This giant brown sugar cinnamon pop tart is pure childhood nostalgia, but bigger and better. Buttery, flaky gluten-free crust filled with sweet brown sugar cinnamon filling and topped with cinnamon glaze. It’s the perfect mashup of breakfast pastry and brunch centerpiece.
Skip the individual pop tarts and make one giant one instead. It’s easier, feeds 10 people, and looks seriously impressive. This vegan version uses dairy-free butter for a flaky crust that rivals the original. (If you prefer individual pop tarts with a laminated butter pastry, check out my Gluten-Free Pop Tarts recipe.) Whether you’re hosting brunch or just want a special weekend breakfast, this giant pop tart delivers all the warm cinnamon sugar vibes.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour in the blue bag, which contains xanthan gum. I haven’t tested other brands for this recipe. It’s used in both the pastry and the filling to thicken it so that it doens’t turn to liquid in the oven.
- Vegan Butter: Freeze it in chunks before pulsing into the flour. Can swap for regular butter if you’re not vegan.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark both work – dark gives deeper molasses notes that pair beautifully with cinnamon.
- Molasses: This is what makes the filling spreadable and adds that signature depth. Don’t skip it! Regular molasses, not blackstrap.
- Cinnamon (lots of it!): Two tablespoons in the filling plus more in the glaze. Use fresh cinnamon for maximum flavor.
- Flour in the Filling: Those 3 tablespoons help the filling hold together instead of turning into liquid in the oven.
Seal the pastry tight to prevent leaks
The filling is thick but it can still escape if the edges aren’t sealed properly. Brush water along the bottom pastry edges before topping, press firmly with your fingers, then go around twice with a fork. A good seal keeps all that cinnamon sugar goodness inside where it belongs.
Recipe FAQs
The seal wasn’t tight enough. Make sure you’re brushing the edges with water, pressing firmly with your fingers, and crimping thoroughly with a fork. Also check that you left a 1/2-inch border around the filling.
Yes! Just reduce the bake time to about 22-25 minutes. You can also follow my Gluten-Free Pop Tarts recipe and use the filling from this recipe in that.
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days – it actually gets better after day 1 as the flavors meld. Refrigerate for up to 5 days if you prefer your pop tarts cold (they’re delicious straight from the fridge!). Freeze for up to 3 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this with my Gluten-Free Giant Strawberry Pop Tart if you want to go all-in on the nostalgic breakfast pastry theme. Add a Gluten-Free Quiche Lorraine, Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole, or Gluten-Free Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins for a savory option, and serve with fresh fruit for a complete brunch spread.
Gluten-Free Giant Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 2 cups (280 g) gluten-free flour blend - Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which contains xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) vegan butter - very cold
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) ice cold water - you may not need all of it
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (26 g) gluten-free all purpose flour - Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which contains xanthan gum
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) vegan butter - melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) molasses
For the Cinnamon Glaze:
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) almond milk - or any non-dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
Prep the Pastry Dough:
- In a food processor, combine 2 cups (280 g) gluten-free flour blend, 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pulse 3-4 times to mix.
- Add frozen ¾ cup (170 g) vegan butter pieces to the flour mixture. Pulse 10-12 times until butter is the size of peas, with some slightly larger pieces remaining.
- Transfer the flour-butter mixture to a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons (75 g) ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. Stop adding water when you can pinch the dough and it holds together (you may not use all 5 tablespoons).
- Pat the dough into a flat rectangle (not a circle), wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll and Chill the Pastry:
- Once the dough is chilled, divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface (or between two sheets of parchment paper), roll each half into a rectangle about 8×11 inches and 1/4 inch thick.
- Place both rolled rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes for easier handling.
Make the Cinnamon Filling:
- While the pastry is chilling, make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (16 g) ground cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons (26 g) gluten-free all purpose flour. Stir to mix.
- Add melted 3 tablespoons (42 g) vegan butter and 2 tablespoons (40 g) molasses to the sugar mixture. Stir with a spatula until a thick paste forms. Set aside.
Assemble the Giant Pop Tart:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one chilled pastry rectangle from the freezer and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon the cinnamon filling onto the pastry and spread evenly with a spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border around all edges.
- Lightly brush the exposed edges with water (this helps seal).
- Carefully place the second rectangle of pastry on top of the filling. If the pastry breaks, simply patch it together with your fingers.
- Press the edges together firmly with your fingers, then use a fork to crimp all the way around the edges to seal tightly.
- Use a fork to poke 30-40 holes across the entire top of the pastry (this allows steam to escape during baking).
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet (at least 1 hour).
Make the Glaze:
- While the pop tart cools, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cup (180 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon (15 g) almond milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Once the pop tart is completely cool, spread the glaze evenly over the top using an offset spatula or butter knife. Let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour: This recipe has been tested with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag). Other gluten-free flour blends have not been tested.
- Cold Ingredients: Freeze butter pieces before using for the flakiest pastry. Keep dough cold throughout the process.
- Regular Butter: Can substitute vegan butter 1-to-1 with regular unsalted butter if not dairy-free or vegan.
- Vegan Version: Use vegan-approved sugars not refined with bone char.
- Storage: Room temperature 3-4 days, refrigerate up to 5 days, freeze up to 3 months.
This looks so good! What a great way to still enjoy a fun breakfast while sticking to the good stuff!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
It should keep well at room temperature in a a covered container for about 3-4 days!
Hi!! I was so excited when I saw this and finally decided to try it out. I had a really hard time rolling out the chilled dough and made less of a rectangular shape pop tart and more of a half circle. Any tips? I used regular butter not df/vegan but I don’t think that would make much of a difference. Thanks!
Hi Hayley! How long did you chill the dough for? It can sometimes get tough to roll out if you leave it too long to chill. I also find that if I get it into a squared off shape before I chill it rather than a ball then I can more easily just roll it out straight a few times on each side to get a rectangle. I’m going to do a video of this recipe in the next few weeks and I’ll add it to the post which will hopefully help, too!
Can I make it fully the night before and then put it in the oven the next morning?
Hi Courtney, Yes, just assemble it up to the point of baking and cover it and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake the next morning!
Hi Megan, I wanted to make your recipe this week, and curious if you think I could substitute oat milk instead of almond milk? I’m allergic to nuts, so hoping that’ll work ok for the glaze.
Also, any tips for potentially cutting the sweetness just a bit? I definitely like sweets + the nostalgia of the original brown sugar pop-tart, just wanting to tone it down a bit, if possible. Thanks for any help!
Yes – oat milk will work! For the sweetness, you can drizzle the glaze instead of spreading it all over the pop tart to cut down on the amount of sugar used. You can also try using a monk fruit sweetener or coconut sugar in the filling to cut back on the sugar, but the overall volume will need to stay the same in order to fill the entire pop tart. Hope this helps!
Hi! I’ve made these twice now and both times, half of the filling has come out of the filling into the pan and hardens when cool. What am I doing wrong? I’d love to perfect this!
Hi Noelle! What’s hardening when cool? The filling in the pop tart or the filling on the pan? It sounds like the seal is not working on your pop tart. I would suggest brushing some water along the edges of the bottom pastry. Then press the top pastry down with your fingers to seal is as much as you can. Then, I’d go around with the fork and seal it more. Let me know if that makes sense. I can also get a video of the process this weekend if that helps, too!