Are there foods that you ate as a kid that make you feel all nostalgic inside every time you think about it? For me one of those foods is a pop tart. And now that we are in the stage of responsible adulthood, the only course of action is to make a pop tart except make it a giant anti-inflammatory AIP pop tart. Are you ready for this AIP dessert recipe and AIP Valentines Day idea!?
This Giant Strawberry AIP Pop Tart is sure to rock your world. It has the crispy edges, delicious filling, and icing of a classic pop tart all while being anti-inflammatory. The grain-free crust is made using a blend of Cassava flour, coconut flour, and Arrowroot flour. It has a delicious strawberry filling that is sweetened with honey, and we don’t skimp on it. And, it is topped with a strawberry frosting that is SO delicious! This AIP pop tart makes the perfect nostalgic AIP dessert recipe and AIP Valentines day treat (Check out this chocolate cake too!), and tastes better than the original. Finally, it is massive, like bigger than your head! This recipe is AIP, paleo, and vegan, and makes a perfect AIP Dessert!
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My Pop Tart Backstory: The Humble Beginnings of the AIP Pop Tart an AIP Dessert Recipe
Giving you a little bit background on my love for pop tarts. So my mom did not allow those tasty toaster strudels into our house, so it was a special occasion when we got to eat pop tarts. To my very refined adolescent pallet pop tarts were the pinnacle of packaged food.
I remember when I got into adulthood and I saw pop tarts in the grocery store I decided to buy some (from rebellion or nostalgia, who knows?). Excited to relive my childhood I exercised the self control not to eat them on the drive home so I could heat them up like a civilized human. I smelled the sweet pop tart as it warmed up and excitedly I took a bite of the glory and– nothing. It fell kind of flat. I looked at the betrayer, the pop tart, and the illusion was broken. I looked at the off centered frosting, and the thin almost non existent layer of filling. They just didn’t taste like they used to.
It was this memory that spurred me on to create greatness. Behold the Giant Strawberry AIP Pop Tart!
Tips and tricks on making this AIP Valentine's Day Idea
Tips on making the crust for this AIP Dessert Recipe
For a quality crust, make sure you work with quality ingredients, You can find my favorite brands here! Work with COLD ingredients in this crust, this will help it to be nice and crispy. In order to avoid a crumbly crust, make sure to use the recommended amount of water. When you put the oil in, you may think the dough is too wet to add water, the cold water will actually help to solidify the pie dough, so make sure you use the recommended amount of water in the recipe!
The best way to mix the pie crust dough use a pastry cutter (this is a great tool to have if you don’t own one already), food processor, or even a fork can work if you don’t have the other two items.
The easiest way to work with the crust is to roll the dough out on parchment paper or foil. The dough can be fragile so having it on paper will make it easier to handle. If you do not have either available make sure to use plenty of arrowroot flour or tapioca flour to prevent the crust from sticking to the rolling surface.
How to make this AIP pop tart effectively
When I bake I like to bake in the most effective and time saving way. For this AIP dessert recipe, you will want to start by mixing the fats for the pie crust and chilling them. While you make the filling, you will want to work on measuring out the crust ingredients and mixing the crust. For the best outcome, you want to keep the dough chilled so you can roll out the dough while the filling is cooking and stick it into the fridge or just leave the dough in the fridge until the filling is made.
Can I change the fruit in the AIP pop tart?
You can use all sorts of different fruits in your pop tart. I would say for this recipe you could substitute the strawberries for any other berry: blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. This would also work well with peaches or other stone fruits. You will substitute the 2 ½ cup strawberries for another fruit and follow the recipe as written.
Lets make some pop tarts, an AIP Valentines day idea!
Making the filling and the crust
First, Start by measuring out the coconut oil and palm shortening. Mix them together and place the mixture in the freezer to chill, the thinner you spread it, the faster it will chill. This recipe works best if it is almost chilled solid. But chill for at least 6 minutes.
After you place the fats in the freezer to chill, measure out the fruit. Do not chop the strawberries, but keep them whole. Measure about 2 ½ cups of fruit, fresh or frozen. If using fresh fruit cut in half and place in the pot with 1-2 tablespoons of water. For frozen fruit, add directly to the pot. Let cook at medium heat for about 7 minutes stirring occasionally.
While the fruit cooks, measure out the dry ingredients for the pastry crust. When the fats are almost chilled solid, add them to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter (if you don’t have one, this is a great tool to keep in your kitchen!) or fork to incorporate the flour and fats.
After 7 minutes of the fruit cooking, add in the honey and lemon juice. Stir until well incorporated and let cook for another 4 minutes. Stirring occasionally so the mixture does not burn.
Finishing the crust and filling
While the fruit is cooking, add in the apple cider vinegar, and add in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Because this crust can come out crumbly, it’s important to use enough water! Make sure to use at least 5 tablespoons. When the dough is mixed, place in the refrigerator while you finish your filling.
Once you have added the honey and lemon and have cooked the strawberry filling for another 4 minutes, add in the arrowroot. This works best if you mix the arrowroot with 1 tablespoon of water before adding to the filling to avoid clumps. After you add the arrowroot, cook for another 2-3 minutes. The filling should thicken, but not still have a jam like consistency it should cook for 13-14 minutes total. Take the filling off the burner and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Assembling the AIP pop tart
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the filling cools, roll out your dough. Split the dough into two sections and roll the first section on your baking sheet into a large rectangle about 9-10 inches long by 7-8 inches wide. To avoid the dough sticking to the rolling pin, use parchment paper on top of the dough or dust it with arrowroot flour. Repeat this process on a parchment paper for the top.
Next add the filling to the bottom crust, reserving 1 ½ tablespoon of jam for the frosting. As you spread the filling about ¼ inch around the edge to crimp the crust. Add the top of the crust onto the pastry. For square edges you can cut the crust and crimp it with a fork or you can skip the cutting step and crimp the crust.
Make slices onto the top of the crust to allow air out of the pastry, and rub the top of the crust with oil. You can sprinkle the top with powdered maple sugar, but that is optional.
Place the poptart in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until the edges are nice and crispy.
While the poptart cooks, make the frosting. Mix together the shortening and coconut butter first. Next add in the honey, powdered maple sugar, strawberry filling and coconut milk. Mix until smooth and set aside.
In this AIP dessert recipe, let the pop tart cool before adding the frosting or it will melt into the pop tart. Cut into pieces and serve immediately or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you liked these AIP dessert recipes, you should check out these!
If you tried this recipe and loved it, it would mean the world to me if you drop a rating and comment below. It helps people just like you find healthy recipes to support them on their wellness journey.
Giant Strawberry AIP Pop Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- ¼ Cup Coconut oil chilled
- ¼ Cup Palm shortening chilled
- ¾ Cup Cassava flour
- ⅓ Cup Arrowroot flour
- ¼ Cup Coconut flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 5-6 Tablespoons Iced water
Filling
- 2 ½ Cup Strawberries whole fresh or frozen
- ⅓ Cup Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 Teaspoons Arrowroot flour
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Frosting
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Coconut butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Palm shortening
- 2 Teaspoons Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Powdered maple sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Strawberry filling
- 1-2 Teaspoons Coconut milk
Instructions
- First, Start by measuring out the coconut oil and palm shortening. Mix them together and place the mixture in the freezer to chill for at least 6 minutes or until solid.
- Next, measure out the fruit. Do not chop the strawberries, but keep them whole. Measure about 2 ½ cups of fruit, fresh or frozen. If using fresh fruit cut in half and place in the pot with 1-2 tablespoons of water. For frozen fruit, add directly to the pot. let cook at medium heat for about 7 minutes stirring occasionally.
- While the fruit cooks, measure out the dry ingredients for the pastry crust. When the fats are almost chilled solid, add them to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or fork to incorporate the flour and fats.
- After 7 minutes of the fruit cooking, add in the honey and lemon juice. Stir until well incorporated and let cook for another 4 minutes. Stirring occasionally so the mixture does not burn.
- While the fruit is cooking, finish making the crust. Add in the apple cider vinegar, and add in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Make sure to use at least 5 tablespoons of water. When the dough is mixed, place it in the refrigerator while you finish your filling.
- Once the strawberry filling has cooked for another 4 minutes, mix the arrowroot flour with 1 tablespoon of water and add to the strawberry mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. The filling should thicken, but not still have a jam-like consistency. It should cook for 13-14 minutes total. Take the filling off the burner and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the filling cools, roll out your dough. Split the dough into two sections and roll the first section on your baking sheet into a large rectangle about 9-10 inches long by 7-8 inches wide. To avoid the dough sticking to the rolling pin, use parchment paper on top of the dough or dust it with arrowroot flour. Repeat this process on a parchment paper for the top of the poptart.
- Next add the filling to the bottom crust, reserving 1 ½ tablespoon of jam for the frosting. Spread the filling leaving about ¼ inch along the edge to crimp the crust. Add the top of the crust onto the pastry. For square edges cut the crust before crimping it with a fork.
- Make slices onto the top of the crust to allow air out of the pastry, and rub the top of the crust with oil. You can sprinkle the top with powdered maple sugar, but that is optional.
- Place the pop tart in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until the edges are nice and crispy.
- While the pop tart cooks, make the frosting. Mix together the shortening and coconut butter first. Next add in the honey, powdered maple sugar, strawberry filling, and coconut milk. Mix until smooth and set aside.
- Let the pop tart cool before adding the frosting or it will melt into the pop tart. Cut into pieces and serve immediately or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Came out great even though I substituted the coconut/palm oil mixture for butter. Husband loved it for Valentines morning
I’m glad it was a Valentine’s day hit! I bet the butter tasted great in the crust!