Is there a more romantic kind of pop tart?! These homemade strawberry pop tarts are wholly and unabashedly inspired by the brilliant and ever-so-classic Middle Eastern combination of pistachios and rose. They’re vegan and contain no refined sugars, making them a much healthier alternative to the Kellogg’s pop tarts of yore. Plus, they contain all the health benefits of strawberries and pistachios, with the sweetest hint of all the medicine and magic of rose.
SOUND DELICIOUS?! HERE YOU’LL FIND:
What Makes These Pop Tarts so Healthy?
Recipe for Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
squeezing healthy into homemade pop tarts
While healthy probably isn’t even in the top ten words that comes to mind when you think of pop tarts, in swoop these homemade strawberry pop tarts covered in pistachios and rose petals to make you change your mind.
what makes these pop tarts so healthy?
These homemade strawberry pop tarts are made with only real food ingredients. The flavors are real too, not artificially derived. The colors are the brilliance of a real red strawberries, the saucy reddish-brown and lime green of pistachios, and the blush of real rose petals.
They’re sweetened only with the natural sugars of strawberries and mineral-rich maple syrup.
And not only are these pop tarts made with quality ingredients, they’re made with some of the most nutritionally dense foods as well.
Here’s an insider’s look into the ingredients used:
- Strawberries are an antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory, and heart-healthy food. They’re an excellent source of fiber, vitamins C and K, as well as minerals such as folic acid, manganese, and potassium.
**Strawberries are also one of the most chemically-laden fruits. They’re typically treated with incredible amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. Be sure to choose organically-grown strawberries when possible.
- Pistachios, like strawberries, are also a great source of antioxidants. They’re rich in fiber and protein, and they’re one of the best sources of vitamin B6, a vitamin vital to healthy blood sugar regulation and the ability of our red blood cells to carry oxygen. Pistachios are also a great source of potassium.
- Perhaps the star of this pop tart show (in my opinion), this recipe also features rose water and rose petals. Rose is a plant with a long history of use in medicine. Like strawberry and pistachio, rose is also an incredibly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food. Its aroma alone is known to help ease stress and anxiety, relieve headaches, and put us in a more relaxed state, more open to experience the pleasures of life.
>>Have you ever made your own rose water? It’s so easy to do! Learn 2 ways to make rose water, all the benefits, & the many ways to use it HERE!
HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY POP TARTS WITH PISTACHIO & ROSE
Treat yourself to the good stuff! These homemade strawberry pop tarts are healthy and extra simple to make, especially if you use your favorite quality store-bought pie crust. They’re filled with a maple syrup-sweetened strawberry chia jam and frosted with a cashew butter glaze, both of which you could easily and happily eat by the spoonful.
I’ll admit it; they don’t even compare to a conventional strawberry pop tart. They’re their own breed. They’re best served fresh, although they will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Just pop in the toaster or conventional oven to re-toast when you’re ready. I recommend not glazing the pop tarts until you’re ready to eat them. Toast, glaze, and enjoy!
Time: ~ 1 hour 30 minutes (+ 1-2 hours for dough to rest)
Makes 6-7 mini pop tarts (~2 1/2″ x 4″)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup strawberries, de-stemmed & chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon rose water (Make your own rose water! Or use store-bought.)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup, or more to taste (I recommending going a tad sweeter than your usual preference, especially if you use an unsweetened dough. In the end, more sweet will really help bring out the strawberry.)
- 1 pie crust dough (Store bought or make your own. This is my fave recipe, although I leave out the sugar & sub in Earth Balance for the butter to make it vegan.)
- non-dairy milk (for brushing tarts before they go in the oven)
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon rose water
- chopped pistachios
- dried & crushed rose petals
- optional: crushed freeze-dried strawberries
METHOD
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350℉.
To Make the Strawberry Chia Filling
- Add strawberries and lemon juice to a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Strawberries will start to break down as it cooks.
- Continue to cook until the mixture turns to a chunky strawberry soup. Use a wooden spoon to help break up the strawberries. Simmer on medium-low heat until mixture thickens and reduces by about 1/2 (~15-20 minutes).
- Then add in the chia seeds. Stir to combine and continue to cook until mixture thickens considerably (~5 minutes). It should be the consistency of jam, something you could spread without it running off the dough.
- Remove from heat, then add in the rose water and maple syrup. Set aside to cool completely.
To Assemble the Pop Tarts
- Allow your pie crust to sit out for ~10 minutes prior to rolling to make it a little easier to work with.
- Roll out your dough onto a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 1/8″ thick and 8″ wide. Then cut long strips measuring ~2 1/2-3″ wide by ~8″ long. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough. (Cutting long strips to fold in half is much easier than trying to cut two matching rectangles.)
**If using a circular store bought crust, you’ll have to adjust this method. I’d start by rolling it a little thinner, then square off the sides as much as possible, taking off as little dough as possible. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Then cut your strips from there and modify as needed. - To each strip of dough, add ~2 teaspoons of strawberry chia jam to one half of the dough. Use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly on one half of the strip of dough, leaving enough of an edge to seal the pop tart.
- After you’ve spread the jam, fold the other half of the dough over on top and use a fork to crimp around all the edges of the pop tart. Once crimped, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat will all remaining pop tarts.
- Once you’re finished assembling the pop tarts, place the pop tarts on the sheet pan in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes to chill. This will let the dough rest and firm it up a bit so that you get a flakier crust.
- After chilling the pop tarts, lightly brush the tops and edges of each pop tart with the non-dairy milk.
- Use a toothpick or sharp knife to poke a few holes (~4-6) in the top of each pop tart to allow steam to escape. Then pop them in the oven and bake for 22-28 minutes or until the tops and edges of the pop tarts turn a light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool ~15-20 minutes before glazing.
To Make the Cashew Glaze & Decorate the Pop Tarts
- While the pop tarts cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, add all ingredients and use a small whisk or fork to combine thoroughly.
- After the pop tarts have cooled a bit, glaze each one with ~1 tablespoon of the cashew glaze. Sprinkle chopped pistachios and crushed rose petals on top. Freeze-dried strawberries also make a lovely garnish. Then sit back and enjoy your healthy and homemade strawberry pop tarts!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 day. They can be enjoyed cold, but I think they’re best fresh or toasted!
I hope you enjoy these unique pop tarts. If you make them, I’d love to know what you think! Comment below or tag me in your pop tart play on Facebook or Instagram.
Happy botanical baking!
The information given in this article is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns at all, it’s always a good idea to check with your health practitioner before consuming certain herbs & medicinal foods, especially if taking any prescription medications.
