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–+ servings

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!
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Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Total Time: 5 hours
Servings: 9 pop tarts
Author: Mae Martin

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 9x12'' rectangle that's around ⅛'' thick. Trim the sides to get clean edges, then cut the dough into rectangles that measure approximately 3x4.25 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.