Spooky salted caramel pop tarts - Amy Myers MD®

Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts

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Written by Amy Myers, MD

Get ready to cast a spell on your taste buds with these spooky delicious Halloween pop tarts. A true twist on the classic pop tart transforms these into ghoulishly good gluten free delights. Featuring my Salted Caramel Protein Powder, these caramel pop tarts are oozing with rich collagen-specific amino acids. Each bite bursts with rich, gooey caramel apple filling leaving your taste buds under a spell, wanting more! 

Ingredients to make Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

Gluten Free Pop Tarts

If you grew up like most kids, you’re no stranger to the world of Pop-Tarts. These delectable pastries were introduced as a breakfast staple in 1964. Despite the delicious flavors, these toaster tarts were anything but a nutritional breakfast. Pop-Tarts are filled with processed ingredients, preservatives, and refined sugars, still, to this very day. That’s why my gluten free pop tarts are such a treat. Your kids will love them too!

The pop tart dough uses cassava, coconut, and arrowroot flour. That way, you can still get a nice flaky crust without any of the gluten. I also use coconut oil and palm shortening to hold it all together. You’re going to love how much better these Salted Caramel Pop Tarts taste compared to the store-bought ones!

Caramel Apple Filling

Most pop tart fillings use artificial flavors, colors, and other ingredients. Not these! For these gluten free pop tarts, we’re using fresh apples for a wholesome, satisfying indulgence. It doesn’t stop here, though! I also added a scoop of my Salted Caramel Protein Powder to turn this into a powerhouse holiday delight. This irresistible caramel apple filling uses a pinch of arrowroot and coconut flour to help thicken the pop tart filling up. After all, no one wants runny filling! 

Does it matter what type of apples you use? Not really. In fact, it all depends on how flavorful you’d like your caramel pop tarts to be! If you’re looking for crisp, tart apples, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are good choices. If you prefer more mild apples, Gala and Fuji are the way to go. Either way, make sure you only use organic apples!

Salted Caramel Protein Powder

The secret to making these apple caramel pop tarts extra delicious is my Salted Caramel Protein Powder. Most conventional caramel flavors come with refined sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavors. These gluten free pop tarts get a much healthier alternative!

Adding one scoop of Salted Caramel Paleo Protein to the pop tart filling gives this holiday treat a rich, caramel flavor. Caramel and apple are one of those perfect flavor combinations. The hydrolyzed protein powder formula makes it easier to digest and absorb. It also provides 21 grams of grass-fed, pasture-raised collagen protein. Your body needs protein to nourish hair, skin, joints, and the gut. Protein also helps build and repair tissue.

How To Make Gluten Free Pop Tarts

These Salted Caramel pop tarts take about an hour to create. You can take these to gatherings and simply enjoy them at home. If you’d like to make a more generic fall-themed treat, consider leaving the eyes off or using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter. 

Gather your wet and dry ingredients and preheat your oven to 400° F.  While the oven warms up, mix your coconut oil and palm shortening together in a medium-sized bowl. This is the beginning stage of the pop tart dough. Place the dough in the freezer and let chill for between 10 and 15 minutes. These are the fats that help create that crispy, flaky crust.

Making the Caramel Apple Filling

Making the caramel apple filling for the Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

While the pop tart dough chills, we’ll get started on the apple caramel apple filling. Go ahead and wash, peel, core, and chop all your apples. The size of the chopped apples doesn’t really matter since we’re going to cook them all down. Once the apples are all chopped up, place them in a medium or large pot with ¼ cup filtered water. Add your tablespoon of lemon juice and the ½ cup coconut sugar. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. The goal is to have nice, soft apples, so make sure to check around the 18-minute mark to see how they’re doing. You can also stir occasionally to make sure all the apples cook evenly.

Making the Pop Tart Dough

Mixing the dough for the Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

While the pop tart filling cooks, let’s go back to preparing the dry ingredients for the pop tart dough. Combine your cassava flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, and salt in a medium bowl. The fats are ready when they look almost chilled solid. Remove the fats from the freezer and cut them into the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter or fork to do this. Mix well until the pop tart dough looks crumbly, with pea-shaped pieces.

Now it’s time to add in the apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar helps the pop tart dough rise. After this, add your ice water one tablespoon at a time. You will need at least five tablespoons of water for this. The pop tart dough should begin to come together really well. When the dough is almost mixed, place it on parchment paper or a cassava-floured surface. Using your hands, form the pop tart dough into a disk. 

Finishing the Caramel Apple Filling

Caramel apple filling done cooking for the Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

By now the pop tart filling should be almost done cooking. Place the dough in the fridge while you finish the caramel apple filling. Once the apples are nice and soft, add two teaspoons of arrowroot flour, as well as a scoop of Salted Caramel Protein Powder. Stir into the mixture. In batches, scoop the mixture out and pulse in a food processor or blender until it looks like applesauce. Return the mixture to the pot to cool.

Rolling Out Your Dough

Rolling out the dough for the Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

As the caramel apple filling cools down, remove the pop tart dough from the fridge. Using a rolling pin or similar tool, roll out your dough until you reach a ¼ inch thickness. Cut out six pieces about 3”x 5” in size. Split the pop tart dough into two sections. With your rolling pin, roll out one pie section on the floured surface. Cut off the rounded edges to make a square shape. Next, cut the rest of the sections and carefully place them onto a large parchment-lined bake sheet. Repeat the process to make strips for the mummy layers. You can mold the dough back into a back and roll it out one more time if needed. Once you line all the strips, seal the edges with coconut oil. This will act as a glue for the mummy layers.

Sectioning the dough into rectangle and brushing them to prepare for baking - Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

Pop Tart Filling

Filling each pop tart with caramel apple filling - Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

Once the caramel apple filling cools, spoon two teaspoons of pop tart filling in an even layer over the top of each crust square. Be sure to leave about ½ inch around each edge. Carefully place dough strips along the top of the apple sauce layered crust pieces. Pinch the edges underneath to seal them closed. Continue to crisscross strips of pot tart dough to make the pastries look like a mummy. Make sure to leave room for the eyes at the top. 

Baking the Pop Tarts

Now they’re ready to bake! Pop the gluten free pop tarts in the oven and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. They should be golden brown and cooked through.

Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts finished baking - Amy Myers MD®

Once they're done, remove the Salted Caramel Pop Tarts and let them cool. Decorate as desired. For the mummy decoration, you'll simply melt dairy free white chocolate and pipe small circle on. Place a cacao nib for the pupil.  

Melted white chocolate for the eyes - Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

As you devour the last crumbs, the bewitching spell of these gluten free pop tarts will have you wanting more. Enjoy these Halloween pop tarts with a tall glass of my Pumpkin Spice Paleo Protein! Simply mix one scoop in water or coconut milk and enjoy!

Salted Caramel Paleo Protein - Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts - Amy Myers MD®

Spooky Salted Caramel Pop Tarts

Course:

breakfast, dessert

Protocol:

Autoimmune Solution, Paleo, Candida

Servings:

6

Prep Time:

25 minutes

Cook Time:

15 minutes

Ingredients

Dough:

  • ¼ Cup Coconut oil, chilled
  • ¼ Cup palm shortening, chilled
  • ¾ Cup Cassava flour
  • ⅓ Cup Arrowroot flour
  • ¼ Cup Coconut flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
  • 6-8 Tablespoons Iced water

Filling:

  • 2 ½ cups apples, peeled and chopped 
  • 1 scoop Salted Caramel Protein Powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
  • 2 Teaspoons arrowroot flour
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 tsp coconut oil melted- for sealing the dough 

Eyes:

  • Dairy free white chocolate, melted 
  • Cocoa nibs, for the pupils

Instructions

Making the eyes:

  1. Break the white chocolate into smaller pieces for easier melting.
  2. Melt the Chocolate using a double boiler method.
  3. Place the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water and stir continuously until fully melted.
  4. Spoon the melted white chocolate into a small piping bag.
  5. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, gently pipe small balls of melted white chocolate.
  6. Make sure there is enough space between each ball to avoid merging. 
  7. Add 1 small cocoa nib in the center for the pupil. 

Pop Tart Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  2. Measure the coconut oil and palm shortening, mix them together and place in the freezer to chill for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Peel and chop the apples. Place in a pot with ¼ cup water, lemon juice and coconut sugar. Bring to a boil then cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the apples have softened. Stir occasionally.
  4. Add all of the dry ingredients for the crust (cassava flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, and salt) into a medium bowl. When the fats are almost chilled solid, cut them into the dry ingredient using a pastry cutter or fork to fix until the dough resembles pea shaped pieces. 
  5. Add in the apple cider vinegar, and add in the ice water one tablespoon at a time. Make sure to use at least five tablespoons of water. When the dough is almost mixed, place it on the table to form a disk using your hands. 
  6. Place in the fridge while you finish the filling.
  7. Once the apple filling has cooked, add the arrowroot flour and the Salted Caramel Protein Powder and pulse the apples in a food processor or blender until they resemble apple sauce. 
  8. While the filling cools, roll out your dough. 
  9. Roll the dough out to ¼ inch and measure 6 pieces 3 inches by 5 inches.
  10. Split the dough into two sections then, roll out one pie section on a counter lined with cassava flour, and cut off the rounded edges to make a square shape.  
  11. Cut the sections and carefully place onto a large parchment lined bake sheet.
  12. Cut the rest of the dough into strips for the mummy layers.  You can mold the dough back into a back and roll out one more time if needed. 
  13. Seal the edges with coconut oil to act as a glue for the mummy layers.
  14. Spoon two teaspoons of pie filling in an even layer over the top of each of the crust squares, making sure to leave ½ around each edge.
  15. Place strips along the top of the apple sauce layered crust pieces, and pinch the edges underneath to seal them, continuing to crisscross strips of pie crust dough to make the pastries look like a mummy.  Make sure to leave room for the eyes at the top. 
  16. Bake the pastries on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
  17. Once the pastry has cooled, add the eyes.
  18. Happy Halloween!