Homemade pop tarts are a delightful treat of flaky pastry dough and fruit preserves topped with a drizzle of icing. While certainly reminiscent of childhood breakfast pastries, these customizable, mouth-watering fruit tarts are made with simple ingredients and are far more decadent than the store-bought kind.
It seems a safe bet to assume that most, if not all, of my readers have experienced a pop tart in their lifetime. They were the ultimate easy breakfast or car snack, enjoyed straight-out-of-the-foil cold or toasted and buttered if you took your time.
This homemade pop tarts recipe invokes those same feelings of nostalgia and satisfaction, yet is made with real food ingredients, much like these homemade graham crackers or healthy gummy bears.
You get the best of both worlds. Fun, sweet treats that call to mind pleasant memories without the guilt. Because they are made with better ingredients instead of empty calories, problematic preservatives, and artificial dyes and flavors, we can consider this the real thing, as it was meant to be enjoyed and shared with our children.
I use my favorite all-butter pie crust, which is made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to assemble. It’s flaky and crisp and the perfect little pocket for a fruit filling.
As far as fillings go, this is super customizable, so you can use your favorite jam or preserves. My family loves to pick strawberries, so I set aside time during the summer to can a good amount of strawberry jam that is sweetened with honey.
It’s an easy recipe that produces a jam that is incredibly fresh, sweet, and tart, perfect for these homemade strawberry pop tarts.
And lastly, you’ll want to drizzle the tops of these pop tarts with icing because that just puts the flavor and enjoyment over the top. I use a simple powdered sugar icing, but you can easily use your own favorite recipe for icing or glaze.
Plus, they are quick to make!
Enjoying Homemade Pop Tarts
As far as how to eat them, you’ve got two options: wait for them to cool before applying the icing and enjoy them at room temperature, or go ahead and drizzle the pop tarts straight out of the oven, watch the icing run about, and enjoy them warm and toasty.
Scratch that – the third option is to let them cool, apply the icing, let it set, then warm them right back up. It all depends on how long you’re willing to wait, doesn’t it?
These are, hands down, the best, most indulgent, childhood-reminiscent little treat.
If you love the idea of homemade pop tarts but are longing for a sourdough twist… I’ve got you. Use my recipe for homemade sourdough pop tarts with jam filling for the quick sourdough discard or long-fermented versions of this tart recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Incredibly delicious – The combination of buttery, flaky crust pocketed around a gooey, sweet jam and laced in a thin drizzle of icing is magical.
Simple and customizable – I love that these delicious homemade pop tarts are made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! You also have the flexibility to use your own favorite pie crust recipe or fruit filling.
Healthier nostalgic treat – Pop tarts are always tempting, but the host of unnecessary and unhelpful additives sure make you think twice. This recipe pulls real food ingredients together to make an even more delicious version of this childhood favorite.
Ingredients
Pie crust, prepared – One premade batch of my all-butter pie crust or your favorite crust recipe.
Strawberry jam or preserves – Use your favorite flavor of jam or preserves.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Pop Tarts
Step 1: In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt, then cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender. The mixture should be sandy with some pea-sized crumbles.
Step 2: Add cold water and mix until the dough forms. Pat into two disk shapes, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the dough discs into a large rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Trim the edges of the rectangle with a sharp knife or a pastry cutter as needed. Cut the dough into eight equal-sized rectangles.
Step 4: Cut the dough into eight equal-sized rectangles.
Step 5: Place four of the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of jam or preserves into the center of the four rectangles, leaving room around the edges to seal the tarts.
Step 6: Position the remaining four rectangles carefully over the top of the jam, using a fork to crimp the edges together. Trim the edges if desired for a more uniform appearance. Repeat with the remaining dough until you have eight pop tarts assembled.
Step 7: Whisk the egg with a splash of water, then use a pastry brush to lightly apply the egg wash to the top of each pop tart. Bake for 22-30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through.
Step 8: Remove from the oven and let cool completely. While the pop tarts cool, add the powdered sugar and milk to a small bowl, stirring to form the icing.
Step 9: Once cooled, top each pop tart with icing. Add sprinkles if you’d like. Let the icing set and enjoy!
Tips
- A food processor is also a great tool for making a quick pie crust.
- It’s important to leave space around the fruit filling to properly seal the edges of the dough and prevent leaks.
- Cold pie crust works best for crimping the edges well. Warmed dough may tear or stick. Fix this by refrigerating until cooled.
- While a tablespoon doesn’t sound like a lot, I’ve found it to be the perfect ratio without bursting the pastry open.
- Any flavor of fruit jam can be substituted. You’ll want to use a thicker jam so it doesn’t run. Otherwise, you can cook your jam with a small slurry of cornstarch and water over the stove beforehand to thicken. Cool thickened jam before filling the dough.
- Add vanilla extract to the icing for a vanilla glaze. Whisk a spoonful of jam into the glaze for added color and flavor.
Recipe FAQs
No, these can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for several days. However, if made with fresh fruit or a cream cheese filling, they should be refrigerated to avoid spoiling. For longer storage, freeze pop tarts in a freezer bag or airtight container for several months. To reheat, simply pop them in the oven, toaster, or toaster oven until heated through.
Store-bought pop tarts are made with seed oils, high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, and preservatives, having little to no nutritional value. The homemade version is still a treat to be enjoyed in moderation, but they are made with real sugar and fruit preserves and no artificial ingredients.
Pop tarts are a fully baked pastry.
You can! These are at their very best when made with homemade pie crust, but if you’re not confident in making your own crust or are simply short on time, a store-bought crust will do the job.
Both! This homemade pastry is delicious at room temperature or warmed in the oven.
More Sweet Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Quick Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
- Brioche French Toast
- Homemade Brioche Donuts with Custard Filling
- Sourdough Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Homemade Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup ice water, plus more if needed to make it come together
- 1 egg + splash of water
Filling
- 1 cup strawberry jam or preserves
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles – optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt, then cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender. The mixture should be sandy with some pea-sized crumbles. Add cold water and mix until the dough forms. Pat into two disk shapes, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the dough discs into a large rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Trim the edges of the rectangle with a sharp knife or a pastry cutter as needed. Cut the dough into eight equal-sized rectangles.
- Place four of the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of jam or preserves into the center of the four rectangles, leaving room around the edges to seal the tarts. Position the remaining four rectangles carefully over the top of the jam, using a fork to crimp the edges together. Trim the edges if desired for a more uniform appearance. Repeat with the remaining dough until you have eight pop tarts assembled.
- Whisk the egg with a splash of water, then use a pastry brush to lightly apply the egg wash to the top of each pop tart. Bake for 22-30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. While the pop tarts cool, add the powdered sugar and milk to a small bowl, stirring to form the icing.
- Once cooled, top each pop tart with icing. Add sprinkles if you’d like. Let the icing set and enjoy!
Notes
- A food processor is also a great tool for making a quick pie crust.
- It’s important to leave space around the fruit filling to properly seal the edges of the dough and prevent leaks.
- Cold pie crust works best for crimping the edges well. Warmed dough may tear or stick. Fix this by refrigerating until cooled.
- While a tablespoon doesn’t sound like a lot, I’ve found it to be the perfect ratio without bursting the pastry open.
- Any flavor of fruit jam can be substituted. You’ll want to use a thicker jam so it doesn’t run. Otherwise, you can cook your jam with a small slurry of cornstarch and water over the stove beforehand to thicken. Cool thickened jam before filling the dough.
- Add vanilla extract to the icing for a vanilla glaze. Whisk a spoonful of jam into the glaze for added color and flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
