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I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating pop tarts. One of my favorite flavors has always been wild berry. So when I decided to turn them into cookie bars, I knew I was going to have to do them in a bright and colorful wild berry version. I started these bars off with a sugar cookie style dough, and being as it’s a take on pop tarts, I wanted to make them a sandwich style of cookie bar.
So the mixed berry jam is sandwiched in between two layers of sugar cookie like dough and then all topped off with a bright and colorful frosting that’s made to look like the original variation of the wild berry pop tarts.
I went with a mixed berry preserve, but you could really go with any berry jam that you wanted. I chose mixed berry since that was the closest I could think of to ‘wild berry’ other than maybe ‘wild blueberry’. Just be sure you go with something sugar free or you’ll want to adjust the nutrition count for yourself.
These cookie bars are a perfect sweet treat to enjoy for breakfast, brunch, or even as a dessert. I keep these bars in the fridge, but they would also be fine at room temperature for a couple of days as well. Cold or not, you can always reheat them to enjoy either way.
Wild Berry Pop Tart Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 C. Butter, Room Temperature
- 1/2 C. Sugar
- 1/2 C. Natural Sweetener
- 2 Whole Large Eggs
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
- 2/3 C. Sugar Free Mixed Berry Jam/Preserves
- 1 C. Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
- Food Coloring
Instructions
- In the base of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the 1/2 C. Butter, 1/2 C. Sugar, and 1/2 C. Natural Sweetener on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Add in the 2 Whole Large Eggs and 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract. Continue to beat to combine fully.
- Reduce speed to low and add in the 2 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 Tsp. Salt, and 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda. Mix together until dough forms.
- Cover and place the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes to chill.
- Line an 8x8" or 9x9" baking dish with foil or parchment paper to overhang the sides and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lift the dough out and set it in the freezer for now.
- Line the baking dish with more parchment or foil with the same overhang on the edges. Lightly coat with non-stick spray and press the remaining half of the dough into the base of the dish again.
- Top the dough with the 2/3 C. Mixed Berry Jam/Preserves and spread evenly.
- Remove the first dough from the freezer and carefully remove it from the foil or parchment and place it over the jam layer.
- Place the dish into the oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Once done, remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cooling, whisk together the 1 C. Powdered Sugar, 1-2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Almond Milk, and 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract.
- Separate a small portion and use food coloring to color accordingly; the larger amount being purple and the smaller amount being blue.
- Once cooled, top the bars with the purple food coloring and then drizzle with the blue. Set aside to allow the frosting to firm up.
- When the frosting is set, cut evenly into 8 bars and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
392Fat (grams)
13 gSat. Fat (grams)
8 gCarbs (grams)
77 gFiber (grams)
1 gNet carbs
77.07 gSugar (grams)
27 gProtein (grams)
6 gSodium (milligrams)
248 mgCholesterol (grams)
80 mgNutritional Claims: Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Peanut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Kosher
Step-by-Step Photos:
