homemade pop tarts from scratch

Pop Tarts are a childhood staple. Well, at least they were in the ’80s and ’90s! My mom only liked the blueberry ones without the frosting. I used to buy the chocolate pop tarts at school with my lunch money and THAT was my lunch when I was a “cool” 13 year old. No matter what your memories are with the classic breakfast food, those textures and flavors have stood the test of time for a reason. Pop tarts have a flakey crust with a fruity, jelly center, topped with thin icing. Well, pretty sure I can make that myself. 

Video here!

I was right, it’s pie crust and jelly. That’s it! 

You can use any pie crust that you like. I use this recipe here, but when I was testing this recipe, I wanted to see how store-bought crust turned out and that worked out just fine as well. So, it’s up to you!

I decided that these would be fun to make for Valentine’s Day. So, I cut them into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. I made them extra fun and festive with these over-the-top Valentine’s Day sprinkles from Fancy Sprinkles. Order yours here for 15% off when you use the code: FROMSCRATCHWITHMARIA15

fancy sprinkles homemade pop tarts
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Homemade Pop Tarts
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 pie crust rounds, homemade or store-bought
  • Jelly for filling; the amount will vary based on the pop tart size
  • 1 egg + 1 teaspoon water
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons half and half or whole milk
  • Fancy Sprinkles for topping

Instructions
 

  • Roll out the pie crust to about 1/4 inch.
  • Use the heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out two hearts.
  • Place the jelly onto one of the hearts ( used about 1 teaspoon for a 3-inch size heart), and spread it around making sure to leave a border on the edge of the heart shape.
  • Place the other heart shape over top and seal the edges by crimping them with a fork.
  • Use the fork to poke some holes on the top heart.
  • Repeat with the rest of the pie dough and place them in the fridge (I place mine on a lined baking sheet) while the oven preheats to 400 degrees.
  • When the oven is ready, remove the hearts from the fridge and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together.
  • Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the egg wash onto the heart.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly puffed up and golden. Timing will vary based on the size of the pop tart.
  • Allow the pastries to cool completely.
  • When the pastries have cooled, get the icing ready by whisking together the powdered sugar and half and half by starting with just 1 tablespoon. Add the second tablespoon if the icing is too thick. If the icing becomes too thin, add some more powdered sugar. Make it as thin or as thick as you like.
  • Sprinkle with Fancy sprinkles!
  • Allow the icing to set, and then serve.

Notes

Make sure your pie crust is cold before baking. I like to place the pop tarts in the fridge while the oven heats up to allow them to set a little bit before baking. 
Change up the flavors by making homemade pie filling instead of using jelly. Or add some jelly to the icing for some additional flavor. 
Make sure to poke the holes on the top. If you don’t do this it can puff up and won’t have the classic “pop tart” look. 
Allow the pop tarts to cool completely before icing them. If you don’t wait then the icing will melt. 
For a classic look, simply use a knife or pie cutter to cut the rectangle shape. 
The amount of filling will vary based on the size of the pop tart shape desired.
Author: Maria Provenzano

homemade pop tarts fancy sprinkles