Treat yourself to these homemade Gluten Free Strawberry Pop Tarts with a jammy strawberry filling and flaky, tender olive oil pastry crusts. This gluten free pop tarts recipe is also dairy free, vegan, and AIP/paleo compliant.

Table of contents
Pop tarts are such a nostalgic treat! The original toaster pastries have been a convenient breakfast and snack since the 1960s. However, the brand name Pop Tarts contain wheat, soy, and sometimes even gelatin, as well as artificial flavors and dyes. And conventional homemade versions typically contain gluten and dairy as well. So, I wanted to share my allergy-friendly, vegan and gluten-free pop tarts recipe that all eaters can enjoy! This ‘healthier’ treat is inspired by the classic unfrosted strawberry pop tarts, and are perfect as a summer treat or breakfast pastry!
Gluten Free Strawberry Pop Tarts Recipe
This may be the easiest homemade pop tarts recipe. That’s because I use my quick olive oil pastry crust recipe from my Paleo Apple Tart. This one bowl recipe requires only one grain and gluten free flour, cassava flour. And you don’t need to freeze the fat or chill the dough!
The olive oil creates the softest, flaky crust compared to other vegan and grain-free crusts. It bakes evenly golden brown, has a tender crumb, and crisps nicely at the edges. And it reheats like a dream!
The luscious homemade strawberry jam is a variation of the filling in my vegan and gluten-free Linzer Cookies and Lemon Custard with Strawberry Compote. The longer you stew it, the more concentrated the flavors become as the filling gets perfectly jammy, bursting with real strawberry sweetness and a slight tartness from freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Looking for more gluten and dairy-free desserts with berries? Try my Mixed Berry Galettes, Gluten Free Strawberry Cake, Strawberry Cookies, or Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bars.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities.
Strawberry Filling
- strawberries – both fresh or frozen strawberries will work to make the strawberry jam. I also cut heart shapes out of fresh strawberries and placed them in the cut out, which is completely optional.
- coconut sugar – or maple sugar
- lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best!
- arrowroot starch
Gluten Free Pastry
- cassava flour – I’ve tested this recipe with the Bob’s Red Mill and Otto’s Naturals brands of cassava flour and they both work really well.
- sea salt
- maple sugar – or coconut sugar
- apple cider vinegar – to tenderize the dough
- olive oil – I recommend a lighter variety that will have a more neutral flavor.
- ice cold water


Ingredient Substitutions
- You can use store bought strawberry jam if you prefer. See the Tips & Tricks section for more filling options.
- In both the pastry dough and the strawberry filling, you can use either maple sugar or coconut sugar, or use another granulated sugar if you don’t need this recipe to be refined sugar-free. The main difference is that coconut sugar will make the pastry a bit darker in color.
- In the strawberry filling, you can alternatively use an unrefined liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey if you don’t need the pop tarts to be vegan. Note that a liquid sweetener will thin out the filling a bit more than a granulated sugar, so it’s entirely your preference on the consistency.
- You can use tapioca starch instead of the arrowroot to thicken the jam.
- I don’t recommend replacing the olive oil. While there are a variety of other fats including coconut oil that I often use in other grain and gluten free pie crusts, I don’t recommend using them as substitutes here.
How To Make Gluten Free Strawberry Pop Tarts
Step 1. Make the Strawberry Filling
Combine the strawberries with coconut sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to fully coat the strawberries with the sugar mixture. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat, and gently press down on the strawberries with a potato masher or fork to break up large pieces and help release their juices. Sprinkle in the arrowroot starch, stirring often.
Keep stirring regularly for about 10-15 minutes. The longer you reduce the berries the thicker and more jammy and flavorful the filling will be as the strawberries release more juice, soften and break down. Keep simmering until the jam has reached your desired consistency. Then remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to assemble.

Step 2. Make the Pastry Dough
Prepare the dough by combining the cassava flour, sea salt and maple sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Then slowly add 1/2 cup ice cold water, combining the dough with a spoon or your hands. Continue adding in the ice cold water 1 TBSP at a time, until the dough fully comes together. It should be pliable, but not wet or sticky. Finally, use your hands to knead and bring the dough together into a large ball.



Step 3. Roll Out the Dough
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, divide the ball of dough in half. Roll out each piece between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper from each rolled out piece of dough.
Step 4. Cut the Dough
Using a knife, bench scraper or pastry wheel, trim ragged edges and cut into rectangles measuring 9×12 inches each. Then, cut into 8 smaller rectangles, each measuring 3 x 4.5 inches, for a total of 16 rectangles.
To half of the pastry rectangles, cut out heart shapes, poke holes or make other designs to vent the pop tarts. These will be the top layers of the pop tarts.



Step 5. Assemble the Pop Tarts
Transfer the remaining half of the cut rectangles on the sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet. Place a heaping tablespoon of the strawberry jam in the middle of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Lightly brush the border with water, for sealing the pop tarts.
Carefully top with the remaining dough rectangles and gently press down with your fingers to spread the filling a bit and seal edges. Press the edges with a fork to further seal.
Optionally, you can brush the tops with a browning agent of your choice, and/or sprinkle the tops with maple or coconut sugar. If using the thinly sliced strawberry hearts, place them in the heart-shaped cut out.


Step 6. Bake
Place prepared baking sheet in the the middle rack of the oven, preheated to 375F, and bake the pop tarts for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks
Measure with a Ruler
Use a ruler to ensure the dough is rolled out to an even thickness, about 1/8-inch. This is necessary for the pastry to bake evenly.
Use the ruler as a guide to cut the rectangles. First, create two 9×12 inch rectangles. Cut the 9-inch width in half, lengthwise, at 4.5 inches. Along the 12-inch length, mark off and cut along every 3 inches, widthwise. You’ll get 8 rectangles per sheet of dough.
Alternatively, make 9 slightly smaller pop tarts by cutting the dough into 3×4 inch rectangles. Or, skip dividing the dough and make one large pop tart, adjusting the baking time as necessary.
Avoid Leaks
Don’t overfill the pop tarts to prevent leaking. Ensure you add ventilation and crimp the edges to properly seal the filling inside.
Vent the Pop Tarts
I used a cookie cutter to cut out the heart shape in the tops of the pastry dough, but you can also use a paring knife. While this specific design is totally optional, you do need to allow the steam to escape or else the pop tarts will burst during baking. You can keep it simple by making little slits, a diagonal line, or a cross in the middle with a knife. Or, poke holes with a fork, toothpick, or other sharp object like a skewer.
Optional Browning
In lieu of an egg wash to help achieve a really nice golden brown color and a shiny finish, you can brush the tops with palm shortening or a dairy-free/vegan butter or milk if you’d like. Of course, if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan, feel free to use an egg wash.
Cool Completely
Like all gluten-free baked goods without eggs, allow the pop tarts to cool completely. You can place the baking sheet on a wire rack directly, or allow them to cool in the baking sheet for a few minutes, before transferring to a rack to cool further.
However, reheating them slightly before serving really enhances the texture and brings out the flavor, especially after storing it in the fridge.
Optional Toppings
In lieu of a powdered sugar glaze, you can keep it simple by sprinkling additional maple or coconut sugar on top the pop tarts. Try my maple glaze that I use on Gluten-Free Apple Fritters and Paleo Pumpkin Scones or check out some of these dairy-free icings for more options. If you want to use a glaze, allow the pop tarts to cool fully first before adding it.
Filling Variations
Make different flavors of berry pop tarts with fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or a medley of berries. Try adding some rhubarb to the strawberries (you might want to increase the sweetness since rhubarb is quite tart). Make other fruit fillings with fresh or frozen peaches, cherries, grapes, apricots, or use your favorite flavor of store bought jam.

Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend any substitutions to the pastry crust other than my suggestions in the Ingredient Substitutions sections.
I recommend making this gluten-free pastry dough fresh. If you’d like to make it in advance, I recommend you freeze it and let it come to room temperature before baking. However, I don’t recommend storing the dough in the fridge.
I don’t recommend pre-assembling and freezing the pop tarts either.
Your dough is likely too dry. Ensure you’ve added enough water for the dough to come together so the texture is pliable but not wet or sticky. However, the dough is a bit fragile so if there are any small cracks you can press them back together with your fingers.

Storage & Reheating Instructions
Room Temperature: Store in a sealed container for 1 day.
Fridge: Store strawberry pop tarts in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week. Reheat before serving.
For the strawberry jam, allow to cool fully and store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Store cooled pop tarts in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag, with sheets of parchment paper layered between them. Keep frozen for up to 1 month. Let thaw in fridge or at room temperature before reheating.
Reheating Instructions: These gluten-free strawberry pop tarts reheat beautifully in the oven, toaster, or toaster oven. Preheat toaster oven or oven to 350F and reheat until warmed through. Or, you can broil them on Hi Broil for a few minutes. It will re-crisp really nicely and become even flakier.


Gluten Free Strawberry Pop Tarts Recipe
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 8 pop tarts 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Treat yourself to these easy homemade Gluten-Free Strawberry Pop Tarts. Tender and flaky gluten-free pastry filled with a sweet strawberry jam. They’re vegan & AIP/paleo compliant. A perfect summer treat!
Ingredients
Strawberry Jam Filling
- 1/2 lb frozen strawberries or 1 lb fresh strawberries, halved and hulled (about 2 cups frozen or fresh)
- 2 TBSP coconut sugar
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1/2 TBSP arrowroot starch
Gluten Free Pastry
- 2 1/2 cups cassava flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 TBSP maple sugar
- 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup ice cold water** (divided)
Optional Garnish & Decor
- 8 thin strawberry slices, cut into heart shapes.
- Maple or coconut sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Strawberry Jam Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add strawberries, coconut sugar, and lemon juice. Stir to coat the strawberries in sugar mixture completely, allowing to macerate. If using frozen strawberries, allow to melt, stirring intermittently.
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low or low-medium, allowing it to simmer.
- Use a potato masher or fork to break up the strawberries and help release their juices.
- Sprinkle in the arrowroot starch, stirring with a spoon. Break up any large, undissolved pieces of starch against the side of the pot or remove from the mixture with a fork.
- Continue to simmer and stew the mixture for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until it reaches your desired consistency.*
- Remove from heat. Set aside and let cool until ready for assembly.
Gluten Free Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- To a large bowl, add cassava flour, sea salt, and maple sugar. Mix together with a large wooden spoon, then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- To the center, add the apple cider vinegar and olive oil.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup ice cold water and begin to combine the dough with the spoon or your hands.
- Add the remaining ice cold water 1 TBSP at a time until the dough comes together.** The dough should be soft and pliable but not wet or sticky. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a large ball.
- Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the ball of dough in half so you have two equally sized pieces of dough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough between two sheets of parchment paper, into large rectangles about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper from each.
- Trim both rolled out pieces of dough into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle with a sharp knife, bench scraper, or pastry wheel.***
- Cut each sheet of dough into 8 rectangles measuring 3 x 4.5 inches.**** You should have a total of 16 rectangles, 2 for each pop tart.
Assembly
- To half of the rectangles, cut out a heart shape or any other design of your choice, to allow pop tarts to vent. Or, poke docker holes into the dough using a fork or toothpick. This will be the top layer of the pop tarts.
- Transfer the remaining half of the rectangles on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. This will be the bottom layer of 8 rectangles.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of the strawberry jam in the center of the 8 bottom layer rectangles. Leave a 1/2 inch border of dough to seal the edges.
- Using a brush or your fingertips, gently brush the border edges with water so the two layers will stick together.
- Carefully lift the top layers and gently place on top of the bottom layer rectangles. Use your fingertips to gently press down to distribute the filling and seal the edges.
- Crimp the edges of all 8 assembled pop tarts by pressing down with the tines of a fork to further seal and prevent the filling from seeping out.
- Optional, place the thin strawberry heart slices in the pastry dough cut outs.
- Optional, brush with a browning agent of choice if desired.
- Optional, sprinkle with maple or coconut sugar if desired.
- Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.*****
- Remove from the oven and place baking tray on a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before handling.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*If using frozen strawberries you may want to reduce the mixture longer as it will spring additional water. Additionally, the longer you stew and reduce the mixture, the thicker, more flavorful and jammier it will be.
**Depending on your climate/altitude, you might need to use more or less water than the recipe calls for. Use your discretion to determine how much water is needed so that the dough’s texture is soft and pliable but not sticky or wet.
***Use a ruler to help measure the thickness of each sheet of dough as well as the size of the rectangles.
****See step by step photos for reference.
***** You can begin checking at the 15 minute mark. If you want the pop tarts to become more golden brown, continue to bake for a few more minutes.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snacks
- Method: Baked, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free goods that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. Unlike conventional pop tarts, my homemade Gluten Free Strawberry Pop Tarts are completely grain-free, vegan, AIP and paleo. No artificial colors or flavors. If you try it, I would appreciate it if you would give it a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
So delish. Mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty as yours, but they taste just as delicious. And the next day it just popped in the air fryer to warm up.