Delicious Homemade Pop Tarts

Who didn’t LOVE eating Pop Tarts as a kid. I’m pretty sure I would still eat them now if I didn’t know how much added “stuff” there is in them. So making these homemade pop tarts is a great way to feel good about letting my kids devour a breakfast pastry covered in icing and sprinkles. Still not healthy, but at least it’s a little better. And I can cater them to my kids’ preferences. Always a bonus.

This pop tart recipe is made with a sweet tart dough. Many recipes use a flaky pie dough. I used to do that as well, but I find that the sweet tart dough is closer to the Pop Tarts that I loved. (The flaky pie dough is similar to those toaster strudels).

You will need ...

For the dough

Unsalted Butter, softened, 1 Cup and 2T
Powdered Sugar, 1 1/2 Cup
All Purpose Flour, 4 1/2 Cups
Egg Yolks, 6
Salt, 3/4 tsp

For the filling

Strawberry Preserves

For the icing

Powdered Sugar, 2 Cups
Heavy Cream, 1-2 T
Coloring, as needed

*amounts may vary depending on desired consistency

Step One

Mix the dough. First, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light. Next, add in the yolks and mix until light and fluffy. Then, add in the salt and flour. Mix until combined.

Portion dough out into three or four sections. Flatten to about 1 inch thick and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step Two

Roll out the dough. To prevent sticking, I use powdered sugar (instead of flour) as its already in the dough and it doesn’t dry it out as much as flour would. Roll the dough out to be just under 1/4″ thick. Use a template to cut out the rectangle shapes so that each rectangle is the same size. Place them between layers of parchment to prevent sticking. Freeze until you are ready to assemble.

Step Three

Begin assembling the tarts. Get yourself set up with the following: parchment lined baking sheets, your filling with a spoon, a bowl with an egg and about 1 T of water mixed together to be the egg wash, and a pastry brush.

First, lay out the bottom rectangles. Next, egg wash all four edges of each rectangle. Then, spoon some of the filling onto the center of each rectangle. Leave about a 1″ border.

Step Four

Once all the bottoms are prepared with the egg wash and filling, its time to top them all off. Carefully place the top rectangle over each bottom rectangle, fitting the edges as best you can. Next, take a fork and use it to crimp all four edges of the pop tart. Press hard enough to cause the bottom and top rectangles to seal, but not hard enough to cut the dough. Then, egg wash the tops of all pop tarts. Finally, use the fork to pierce tiny holes on the tops of the pop tarts to allow for steam to escape.

Step Five

Bake the pop tarts in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on the sheet trays for about 30 – 45 minutes.

NOTE: If you notice them puffing up a lot during baking, it is a good idea to use a fork or a small knife to pierce the tops again and let the steam out.

Step Six

Mix the icing for the pop tarts. The ideal consistency is similar to honey or molasses. You want it to move but be thick enough that it is not a clear glaze. Once the desired color and consistency is reached, frost each pop tart. I like to leave bits of the edges showing. Top with sprinkles if desired (my kids love sprinkles so they would be mad if I skipped this step).

Step Seven

Finally, let the icing harden for a few hours. Once hardened, you could wrap them up individually and keep them either on the counter for a few days, or in the freezer for a few months. Keep in mind that they do not toast in the toaster because of the icing. Instead, take one out a few hours or even the night before you want to eat it. Enjoy!

The Mom Touch