These frosted chocolate fudge pop tarts have passed all the tests! Gooey dark chocolate fudge filling in a flaky grain free pastry crust topped with the perfect chocolate frosting. They’re family approved and great for a special weekend baking project! Grain free with paleo and dairy free options.
We’re kicking off February with chocolate (as I love to do every year!) And this isn’t just any chocolate recipe – it’s kind of a big deal.
Homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts, made gluten free and paleo! Now, this is NOT a quick and easy recipe.
Nope, homemade pop tarts, paleo or not, are quite the baking project. But of course it’s winter and since we’re all staying home even more than usual, baking projects are more than welcome on a lazy Saturday!
This recipe took me a total of three days to prep and test to get it just right, but I promise it won’t take you that long!
A lot of the time is spent chilling the dough, which you can easily do the day before to make the recipe easier to tackle.
Then it’s just a matter of working with the messy chocolate dough! If you’ve worked with paleo doughs before, you won’t be in for any surprises here. More on that process below.
What You Need to Make These Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts
I broke the recipe into three parts – the dough for the pastry crust, the filling, and the frosting. You’ll see the ingredients are relatively simple and if you’re a grain free baking pro, you probably have everything in your pantry!
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the pop tarts:
Dough:
- blanched almond flour
- tapioca flour
- raw cacao powder, or unsweetened cocoa powder
- fine sea salt
- coconut sugar or maple sugar
- grass fed butter, cold, cut into pieces (use vegan butter or palm oil shortening for a dairy-free option)
- eggs
Filling:
- full fat coconut milk
- bittersweet chocolate (I used 70%)
- grass fed butterbutter (palm oil shortening or vegan butter for dairy-free)
- pure vanilla extract
- fine sea salt
Frosting:
- organic powdered sugar, or powdered maple sugar (see below)
- raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- pure vanilla extract
- dairy free milk of choice
- bittersweet chocolate
How to Make The Pastry Crust
Prepare the dough for the pastry crust first, as it will need to chill for at least an hour and up to two days in advance.
In the bowl of a food processor pulse all ingredients except for the eggs to create thick crumbs, then pulse/process in the eggs until a dough forms.
Gather dough with a spatula and divide into two equal parts. The dough will be sticky. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and flatten into discs, then chill for 1 hour or up to two days.
For the Filling
In a small saucepan, place the coconut milk and half of the chopped chocolate and heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly.
Once melted and smooth, turn off the heat and stir in the remaining chopped chocolate and the butter.
When it’s shiny and smooth, stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while you roll out the dough (see below).
How to Assemble the Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large cutting board and sprinkle generously with tapioca flour. Place one disc of dough and sprinkle with more tapioca, then another piece of parchment.
Roll out the dough slowly, starting from the center and moving outward, into a 9 x 12 “ rectangle (approximately), 1/8-1/4” thick. If the dough becomes sticky, you can sprinkle with more tapioca. You can use the heel of your hand to help spread the dough out as well. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to clean up the edges of the rectangle.
If dough becomes very soft or too sticky to work with at any point, chill in the freezer for 5 minutes before proceeding.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 9 rectangles, approximately 3 x 4”. Line a large baking sheet (or 2) with a separate piece of parchment paper.
Carefully place each rectangle on the baking sheet, 1-2” apart, then place the entire baking sheet in the freezer while you roll out the second disc of dough and cut into rectangles.
Place about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the chilled filling in the center of the 9 rectangles that were chilled. Spread out just slightly so there’s a 1/2” border around each rectangle. Carefully place a rectangle from the second disc of dough on top and lightly seal the edges with a fork.
If any of the rectangles break while assembling, you can chill the dough and roll it again or flatten with your hands. The pop tarts don’t have to look perfect! In fact they can be any shape you’d like and will taste delicious regardless!
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Using a thin wide spatula will help you transfer them without any breaking.
For the Frosting
While the pop tarts cook, make the chocolate icing/frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients. Once smooth, whisk in the melted chocolate.
Sometimes the frosting will thicken too much when you stir in the chocolate. It should be the consistency of a thick icing. In this case, place the bowl in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds and stir again. Once you have a good consistency, spoon the frosting over the top of the cooled pop tarts and spread it out as desired. It will harden after about 20 minutes at room temperature.
Store the pop tarts loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze them, tightly wrapped, and thaw in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend heating them or toasting them after frosting!
How to Make These Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts Paleo + Dairy Free
I give options throughout the recipe to make the pop tarts fully paleo and dairy free. I do recommend that if you can use butter though, it’s my first choice for the dough!
If you have to be strictly dairy free, swap out the grass fed butter for palm oil shortening OR vegan butter. Many vegan butters are not paleo, but use what works for your dietary needs and what you have available.
For a paleo dark or bittersweet chocolate that doesn’t use cane sugar, Hu Chocolate Bars or Hu Gems can be used instead of regular baking bars.
I decided to use organic powdered sugar for the frosting, but you can easily sub in powdered maple sugar or coconut sugar for a fully paleo option!
To make powdered maple or coconut sugar, blend or process your sugar in a high speed blender or food processor until it reaches a powdery consistency.
It can sometimes take awhile to get it really powdered, but it will work the same as traditional powdered sugar in the icing recipe, with a deeper flavor, especially if you use coconut sugar.
Are you getting excited yet for a fun (and seriously rewarding!) baking project?! We’re about to bake the BEST paleo frosted chocolate fudge pop tarts – let’s go!
Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 2/3 cups tapioca flour plus more for rolling the dough
- 6 Tablespoons raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or maple sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons grass fed butter cold, cut into pieces (use vegan butter or palm oil shortening for a dairy-free option)
- 2 eggs
Filling:
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped (I used 70%)*
- 1 tablespoon grass fed butter (palm oil shortening or vegan butter for dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch fine sea salt
Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar or powdered maple sugar**
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons dairy free milk or milk of choice
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate melted
Instructions
Pastry Crust:
-
Prepare the dough for the pastry crust first, as it will need to chill for at least an hour and up to two days in advance.
-
In the bowl of a food processor pulse all ingredients except for the eggs to create thick crumbs, then pulse/process in the eggs until a dough forms.
-
Gather dough with a spatula and divide into two equal parts. The dough will be sticky. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and flatten into discs, then chill for 1 hour or up to two days.
Filling:
-
In a small saucepan, place the coconut milk and half of the chopped chocolate and heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Once melted and smooth, turn off the heat and stir in the remaining chopped chocolate and the butter. Once shiny and smooth, stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while you roll out the dough.
Assembling the pop tarts:
-
Preheat your oven to 350° F.
-
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large cutting board and sprinkle generously with tapioca flour. Place one disc of dough and sprinkle with more tapioca, then another piece of parchment.
-
Roll out the dough slowly, starting from the center and moving outward, into a 9 x 12 “ rectangle (approximately), 1/8-1/4” thick. If the dough becomes sticky, you can sprinkle with more tapioca. You can use the heel of your hand to help spread the dough out as well. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to clean up the edges of the rectangle.
-
If dough becomes very soft or too sticky to work with at any point, chill in the freezer for 5 minutes before proceeding.
-
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 9 rectangles, approximately 3 x 4”. Line a large baking sheet (or 2) with a separate piece of parchment paper. Carefully place each rectangle on the baking sheet, 1-2” apart, then place the entire baking sheet in the freezer while you roll out the second disc of dough and cut into rectangles.
-
Place about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the chilled filling in the center of the 9 rectangles that were chilled. Spread out just slightly so there’s a 1/2” border around each rectangle. Carefully place a rectangle from the second disc of dough on top and lightly seal the edges with a fork.
-
If any of the rectangles break while assembling, you can chill the dough and roll it again or flatten with your hands. The pop tarts don’t have to look perfect! In fact they can be any shape you’d like and will taste delicious regardless!
-
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Using a thin wide spatula will help you transfer them without any breaking.
Frosting:
-
While the pop tarts cook, make the chocolate icing/frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients. Once smooth, whisk in the melted chocolate.
-
Sometimes the icing will thicken too much when you stir in the chocolate. In this case, place the bowl in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds and stir again. Once you have a good consistency, spoon the frosting over the top of the cooled pop tarts. The frosting will harden after about 20 minutes at room temperature.
-
Store the pop tarts loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze them, tightly wrapped, and thaw in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend heating them or toasting them after icing!
Recipe Notes
*To keep the chocolate paleo friendly, use Hu Kitchen gems or chopped Hu chocolate bars.
**To keep the chocolate frosting paleo, make powdered maple sugar by blending maple sugar in a food processor or high speed blender until you reach a powdery consistency.
***The dough can be tricky to work with because it gets sticky and can break easily. Feel free to re-chill it as needed and use additional tapioca flour while rolling it out. You can also shape the dough with your hands into whatever shape works!
****I used flaky sea salt in some of the photos which is SO delicious with the dark chocolate frosting!
Nutrition
Want More Paleo Treat Recipes? Try One of These!
Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies
Chocolate “Peanut” Butter Stuffed Brownies
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My son has to avoid tree nuts. Is there a good substitute for the almond flour? I love your recipes!
Would regular flour work if I want to make these for someone who isn’t Paleo?
Unfortunately the measurement isn’t the same. You would need less gluten free all purpose flour, for example. It might be more like 2 cups, though I’m not certain.
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