Vegan Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts

Ingredients

Filling

• Brown sugar - ¾ cup
• All-purpose flour - 1 tablespoon
• Ground cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
• Maple Syrup - 2 tablespoons

Pastry

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Vegan butter - 10 tablespoons - Cold and cubed.
• Ice water - 2 - 4 tablespoons

Glaze (optional)

• Confectioners’ sugar - ¾ cup
• Non-dairy milk - 1 tablespoon
• Vanilla extract - ¼ teaspoon

Instructions

The time needed: 3 hours and 30 minutes.

How to Make Vegan Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts

1. Prepare the Filling: Mix all the ingredients and set them aside.
2. Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt together. Add cold unsalted vegan butter. Using the tips of your fingers or pastry cutter, mix the ingredients.
3. Drizzle ice-cold water over the mixture one tablespoon at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until the dough begins to form. Add ice water in one tablespoon increments until the dough can develop into a ball but is not sticky. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 - 30 minutes.
4. Shape the Dough: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in two. Place half the dough onto a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle shape. Roll dough to a ⅛-inch thickness. Cut the dough into an even number of 4 x 3-inch rectangles. Move half of the rectangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Repeat with the other half
5. Assemble: Place one tablespoon of filling in the center of the baking sheet rectangles. Using your finger, lightly dot water around the border. Place a rectangle on top and press the ends together. Seal the edges by crimping with a back of a fork until all rectangles are sealed. Poke a few additional holes into the top of the pastry.
6. Chill and Bake: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Cover the baking sheet with cling wrap. Chill for an hour in the refrigerator or the freezer for 20 minutes. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
7. Prepare the Glaze (Optional): In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients together. The glaze should be at a spreadable consistency. If the glaze is too thick, add a teaspoon of non-dairy milk. Wait until the pop-tarts cool then using a knife, spread the glaze across the top. Leave glazed tarts on the counter to harden.

Expert Tips

Work Fast - The key to good pastry is keeping the fat (vegan butter) as cold as possible. The fat creates flaky layers. If the dough becomes too soft and pliable, place it in the refrigerator to firm back up.

Weigh Ingredients - Bakers prefer to use metric measurements (weight) for precision. If baking with volume (cups) measurement, gently heap ingredient over the top of the cup. Then take a knife and scrape the top for level measurement. I recommend using this for flour, cinnamon, and confectioners sugar.

VERY Lightly Flour Surfaces - Too much flour results in a tougher pastry. Most of the extra flour happens when surfaces are over the flour.

Make-Ahead and Storing

Make-Ahead and Refrigerate Instructions: Store in an airtight container for three days on the counter or in the refrigerator for six days. When you are ready, reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.

Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked pop-tarts without glaze (sorry, the glaze does not freeze well). Place in an airtight container and store for up to three months. To reheat, place them in the oven for 10 minutes. Do not put them in a toaster.