How to Make Gourmet Homemade Pop Tarts
Featuring buttery, melt-in-the-mouth pastry and a delicious gourmet filling, these homemade pop tarts are so delicious you won’t ever want to go back to store-bought!
If you grew up in a a typical American household, chances are you’re familiar with the humble Pop Tart. Wrapped in its quintessential silver packaging, these pastries line the grocery store shelves in countless varieties and are a super convenient treat to grab on the go (or even warm in the toaster, if you have time). When I was little, these were a rare and special treat—on lake days, me and my brother used to crumble our Pop Tarts into a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, and the taste always brings me back!
After a recent taste test, however, I’ve discovered that Pop Tarts are a little…disappointing? The filling and glaze are easily too sweet, and the pastry itself is crumbly and dry without even tasting like what it’s labeled as. The good news is that there’s not many elements to the recipe—just a sweet filling, tender pastry, and simple glaze—so they’re the perfect installment for my Elevated Nostalgia series! Today, I settled on arguably the two best and most popular varieties: strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon.
Why is this the Best Pop Tart Recipe?
When researching for this recipe, I noticed that virtually every Pop Tart recipes use pie dough as the tart base, which gives it an ultra buttery and flaky texture similar to puff pastry. And sure, while that’s delicious, it ain’t a Pop Tart. When I set out to make my version, I wanted to perfect that classic crumbly Pop Tart texture—something akin to a sugar cookie or shortbread—but with a gourmet taste and melt-in-the-mouth texture. And guys? I can happily say that we nailed it.
The key to that perfect bite is in making a tart dough instead of a laminated pie dough (I mean, they’re called Pop Tarts, after all). For decoration, I also opted to use royal icing instead of a powdered sugar-milk glaze, which will result in a much shinier, firmer, and more authentic finish. However, if you don’t like the idea of raw egg whites in your frosting, I’ve written alternate instructions for a milk-based version!
Ingredients in Homemade Pop Tarts
Take a look at a typical Pop Tart label and you probably won’t be able to pronounce (let alone recognize) half of the ingredient list. I grabbed a box to do some research for my recipe, and I’ll let you take a look—the regular strawberry Pop Tart features these ingredients (from largest to smallest by weight):
Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Vitamin B1 [Thiamin Mononitrate], Vitamin B2 [Riboflavin], Folic Acid), Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Soybean and Palm Oil (with TBHQ for Freshness), Sugar, Bleached Wheat Flour, Contains 2% or Less of Wheat Starch, Salt, Dried Strawberries, Dried Pears, Dried Apples, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Citric Acid, Gelatin, Modified Wheat Starch, Yellow Corn Flour, Caramel Color, Xanthan Gum, Cornstarch, Turmeric Extract Color, Soy Lecithin, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Color Added.
Yup, it’s a lot. Making them at home not only keeps them a lot less processed, but it maximizes on flavor and freshness. Compared to the original, my version uses less than half of the ingredients—and yes, while homemade pop tarts are a labor of love, you won’t be able to go back after you’ve had the real deal! If you want to give this recipe a go, here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- All-purpose flour. To form the structure of the dough.
- Light brown sugar. Just a bit to add some sweetness to the pastry. You can use granulated sugar, but I like the extra softness, depth, and chew that light brown sugar adds.
- Cornstarch. This might sound like a strange ingredient at first, but cornstarch acts as a tenderizer for the dough and is the secret to achieving that super soft and delicate crumb.
- Baking powder. We don’t want a super dense and heavy pastry, so adding baking powder will aerate everything and give it a bit of lift.
- Salt. To balance and enhance the overall flavor.
- Unsalted butter. Good-quality butter is key, since it contributes so much flavor and keeps the dough soft and tender.
- Light corn syrup. Since corn syrup is an invert sugar, it will help the pop tarts stay fresh for much longer while also contributing some sweetness and stability.
- Vanilla extract. For an added layer of flavor—if you want to go all out, then use vanilla bean paste.
- Milk or heavy cream. To help bind everything together.
- Eggs. While the dough itself doesn’t require eggs, you’ll need an egg wash to bind the pop tarts together when assembling.
- Cinnamon, strawberry jam, and powdered sugar. For filling and decorating.
How to Make Homemade Pop Tarts
There are a lot more steps to homemade pop tarts than just buying them at the store, but I promise that they’re completely worth it! Here’s a quick breakdown of the recipe for you:
- Make the tart dough. Start by pulsing the dry ingredients with butter until a coarse meal forms. After you’ve added the wet ingredients and formed a homogeneous dough, divide it into two and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Roll and cut the pop tarts. Once the dough has chilled for an hour, roll it onto a lightly floured work surface and slice into 3×4 inch rectangles.
- Prep the fillings. I’ve written instructions for both brown sugar cinnamon and a strawberry pop tarts, so pick your favorite!
- Assemble. After spreading a tablespoon of filling over the dough, cover the pop tarts with another square of dough and crimp to seal.
- Chill and bake. The pop tarts need to chill super well before baking, otherwise the filling and butter can leak out and the pastry will spread too much in the oven.
- Decorate. Once the pop tarts are done baking, let them cool completely before spreading over the icing.
- Enjoy! Which, by far, is the quickest and easiest part of the recipe.
Ingredient and Flavor Variations
Just like the store-bought version, you can make endless pop tart variations from this one recipe! While I haven’t strayed from the classics just yet, here are a few flavor ideas to get you started:
- Cookie butter.
- Nutella or chocolate ganache.
- Raspberry or blackberry jam.
- Peanut butter + jelly.
- S’mores.
- Lemon curd.
- Marzipan or almond paste.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use a food processor. For this recipe, the food processor is your best friend. I hate cleaning it as much as the next person, but it truly makes this recipe so easy by seamlessly incorporating the ingredients.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Once water is added to a flour mixture, it will start to develop gluten. While this is great for bread recipes that rely on structure and springiness, it’s bad news for melt-in-your-mouth pastries. To avoid a tough pop tart, stop mixing the pastry dough once evenly combined and homogeneous.
- Let the dough sit out for 5 minutes before rolling. If the dough is too cold, it will crack when you try to roll it out. If this happens, try to pinch the tear back together and let the dough rest for a minute or two before rolling out again.
- Keep everything cold. Just like pie dough, these pop tarts need to stay cold. Not only does chilling the dough make it super easy to work with, but it prevents the butter from leaking out and making a greasy mess.
- Let the glaze set fully. I know it’s tempting to want to eat them immediately, but for that perfectly set and shiny finish, let the pop tarts set fully before serving!
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Just like most pastry recipes, these pop tarts freeze beautifully and are the perfect treat to make ahead of time. The pastry dough can be made, wrapped, and refrigerated up to 5 days in advance or frozen for up to 3-6 months. When ready to bake, just thaw the dough overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before proceeding with the recipe as written.
To store leftover pop tarts, I recommend keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, though they will stale the longer they sit out. If you want to freeze the pop tarts after baking, they’ll keep for around 3 months, though be sure to freeze them unfrosted for the best texture.
To reheat, simply pop the pastries into the toaster (be careful if they’re frosted, as they might melt or burn) or reheat them in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.
I hope you guys give these homemade pop tarts a try—it’s one of my favorite recipes of the series!
Homemade Pop Tarts
Ingredients
For the pop tart dough
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the brown sugar cinnamon filling
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- A pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
For the strawberry filling
- ½ cup strawberry jam, either homemade or store-bought
For the glaze
- 1 egg white, or 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar
- A pinch kosher salt
- A dash vanilla extract
- A pinch cream of tartar (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts)
Instructions
- Make the pastry dough. Place the flour, cornstarch, light brown sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Mix until well combined, then add in the cold cubed butter and pulse until the butter is incorporated.
- Once the mixture resembles a coarse meal, add in the corn syrup, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Pulse until a dough forms and all of the dry ingredients are hydrated, but don't overmix.
- Transfer everything to a work surface and gently use your hands to gather the dough into a cohesive ball. If the mixture is too dry, you may add the reserved tablespoon of milk. Divide the pastry dough into two pieces using a knife or bench scraper, then wrap each portion in plastic wrap and flatten to an approximate ¾'' thickness.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or up to 3-5 days.
- Roll out the dough. Unwrap a portion of tart dough and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then dust with more flour. Roll the dough into a 9×12'' rectangle that's around ⅛'' thick. Trim the sides to get clean edges, then cut the dough into rectangles that measure approximately 3×4.25 inches—you should be left with 9.
- Arrange the rectangles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet around ¾'' apart form one another, then place the tray into the fridge. Repeat with the remaining portion of pastry dough.
- Make the filling. As the dough chills, prepare the fillings. For the brown sugar cinnamon filling, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and butter until a sandy mixture forms, then set aside.
- Assemble. Remove the tray of pastry dough from the fridge. Place around 1 tablespoon of filling (either brown sugar cinnamon or strawberry) in the center of half of your pastry squares—the remaining dough will be used to cover the pop tarts.
- With an offset spatula or spoon, evenly spread the filling over the dough, leaving a ¼'' border around the sides. Brush the edges with the beaten egg wash.
- Using a toothpick or fork, dock the reserved half of the pastry squares all over to allow steam to escape. Place a docked pastry square on top of a filled pop tart, working one at a time.
- Tightly seal the pop tarts by crimping the edges with fork or your hands, then repeat with the remaining squares of dough.
- Immediately place the assembled pop tarts into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Bake. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350℉. Once the 30 minutes have passed and the pop tarts have firmed up, remove the tray from the fridge.
- Bake the pop tarts for around 16 minutes, or until they look dry and matte on top and lightly golden around the edges.
- Allow the pastries to rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze. While the pop tarts cool, make the glaze by mixing together the egg white, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, cream of tartar, and cinnamon (if making brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts).
- Adjust the frosting consistency, if needed. If the filling is too thick for your liking, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Once completely cool, top each pop tart with the prepared glaze, using an offset spatula or spoon to spread it evenly across the surface of the pastry. Top with sprinkles or flaky salt, if desired, then let the frosting set fully before serving.
- Store the homemade pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or keep unfrosted pop tarts in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the pastries to thaw before reheating in the toaster or a 350℉ oven.
