It’s hard to fill the shoes of a beloved childhood breakfast (I can’t believe we ate that much sugar for breakfast!), but these legendary Protein Pop Tarts really deliver.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pop Tarts have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, but the list of ingredients on the back of the box is no bueno. I was satisfying my craving with these Cinnamon Roll Waffles, and as delicious as they are, they ain’t no Pop Tart! So you bet we found a way to make them healthier while still packing the protein.
These Protein Pop Tarts are an elevated, more nutritious version of the nostalgic childhood treat. They’re made with a warm and flaky cottage cheese pastry, filled with a protein-packed cinnamon brown sugar filling, and topped with a sweet almond milk glaze. Get ready to relive your childhood memories guilt-free!
How are these protein pop tarts?!
What gets you the “protein” in these pop tarts?
COTTAGE CHEESE PASTRY
That’s right. We made an epic pastry/dough/crust situation using just flour a little brown sugar, butter, and blended cottage cheese. Cottage cheese adds the bulk of the protein in this recipe and let me tell you, you’d never know it was part of the recipe!
What You Need to Get Started
- All-purpose flour: This will be the base of our pastry dough.
- Light brown sugar: We use light brown sugar for both the pastry dough and the filling for that classic decadent sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Make sure you use cold, unsalted butter for the best results.
- 4% cottage cheese: We find 4% cottage cheese is the perfect consistency for the pastry dough. The higher fat content adds richness and helps with flakiness.
- Cinnamon: You can’t have a cinnamon Pop-Tart without some cinnamon!
- Vanilla protein powder: We used plant-based Garden of Life Vanilla Protein, but feel free to use your favorite protein powder.
- Powdered sugar: What makes the glaze of our Protein Pop Tarts so amazing!
- Unsweetened plain almond milk: We used almond milk instead of regular milk for a healthier option, but feel free to use any milk you have on hand.
- Food processor: You’ll need a food processor to mix and blend the ingredients for the pastry dough.
Our Favorite
Beast Blender
The Beast Blender is our go-to blender for smoothies, dips, soups, and everything in between. It’s the perfect size and moderately priced. Oh, and oh-so powerful!
Not a Cinnamon Pop-Tart Person? Try Another Flavor Variation!
I’ve always been a cinnamon Pop-Tart girly, but if you’re not a fan of cinnamon, there are plenty of other variations you can try for your Protein Pop Tarts. Here are a few suggestions:
- Fruit-filled: Replace the cinnamon filling with your choice of fruit, such as strawberry or blueberry. I recommend mashing the fruit and mixing it with a bit of honey or maple syrup to create a spreadable filling. Or, use jam or preserves for a quicker option.
- Nutella-filled: For a decadent twist, use Nutella as the filling instead of cinnamon.
- Savory version: Skip the sweet filling and make a savory version by adding cheese, herbs, and spices to the dough. You can even use it as a replacement for bread in a breakfast sandwich!
How to Make Protein Pop Tarts
- Preheat Oven. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Process Ingredients. Place the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter into a food processor and pulse to break up the butter. Next, add the cottage cheese and pulse to combine. It should look crumbly but not wet.
- Create Dough. Turn the processor on and slowly add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once a ball has started to form, you can stop.
- Roll Dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into two equal portions. Roll out one piece to 12×12 inches and then transfer it to the lined sheet pan. Set aside.
- Mix Filling. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and protein powder in a small bowl.
- Assemble. Spread the brown sugar mix on top of the dough, leaving about ½ inch around the border to crimp the edges. Set aside. Then, roll out the remaining dough and place on top of the brown sugar mixture. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal. Then, poke the fork into the top of the Pop-Tart to stop air bubbles.
- Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Make Glaze. While the Pop-Tart is baking, place the powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap to stop a film from forming on top.
- Glaze & Serve. Remove the Pop-Tart from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before topping it with the glaze. Serve and enjoy!
If your dough seems too sticky before you roll it, knead it with a little flour. It should feel similar to a fresh bread dough.
If you’re having trouble rolling the dough to 12×12 inches, don’t worry! Just roll it out as close to that size as you can. We found that 10×10 inches still fits the pan nicely and results in a delicious Pop Tart. You may have some extra dough and filling, though, so consider making a mini pop tart with the leftovers!
other important tips
- Keep in mind that the rollout measurements aren’t exact. It is just important that the top and bottom are relatively the same size and thickness.
- When you are crimping the edges in step 6, be sure that there are no holes in the crimps, or else the filling may spill out.
Once cooled, store your homemade Pop-Tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage; just make sure to wrap them well and thaw them before serving.
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Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Place the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter into a food processor and pulse to break up the butter. Next, add the cottage cheese and pulse to combine. It should look crumbly, but not wet.
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Turn the processor on and slowly add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Once a ball has started to form you can stop.
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Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into two equal portions. Roll out one piece to 12×12 inches and then transfer it to the lined sheet pan. Set aside.
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Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and protein powder in a small bowl.
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Spread the brown sugar mix on top of the dough, leaving about ½ inch around the border to crimp the edges. Set aside.*
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Roll out the remaining dough and place on top of the brown sugar mixture. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal. Then, poke the fork into the top of the pop tart to stop air bubbles.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350℉.
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While the pop tart is baking, make the glaze. Place the powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap to stop a film from forming on top.
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Remove the pop tart from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before topping it with the glaze. Slice into equal size squares or rectangles.
- If the dough seems too sticky, knead it with a little flour before rolling it. It should feel similar to a fresh bread dough.
- The rollout measurements aren’t exact. It is just important that the top and bottom are relatively the same size and thickness.
- When you are crimping the edges in step 6, be sure that there are no holes in the crimps, or else the filling may spill out.
Calories: 351 kcal, Carbohydrates: 51 g, Protein: 8 g, Fat: 13 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 20 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Dalya from It’s Raining Flour.
