Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
These easy, yet totally impressive homemade strawberry pop tarts are the perfect addition to your morning breakfast. Flaky pastry surrounds strawberry filling for a tender breakfast pastry that will disappear in a matter of minutes. Get ready to go completely berserk over this amazing homemade version of one of my childhood favorite treats!
Growing up, my parents kept our home relatively junk food- and sweets-free. We weren’t allowed to have the “cool” sugary cereals, no fruit rollups, no potato chips, no pop. So naturally, no Pop Tarts.
BUT! There was a steady supply of frosted brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts at grandma’s house, and they were always my breakfast of choice during weekend sleepovers. I hadn’t had them in probably decades and then got hit with a serious craving for them when I was pregnant with Joseph. They totally hit the spot, but they definitely weren’t as good as I remembered.
Enter: Homemade Pop Tarts!
How to Make Homemade Pop Tarts
Quite a long time ago, I tackled homemade pop tarts and in the process learned that they are not at all difficult to make, and they will absolutely, positively blow your mind.
The pastry crust is flaky and buttery, little pieces breaking and fluttering off when you take a bite. Each little pastry pillow is full of sweet strawberry filling, and then frosted with an optional simple vanilla sugar icing.
Prepare the Filling
Everyone seems to have an old favorite when it comes to pop tarts – strawberry or brown sugar cinnamon. For this homemade pop tart recipe, I provide you with instructions to make either or both!
Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
- Set aside until ready to assemble.
Strawberry Filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water.
- Combine the cornstarch water with strawberry jam in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Set aside until ready to assemble.
Pastry Crust
For homemade pop tarts, I used a flaky pastry crust. It’s flaky and buttery with little pieces breaking and fluttering off when you take a bite. To make this flaky pastry you will need:
- Flour: The base of the pastry dough, this flour gives structure to the flaky pastry.
- Sugar: Sweetens up the dough, just a bit.
- Salt: Adds a little flavor and balances out the sugar.
- Butte: Unsalted butter that is cold and cubed gives the pastry little pockets of butter that bake into the flakiest dough.
- Egg + Milk: Used to bind the dough together and provides a soft finish to the dough.
Make the Pastry
- Mix together dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the butter into the flour: Using a pastry blender, cut the butter until it is the size of peas and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it.
- Add wet ingredients: In a small bowl whisk together the egg and milk and add to the dough. Mix together with a fork until everything is evenly moistened.
- Knead the dough: OIf necessary, knead until the dough comes together.
- Divide + store the dough: Divide the dough in half. If you are making the dough in advance, wrap each half in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you are making the pop tarts in one go, prepare to roll the dough.
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How to Cut the Pastry Dough
- Thaw before rolling: If you made the dough in advance, allow it to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling and cutting.
- Roll out the dough: Using a rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough to about ⅛-inch thick, in a 9½ by 12½-inch rectangle.
- Trim the edges: Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel, or bench scraper, trim the rectangle to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle.
- Slice into small rectangles: Cut the sheet of dough into nine 3×4-inch rectangles.
- Transfer the dough: Using a spatula, transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Filling + Sealing
- Make the egg wash: In a small bowl whisk together egg and milk. Brush the egg wash on each of the rectangles.
- Fill the base: Spoon a tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2 inch space around the edges.
- Cut the tops: Roll out and cut the second piece of dough in the exact same manner as you did the first.
- Cover the filling: One at a time, place the second rectangle of dough on top of the nine filled ones.
- Press the seams: Using your fingers, press around the seams of the dough to make sure they are sealed. Press the tines of a fork around the edges of the rectangles.
- Vent the dough: Prick the tops of the rectangles in multiple spots to allow steam to escape.
- Chill the pop tarts: Refrigerate the pan with the pastries, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Baking Homemade Pop Tarts
- Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the pastry: Bake the homemade pop tarts for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Cool and serve: Cool slightly before serving if you are not using icing on them. If you plan to ice the pop tarts, cool completely before icing.
Tips for Glazing
When I originally shared these, they were not frosted, and while it’s not TOTALLY necessary, I think it really ratchets them up a few notches, so I’ve included both a vanilla icing for the strawberry pop tarts and a cinnamon icing for the brown sugar cinnamon ones. Feel free to eat them plain or slather some frosting on!
- Mix together the icing: In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Add cinnamon if you are making icing for the brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts.
- Check the consistency: The icing should have a very thick, but still spreadable, consistency. If necessary, add a splash of milk at a time, until a spreadable consistency is reached.
- Ice the pop tarts: Spread a spoonful of icing over the top of each pastry and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes so the icing can set.
Serving Your Pop Tarts
If a pop tart or two won’t be enough to keep you full for the morning, here are a few other recipes you can serve with your pop tarts:
- Scrambled Eggs
- Breakfast Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole
- Cheesy Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage and Cheddar Bites
Making Ahead + Storing
- Make-Ahead Dough: You can save time in the morning by prepping the pastry dough up to 2 days in advance. Store pre-made dough in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.
- Make-Ahead Baked Pop Tarts: Follow the recipe through baking and cool completely. Store uniced, baked pop tarts in an airtight container for up to 1 week. When you are ready to serve, ice and enjoy!
- Storing Iced Pop Tarts: Keep iced pop tarts in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Unbaked Pop Tarts: Prepare through step #6, then instead of placing the pan in the refrigerator, place in the freezer for up to 2 hours until completely frozen and firm. Transfer to an airtight ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed from frozen, allowing for an extra few minutes bake time.
- Freezing Baked Pop Tarts: Bake the pop tarts and allow to cool completely. Place the cooled pop tarts in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until completely frozen. Place in an airtight ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the toaster, toaster oven, oven, or microwave.
More Sweet Breakfast Pastry Treats
- Sticky Buns
- Danish Pastries
- Homemade Croissants
- Best-Ever Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Monkey Bread (From Scratch)
No toaster required! These homemade pop tarts with a generous heaping of vanilla glaze are perfectly crisp and flaky. Filled with sweet strawberry filling, these pop tarts are sure to go fast!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
For the Strawberry Filling
- ¾ cup (255 g) strawberry jam
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Pastry Crust
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
For the Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
For the Plain Icing
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Icing
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
- Prepare the Strawberry Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, and then combine with the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Make the Pastry Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it is the size of peas and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk and add to the dough. Mix together with a fork until everything is evenly moistened. Knead briefly on a floured surface, if necessary, until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough in half. (At this point you can wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If you refrigerate the dough, let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling out.) Roll out one piece of dough to about ⅛-inch thick, in a 9½ by 12½ rectangle. Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel or bench scraper, trim the rectangle to 9×12 inches. Cut the sheet of dough into nine 3×4-inch rectangles. Using a spatula, transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Assemble the Pastries: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the egg wash on each of the rectangles. Spoon a tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, leaving a ½-inch of space around the edges.
- Roll out and cut the second piece of dough in the exact same manner as you did the first. One at a time, place a second rectangle of dough on top of the nine assembled ones. Using your fingers, press around the seams of the dough to make sure they are sealed. Press the tines of a fork around the edges of the rectangles. Prick the tops of the rectangles in multiple spots to allow steam to escape.
- Refrigerate the pan with the pastries (you don’t need to cover them) for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the pastries for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving if not using an icing. If you plan to ice the pastries, cool them completely before doing so. Store pastries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Make the Icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon (if using), and vanilla extract. The icing should have a very thick, but still spreadable, consistency. If necessary, add a splash of milk at a time, until that consistency is reached. Spread a spoonful of icing over top of each pastry and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes so the icing can set.
Notes
- Filling: Each filling recipes makes enough for a whole recipe (nine pastries). If you are planning to make a variety of fillings, you can scale them up or down as needed. Same goes for the icing recipes!
- Make-Ahead Dough: You can save time in the morning by prepping the pastry dough up to 2 days in advance. Store pre-made dough in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.
- Make-Ahead Baked Pop Tarts: Follow the recipe through baking and cool completely. Store uniced, baked pop tarts in an airtight container for up to 1 week. When you are ready to serve, ice and enjoy!
- Storing Iced Pop Tarts: Keep iced pop tarts in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Unbaked Pop Tarts: Prepare through step #6, then instead of placing the pan in the refrigerator, place in the freezer for up to 2 hours until completely frozen and firm. Transfer to an airtight ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed from frozen, allowing for an extra few minutes bake time.
- Freezing Baked Pop Tarts: Bake the pop tarts and allow to cool completely. Place the cooled pop tarts in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until completely frozen. Place in an airtight ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the toaster, toaster oven, oven, or microwave.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances
No-fun treat home here, as well! ;) But, I snuck them in whenever I could! Love these. So flaky! Would like to try these with some of the fruit I got today!
How fun! I would love to do this on a lazy morning with kids (…if I had them). Maybe my husband would humor me… :)
I made these once, but they didn’t look as flaky and good as yours. I’ll have to try this recipe!
Hi Michelle, I just recently discovered your blog and am enjoying it very much! Your home made “Pop Tarts” look wonderful! I’m definitely going to try making these soon. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
I just couldn’t pass up another YUMMM! comment on this post. I’ve never had pop tarts (actually they were not around way back when), but these look absolutely terrific. I will have to try this recipe.
Thanks for sharing.
WOW – these do put the store bought ones to shame. They look incredible.
These look more like toaster strudels, which I love.
I might try making them with a strawberry and cream cheese filling… Yum
Those look so much better then the junk in the store! yum!
I’ve seen these popping up everywhere, I should try them! Fun recipe!
Looks delish! There’s a new restaurant here in DC, Ted’s Bulletin, that is serving house-made Pop Tarts with their own strawberry jam. They are pretty popular, but I must say, yours look better!
I’d eat these over store-bought pop-tarts any day !
These look so warm and the crust looks flaky and perfect. Very nice:)
These look so good and easy to make. I want to try these babies out!
Mmmmm I’m drooling, this looks amazing!!
No junk food at my house growing up either. As a result, I’ve been known to have a box stashed in my desk at work! These will be made at my house this weekend. Brown sugar and cinnamon was my favorite too!
I have the same comment as Jeanne… my mom would never let me have these, I had them at friend’s houses too. We will have to give these a try as I don’t let my kids have poptarts either!
Looks fabulous
These have always been on my list to bake. Those are two great flavors to try!
I was never allowed to eat Pop-Tarts as a kid, either. I’d always love to eat them at my friends’ houses though! I’ll have to try making them myself. Your strawberry Pop-Tarts look amazing, but the Nutella filling sounds just as good too!
Nice!! I made these a couple months ago, but yours are sooo much prettier than mine. I think I need to try the strawberry ones :)
Used pop-tarts to get my kids through our recent road trip from TX to MD and back! As a sometimes food, they were a hit! Would love to rustle up a batch of these with my boys, maybe using Nutella as a filling or some of Meemaw’s Strawberry Jam that she sent home with us, hmmmmm. . . . sounds fun and delicious!
Nutella filling… That is a brilliant idea!
I’ve been seeing pop tarts popping up all over my reader lately. I l-o-v-e-d pop tarts growing up and these have definitely been on my list since the first time I saw them. I gotta say though, the flakiness of your crust looks amazing. Like a cross between a toaster strudel and pop-tart!
OMG! I so want to make peach and apricot ones. These look so yummy – TFS!
Is there a way to make this dough with half whole wheat flour and half white flour without making it too chewy or dense?
Jonica, I just made these with half white/half whole wheat flours and it worked out great. I found the dough to be a bit sticky (although not sure if that had anything to do with the w/w flour…) so I just used plenty of flour when rolling out the dough. Tasted just fine!
Awesome! I totally want to make these. I might have to try and make them with Blueberry.
Oh, and then I’d probably have to frost them and put sprinkles on top. LOL
I’ve seen these around the blog world, and have been wanting to try them. What a great idea to have each child create their own!
Thanks for your recipe.
YUMM!!
looks so yummy! I love strawberries!
have a nice day!
Paula
These look amazing! I am seriously drooling as I read… Definitely going on my to-make list. Thanks for a great looking recipe!
That crust looks so golden and delicious. I’ve only eaten storebought pop tarts once in my whole life but I can imagine they’d pale in comparison to these. Yum.