a fun recipe for this post, I started thinking about all of Gaby’s favorite foods. Like most 3 years old, Strawberry Poptarts are high up on her list of favorites. I’ve carried a pack of Poptarts in my purse since she was 18 months old for emergencies. However, I decided to put myself to the test and make my own Homemade Strawberry Poptarts!
It might sound a little daunting, but let me tell you, if I can make these — anybody can! I love to challenge myself when it comes to baking. Thankfully, these turned out so good!
When I’m in need of a little “me time”, some of my favorite ways to unwind and reboot are: running, shoe shopping, and a morning (or afternoon) of baking! Not in any particular order, these are just my ways to get my thoughts together, pray, clear my head when I’m thinking too much, and pray a little more.
The condo was so quiet. Gaby was at school. Omar was at work. I could get in my zone with no interruptions for a few hours!
With my Jesus music blasting, I baked, organized my kitchen, and cleaned. I’m not going to lie, it was the best three hours I’ve spent in a long time.
Not to worry — These Poptarts don’t take three hours to make!
Give yourself a good hour and your kitchen will be smelling like a bakery. Gaby came home from school and the first thing out of her mouth was, “Mommy, did you make some-fing?” She knows when mommy’s been baking!
Most importantly, if you need a little alone time in the kitchen, go clear your head and make these Homemade Strawberry Poptarts for your kiddos! They’re going to love them and you, of course! Because these poptarts are gluten free and paleo, I had to go old fashioned and use butter for this dough in order to give these babies good texture!
I hope you’ll give these a try and love them as much as we do!
Homemade Strawberry Poptarts
- Yields: 9 Poptarts
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 – 25 minutes
Ingredients for the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups grass-fed butter, cold and cut up into small pieces
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup your favorite jam (homemade or store bought. I used an organic store bought jam.)
Ingredients for the Icing (optional):
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp almond milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a large food processor, pulse all of the ingredients together EXCEPT the eggs and jam. You want a crumbly mixture. (Side Note: my food processor wasn’t big enough to hold all of the ingredients, so I used a large mixing bowl and pulled out my dough blender and mixed everything together until I had a crumbly dough mixture.)
- Now, add the eggs and pulse together until your dough forms, about 20 seconds. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Flatten the dough into discs on two separate pieces of parchment paper and cover the top of the dough with another piece of parchment. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. If your dough is too soft, pop it in the freezer for a bit.
- Pull one disc of dough out and roll it out into a 9×12 inch rectangle. You want it to be around 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut out 9 rectangles. Place the dough back in the fridge while you do the same thing to the second disc.
- Spoon 1 tbsp of jam in the middle of each rectangle. Use a knife to spread it evenly, leaving a 1/2 inch border around each piece.
- Carefully place a rectangle from the second batch on top of the first batch and use a fork to seal the edges. Now, prick little holes all over the tops of each poptart to allow steam to come out while baking.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and carefully place each poptart on a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a small mixing bowl, add all of the icing ingredients and whisk together. Once the poptarts have cooled, drizzle the icing all over the tops of each one. Allow the icing to harden for about 20 minutes. I added a few sprinkles for fun, but that’s totally optional!
- Eat up, Buttercup!
Notes:
- This dough gets soft QUICK. If your dough gets too soft to work with, pop it back in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then continue.
- If you put too much jam in the middle, it will squeeze out.
- Because these are gluten free and they don’t have preservatives, I store mine in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can leave them at room temp for a couple of days if you choose.
Cheers!
-Whitney
