These paleo Hot Fudge Pop Tarts are made with simple, good for you ingredients, making them the healthier (and tastier) version of the boxed variety we grew up loving. The hot fudge sundae Pop Tarts were my favorite growing up, which I know is an unpopular opinion, but hey, I loved them! Because of this, I knew I had to recreate them in a dietary friendly way that I could enjoy them. Whether your favorite Pop Tart was the hot fudge sundae or not, I promise you are going to love these!
Hot Fudge Pop Tarts
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, baking with dietary needs is HARD. Getting the correct ratios while using specific ingredients that meet different needs can be very tricky. That being said, when I share a baking recipe, just know that it went through countless rounds of testing and that the end result is worth it! Plus, no tricky steps are ever involved because I believe baking should be able to be accomplished by all skill levels!
That being said, let’s get into how to make these homemade Hot Fudge Pop Tarts.
Tips & Tricks – Read Before Making!
Baking can be very tricky, so it is very important that you follow the recipe exactly and reach out with any questions prior to making. For example, I would not recommend swapping an ingredient with something I did not recommend as it has not been tested and the recipe might not turn out correctly!
- Be sure not to roll the dough too thin as it could stick to the parchment paper/rip and not to keep the dough too thick as it could crack. If it does either, just try again!
- If your dough is having trouble molding together after placing the top piece of dough on top of the other, use the warmth of your finger and a little of the avocado oil from the baking sheet to gently mold the seems together.
- If your dough is cracking on the top piece where the filling is under, simply use the warmth of your finger with a little avocado oil or a tiny bit of water to mend it together. It won’t be a huge deal either way as the frosting will cover it.
- If you over fill the pop tart, the filling could ooze out the sides. This will not impact taste, but be mindful of this based on the size of pop tarts that you cut out!
- Allow them to fully cool to the touch before enjoying! If they are too warm they could fall apart or break in half!
CLICK HERE to watch a video of how I made these for a visual reference!
If you have any questions, please be sure to reach out and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
DIETARY NOTES
This recipe is made with real ingredients and fits seamlessly into the following dietary needs when using the products/brands (or ones that are similar) listed in this post:
- gluten free
- grain free
- soy free
- refined sugar free
- dairy free
- paleo (using the compliant recipe below)
- added sugar free (when using monk fruit sweetener substitutes)
- vegetarian
- vegan
PRODUCTS/BRANDS I USED & RECOMMEND
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and vegan when using the products listed below. Here is a list of what I have tested and used in order to fully recommend each item for this recipe. Click on the following in order to be taken to the specific product:
Paleo Version:
- Cassava Flour
- Vegan Butter
- Pure Vanilla Flavor
- Coconut Sugar
- Powdered Sugar (paleo)
- Almond Milk (vanilla, unsweetened)
- Hazelnut Cacao Butter
Added Sugar Free Version:
- Monkfruit Sweetener (use in place of coconut sugar)
- Monkfruit Powdered Sweetener (use in place of powdered sugar)
The Filling
Let’s talk about the magic that is Artisana Natural’s Hazelnut Cacao Spread (click here to get some off their website!). I was a big fan of the popular chocolate hazelnut spread I’m sure you grew up loving as well, but as I grew up, it no longer fit into my dietary needs. When I took my first bite of Artisana Natural’s Hazelnut Cacao Spread… let’s just say it was followed by countless more spoonfuls after I picked my jaw up off of the floor. It is absolutely AMAZING with ingredients that are just as amazing to match. It’s paleo and made with all natural ingredients that leave me feeling good, which is why I thought it would make the perfect addition to these pop tarts, both as the filling and as a drizzle on top.
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
Here are some more easy and healthy dessert recipes to add into the rotation:
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Better for You Puppy Chow/Muddy Buddies
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Avocado Mousse
- Healthy Gluten Free Cosmic Brownies
- Easy Coconut Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Vegan Chickpea Cookie Dough
FOLLOW ALONG
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see all of the behind the scenes of recipe creation as well as how to videos to watch them come to life! You can also head over to my Pinterest to save all of my recipes in one spot that you plan whip up in the future.
PS – If you make this recipe or any of my other recipes, I would be so grateful if you left a review so I can hear what you think! I also am happy to answer any questions you may have on here, but if you want a quicker response, be sure to shoot me a message on Instagram. Thank you so much and talk soon!
Hot Fudge Pop Tarts
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Knife or Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
Pop Tart Crust
- 1 ½ cup cassava flour
- 1 cup vegan butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cold water, separated in half
- 1 tsp pure vanilla (non alcoholic & no added sugar for paleo)
- ½ cup coconut sugar (sub monkfruit for sugar free, sub regular sugar as needed)
Filling
- 8 tbsp hazelnut cacao spread, separated (I use Artisana Natural's)
Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar (maple for paleo, monkfruit for sugar free)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened nut milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla (non alcoholic & no added sugar for paleo)
Hot Fudge Glaze
- 2 tbsp hazelnut cacao spread (I use Artisana Natural's)
- splash unsweetened nut milk
Optional Topping
- paleo sprinkles, if desired
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine cassava flour and cold, cubed butter. Pulse until fully combined.
- Transfer the flour/butter mixture to a large bowl. Then, add in the sugar, vanilla, salt and 2 tbsp of the cold water. Using your hands, mix everything together.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of cold water and with your hands, mix again until a ball of dough forms. It should be slightly sticky, but not overly so and also not wet or grainy.
- Place the ball of dough in the large bowl and chill in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- While the dough chills just slightly, place two long sheets of parchment paper, side by side, on a cleaned counter top. Sprinkle cassava flour onto one of the pieces of parchment paper to roll the dough.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it onto the piece of parchment paper with the flour. Sprinkle more cassava flour onto the dough ball, covering completely in a thin layer, then top with the clean piece of parchment paper.
- Either using a rolling pin, a wine bottle, or even your hands, roll out the dough into a thin layer (about ⅛ in or so). Be sure not to roll it too thin as it could stick to the parchment paper/rip and not too thick as it could crack. If it does either, just try again!
- Cut the dough into as many rectangles or squares as you can. You can opt to make either 8 smaller Pop Tarts or 4 larger Pop Tarts, depending on what is easier for you.
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil (I use avocado oil spray) and place cut rectangles/squares on the baking sheet.
- Take dough scraps and roll back into a ball, placing in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes. Once chilled, coat in flour and roll again. If the dough is sticking, it is either too thin or it needs more flour sprinkled on it. If it is cracking, use the warmth of your hands and fingers to mend together.
- On half of the pieces of dough, put 1-2 tbsp (depending on the size/if you're making 8 or 4 Pop Tarts) of the hazelnut cacao spread in the center and spread out leaving a good amount of the edges clear.
- Place the other pieces of dough on top of each piece with filling and press down the edge of the top piece onto the bottom piece. Use your finger to smooth and form the edges together as well.
- Using a fork, press down on the edges to seal them together and poke holes all along the top over where the filling is.
- Bake the Pop Tarts for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size, or until golden/golden brown. Note that white sugar or monkfruit will be golden and coconut sugar will be golden brown.
- Once finished baking, move them to a cooling rack to cool to the touch.
- Once they are completely cool, combine the frosting mixture and the hot fudge drizzle and decorate the top of each. Finish it off with some sprinkles if desired.
This looks so good! What a great brunch to make on the weekend!
Couldn’t agree more! Let me know if you have a chance to try it. 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
For sure! I keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days, but they’ve never lasted longer than that because we can’t keep out of them. 🙂
Just found this recipe and wanted to know how you store and reheat leftovers? I’m participating in a bake off and need to heat them up right before. Do I need to hold off on icing until day of or could I reheat without the icing melting? I plan on doing like an apple pie filling so it does need to be warm.
To be honest I just eat them out of the fridge when I make them because the filling doesn’t need to be hot. I would reheat them gently before serving them top with the icing if you’re hoping to make them presentable for a bake off!