Mexican Hot Chocolate Vegan Pop Tarts

mexican-hot-chocolate-poptarts.jpg

Vegan Pop Tarts

Two posts in one week? I'm on a roll. If you didn't catch it, earlier this week I showed how to pipe buttercream snowflakes on a cake. They are simple and totally do-able to recreate even if you do not consider yourself to be a cake artist. Check it out (when you're done bookmarking this recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Vegan Pop Tarts, of course, LOL)!

I don't think it would be totally incorrect for me to assume that we all need a break from the chaos surrounding the world right now. Any break from the news has just resulted in a deep dive into the lives of Armie Hammer and Van Jones. I see you, Kim K. and Van Jones rumors...

It is a weird, weird world we're living in right now. I hope you are all taking time to breathe, practice yoga/meditation (that always helps me center and calm down), watch Bridgerton on Netflix, and do some therapeutic baking. I have the perfect recipe in mind...

mexican hot chocolate vegan hot chocolate stacked on plate with spicy icing drizzle

Homemade Pop Tarts

If you are already here looking at a recipe for homemade pop tarts, then I am not sure that I need to convince you of their merits. Regardless, let me explain why you do want to chose homemade pop tarts over store-bought.

For starters, and this is a big one, there are no vegan store-bought, name brand (frosted) Pop-Tarts! Trust me, this makes me sad too. Sometimes you just need a preservative laden, artificially flavored, overly sweetened pop tart at 10pm. I also have fond memories of my grandma stocking the Wild! Berry flavor in her kitchen cabinet for me. It was something that I always looked forward to when visiting her.

However, as much as I wish I could have them now, the prospect of making them from scratch is exciting! And guess what, they're totally customizable, healthier (goodbye random ingredients that I can't pronounce), and taste just as good if not better. Did I mention how fancy they will look? Let me know what flavor I should make next!

What Is Mexican Hot Chocolate?

Mexican hot chocolate is like regular hot chocolate, but with a kick of spiciness and not always as sweet. Most recipes call for cayenne, cinnamon, and chili powder so that's what we are using in these Mexican Hot Chocolate Vegan Pop Tarts. The addition of spices compliments the chocolate so well.

chocolate pop tart with bite taken out of it on marble counter and pop tarts in background

How Much Heat Can You Handle?

You should know, I am not a big spice girl. No, no, not spice girl as in the British girl group. I am a baby when it comes to hot spices. Like, red pepper flakes are too much for me sometimes.

These Mexican Hot Chocolate Vegan Pop Tarts have a bit of kick at the end but you are still able to enjoy the other flavors. The "heat" does not overwhelm your entire tasting experience. If you want to up the heat, I recommend doubling the spices. Another option is to start by increasing the spices by only 1/2, then taste it and see how you feel. Keep in mind, you can always add more but you can never take it back!

spicy fudge filling on spoon with mexican hot chocolate vegan pop tarts in background
up close photo holding the pop tart chocolate shavings very clear
mexican hot chocolate vegan pop tarts stacked on white plate on marble counter

Mexican Hot Chocolate Vegan Pop Tarts

Makes 15 Pop Tarts


INGREDIENTS

For the Chocolate Pop Tart Dough…

  • 3 cups All Purpose Flour

  • 2 tbsp White Sugar

  • 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

  • 1 tsp Salt

  • 1 ⅓ cups Vegetable Shortening

  • 1/3 cup Ice Cold Water

  • Agave (You'll coat this around the pop tart edges so that the top and bottom stick together)

For the Spicy Fudge Filling…

  • 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar

  • 1/2 cup Oat Milk (Any non-dairy milk works well)

  • 2 tbsp Vegan Butter

  • 1 ½ cups Vegan Chocolate Chips

  • 1/2 tsp Salt

  • 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

  • 3/4 tsp Cayenne Powder (**Read Notes**)

  • 1/2 tsp Chili Powder

  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder

For Chocolate Icing…

  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar

  • 3 tbsp Oat Milk

  • 1 tbsp Spicy Fudge Filling

  • 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

  • 1 tsp Cocoa Powder

  • 1/4 tsp Chili Powder

For the Spicy Icing Drizzle…

  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar

  • 1-1½ tbsp Oat Milk

  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne Powder

  • 1/4 tsp Chili Powder

  • Dash Cinnamon

  • Chocolate Shavings (Optional to top)

METHOD

For the Pop Tart Dough & Spicy Fudge Filling Assembly…

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Prepare the pop tart dough first. To make pop tart dough, you are able to use your preferred pie dough method. However, I suggest combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl and "cutting in" the shortening in small pieces until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly incorporate the ice cold water into the crumbly mixture until it forms a dough. Let chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, sprinkle flour on a clean work surface. Once chilled, split the dough in half as this makes it easier to work with. Roll out half the dough evenly on the floured surface until it is 1/4" thick. Using a rectangle cookie cutter approximately 4x3" in size, cut out 30 tops/bottoms of the pop tarts and set aside on the baking sheets. When the first half of dough is gone, roll out the second dough.

  4. Begin preparing the Spicy Fudge Filling. In a medium saucepan on the stove, combine the oat milk, butter, and brown sugar on low/medium heat. Stir the ingredients and allow the sugar and butter to melt. After a few minutes, add in the chocolate chips. Stir somewhat constantly until the chocolate is completely melted to ensure that it does not burn. Then stir in the salt and cocoa powder until fully incorporated. Lastly, mix in the spices. Take the pan off heat to allow the fudge filling to cool slightly and thicken.

  5. Ok, now back to the pop tart dough! Using a pastry brush/back of a spoon/your finger, spread a drop of agave along the sides/edges of the dough. This will act like the "glue" holding the top and bottom piece of dough together. Remember, you only have to do this to 15 pieces of the dough because the other half will be the top piece.

  6. Fill the center (leave room at the edges about 1/8"-1/4") of each "bottom" piece of dough with ½-¾ tablespoon of the Spicy Fudge Filling. Spread it evenly.

  7. Use the remaining 15 pieces of dough to cover the bottom pieces. Press the edges shut with your fingers. Use a fork to seal the bottom and top pieces of dough together at the edges. Fudge may ooze out of the pop tarts. Do your best to clean up the edges so that the filling does not burn in the oven. Then use the fork prongs to poke a hole into the top center of each pop tart. You can also spread a little bit of agave over the top so that it browns nicely in the oven.

  8. Bake for about 20-22 minutes. The pop tarts should look baked but not crispy. Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool.

For the Chocolate Icing and Spicy Icing Drizzle…

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the chocolate icing. This will be the base coat of glaze on the pop tarts. Then add in the remaining wet ingredients and stir until no lumps remain. Use a spoon (about half of a generous spoonful of icing per pop tart) to coat each pop tart with the chocolate icing. Let the icing set/harden.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the Spicy Icing Drizzle. Then add in the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Taste the icing-- is the spice level to your liking? Add more spice if desired. Use a piping bag or ziplock bag to pipe a zig zag design onto the pop tarts. Top it off with chocolate shavings.

  3. Eat and enjoy! These last for one week in a sealed container at room temperature.

NOTES

*How much heat can you handle? If you like a lot of heat and spice, I recommend doubling the spices in the filling and icing. 

*The dough and filling can be made ahead of time. However, the dough will dry out and become more difficult to roll out. I recommend making it no more than 24 hours before baking.

*The Spicy Fudge Filling makes more than you'll probably need. I had a small Tupperware container left over. You can use the filling in actual Mexican Hot Chocolate or as a fudge topping on ice cream or brownies. Yum! Store it in the fridge for one week after making.

*It should probably be noted that homemade pop tarts don't "pop" like store-bought pop tarts. This means you cannot place them in the toaster without the icing melting off :(


Previous
Previous

Vegan Nutella Cake with Chocolate & Hazelnut Crushed Oreos

Next
Next

Easy Buttercream Snowflakes Piped On Cake (Tutorial)