Homemade Pop Tarts

You’ll love this recipe for scratch made Homemade Pop Tarts filled with strawberry preserves. They’re a special treat for the family you can make for breakfast, brunch, snacking or dessert.

Easy Homemade Pop Tarts Recipe

Pop tarts are one of my favorite childhood treats. There was just something about those little rectangular breakfast pastries filled with jam that made them irresistible. This strawberry pop tart recipe starts with scratch made pastry dough which sets them apart in both flavor and appeal. How to make homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

• Make the Pastry Dough – In a medium size mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, sugar, and salt.
• Cut Fats into Dry Ingredients – Use a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until it resembles peas.
• Egg- Whisk together egg and milk in a separate bowl. Add it to the dough, mixing with a large spoon or silicone spatula just until everything comes together.
• Divide Dough – Divide the dough in half shaping into rectangles, around 3 x 5 inches smoothing the edges.
• Chill – Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Strawberry Filling – In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold water just until dissolved. Stir into strawberry preserves, mix well. Set aside. (Chunky fruit preserves or jam works best, not jelly)
• Roll Pastry Dough – Place one half of the dough onto a non stick floured surface or silicone pastry mat. Roll into a 12 x 9 inch rectangle about 1/8″ thick. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
• Divide Dough – Use the edge of a ruler to mark both sheets of dough in thirds lengthwise and widthwise to make nine 3 x 4 inch rectangles.
• Cut into Portions – Use a pizza wheel or a sharp knife to cut apart.
• Egg Wash – Whisk together egg and water. Brush around the edges of each rectangle.
• Add Filling – Spread jam down the center of 9 rectangles leaving about a 1/2-3/4 inch border.
• Cover with Second Rectangle – Gently lift and place the second rectangle of dough centering it on top. The edges should be even.
• Seal – Seal the edges of each pop tart using the tines of a fork. Trim any uneven edges. Gently place onto a large parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.
• Cut Vents – Using the end of a sharp knife, cut 3 even slits on the top of each pop tart.
• Chill – Place into the fridge and chill on the pan for 30 minutes.
• Bake – Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the pop tarts from the fridge. Bake per the recipe until light golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Make Frosting – Whisk together powdered sugar with almond extract and a pinch of salt. Add milk to thin until it’s a soft spreadable frosting. Spread on pop tarts, sprinkle with colorful nonpareils or jimmies.

How to Make the Best Homemade Pop Tarts

Homemade strawberry pop tarts require several steps to make but the flavor of the homemade version is well worth the effort it takes.

• Ingredients you’ll need to make Homemade Pop Tarts: All purpose flour, cold unsalted butter, cold solid vegetable shortening, salt, egg, granulated sugar and milk.
• For the filling you’ll need: Strawberry preserves or jam (not jelly) cornstarch and large egg.
• For the frosting you’ll need: Powdered sugar, almond extract, heavy cream and salt plus sprinkles for decorating.
• Kitchen tools you’ll need: Sheet pans, medium bowl, small bowl, whisk, measuring cups and spoons, pastry brush, sharp knife and chopping board and pastry blender.
• Why chill the pie crust dough? This will relax the gluten and firm up the dough a bit, making it easier to roll.
• How long does pie dough last? You can refrigerate the pastry dough for up to 2 days then let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before you roll it out. Shaping the discs into rectangles instead of a rounds assist with the rolling out process. 
• The combination of vegetable shortening and butter is preferred for this pop tart recipe and results in a flaky pie crust.
• Cut the rectangles using a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel to get those clean edges that will match up in pairs forming the top and bottom crust.
• In this recipe an egg wash is the glue that holds it all together. An egg wash is simple to make, it’s basically a beaten egg mixed with cold water that’s used to brush along the edges of the pop tarts to seal. It also gives the pop tarts a pretty golden color.
• Don’t skip the cornstarch in the preserves, it’s used s a thickener to stabilize the strawberry preserves decreasing the amount that could potentially escape while baking.
• An important step is to cut slits or openings in the top of each pop tart to make sure steam can escape while baking. If not, the pop tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries.
• Once the pop tarts are assembled, they go back into the refrigerator for chill time. This step is important as it decreases the shrinking of the dough while it’s baking. Refrigerate them, uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Can I make pop tarts in a toaster? These strawberry pop tarts should be baked and I wouldn’t recommend reheating a glazed pop tart in a conventional toaster. You may be able to reheat them in a toaster oven, but watch them closely.
• You can freeze pop tarts for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen per the recipe, adding additional time as needed and glaze just before serving.
• Store baked strawberry pop tarts at room temperature for up to 3 days or chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

More Desserts and Pastry Recipes to Make

When making homemade pop tarts you can get creative with the fillings using a variety of different flavors of preserves, nutella, lemon curd, brown sugar and cinnamon or dulce de leche. Other homemade pastries you may like to try:

• Bakery style Cream Horns recipe filled with whipped cream.
• Glazed pastry cream filled Chocolate Eclairs made with choux pastry.
• Heart shaped Cherry Hand Pies.
• New Orleans Beignets dusted with powdered sugar.
• Elephant Ears are impossible to resist.
• Cinnamon sugar coated homemade Churros.
• Mini Blueberry Pies from Beyond Frosting.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Sheet Pan
• Measuring Set
• Kitchen Utensils
• Knives and Chopping Board