If you are a fan of pop tarts like me, then you will love these homemade pop tarts. Nice dough covering a mound of delicious strawberry jelly or preserves, topped off with a thick sweet glaze, amazing!
Growing up I was always excited when my mom would buy Pop-Tarts. They did not last long in a house with 5 hungry kids. She didn’t buy them often, but what a treat when she did.
I would eat them for breakfast or just a snack. I enjoyed pretty much every flavor that was made, but my all-time favorite was and still are strawberry pop tarts.
And the cool thing is homemade pop-tarts are easy to make! You can make them super easy by using pre-made pie crust dough, or use homemade pie crust dough. Either way, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking!
Step 1: Gather the ingredients
In order to make homemade pop-tarts you need just a handful of everyday ingredients:
- Pie crust – You can use homemade or store-bought. You can get about 4 pop tarts out of one standard size pie crust. Of course, you will need the ingredients for the homemade pie crust if you go that route.
- Fruit Preserves – Or you can use jelly or jam. My favorite kind to use is strawberry, but so many other flavors will work.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar. This will be used to make the glaze for the top.
- Vanilla extract – This is a flavoring for the glaze.
- Milk – I normally use whole milk, but any milk will work including almond milk.
Tools
- Fork
- Pizza roller or knife
- Clean ruler
- Spoon
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
Step 2: How to make homemade Pop-Tarts
Homemade pop tarts start with the dough. Begin by making the pie dough from scratch and then chill it for an hour or two. Or if you are using store-bought pie crust, skip that step of course.
Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Roll out the pie dough into a rectangle or if you are using store-bought it will be in a circle. Cut the dough into 3-inch by 4-inch rectangles. You should be able to get a total of 8 which will create 4 pop-tarts. Take the leftover trimmings and combine them to make more.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Then lay the rectangle sheets of dough on that. Spread them out about an inch apart. Then use a fork and poke holes in the layers of top that will be on the top. This will allow steam to be released while baking.
Add a few tablespoons of your favorite preserves, jelly, or jam in the middle. It helps if it is heated up a little bit in the microwave, it will be easier to spread. Make it so the jelly forms a smaller inner rectangle.
Now place the top on and use a fork to crimp the edges together around the homemade pop tarts. An optional step is to create an egg wash with one egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Then brush the edges before crimping the dough together. You can also brush the tops of the pop tarts with the egg wash if you wish.
Step 3: Bake the pop tarts
Next, place the tray of unbaked pop tarts in the oven, middle rack, and bake them for 18 to 25 minutes until they are nice and golden brown on the top. You may have some blow outs on the edges with a bit of leakage but that is okay. After they have been baked allow them to cool completely.
Once cooled you can come in and trim away any jam that oozed out the sides. You can also clear it away while they are still warm.
Step 4: Homemade Pop-Tarts glaze
Time to make the glaze that will go on top. Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl, along with the vanilla extract, and a few tablespoons of milk. Mix with a spoon or fork until you get a nice thick glaze. If it gets too runny, you can add more sugar, if it is too thick, add a tiny bit of extra milk.
Now just pour the glaze on top of the pop-tarts. Finish them off with your favorite sprinkles. And then wait for the glaze to dry. And it is as simple as that to make copy-cat pop tarts. Enjoy!
How long do homemade pop-tarts last?
You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Or in the fridge for about a week. You may also freeze them if you like. Reheat in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes when you want to eat them.
Here are some other recipes you may like:
Homemade Pop Tarts
Equipment
- Fork
- pizza roller or knife
- Clean ruler
- spoon
- sheet pan
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust homemade or store-bought
- strawberry preserves or your favorite jam, jelly, etc.
- 1 to 2 cups of powdered sugar 125 to 250g
- 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract 3ml
- 2 to 3 Tbsp. of milk 30 to 45ml
Instructions
- First, follow my pie crust dough recipe to make enough dough for 1 9-inch pie crust, or you can use a storebought pie crust of course. If using homemade, chill the dough for an hour before using it.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Use a ruler and cut the dough into equal rectangle shapes about 3×4 inches. You can make them smaller or even larger if you want. Place the dough on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Now poke holes in half of the pieces of dough, these will be used for the tops. Then spoon 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of jelly or jam in the middle and spread it out so it is a small inner rectangle. It may help to heat up the jelly a little bit, it spreads easier this way.
- Place the top piece of dough over the jelly and crimp the edges with a fork. You can also use a basic egg wash and brush the edges and the tops if you like. Sometimes it helps create a better seal around the edges.
- Bake the pan on the middle rack for 18 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Once baked, allow them to cool completely. It is normal to have a bit of leakage out the sides. You can trim away the leakage if desired.
- Make the glaze by mixing together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Add more sugar or milk to get the consistency you desire. I like it nice and thick. Spread the glaze on the tops of the pop tarts and then finish them off with sprinkles.
- Allow the glaze to set and then serve. Enjoy! Store them in an airtight container or zip lock bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Or in the fridge for about a week. You may also freeze them.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Do you like the recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it.  If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.
My kids could eat pop tarts every morning! Making them homemade is such a fun activity to do together & they taste so much better!
hahaha awesome! Yeah I loved pop tarts growing up, still do!
My kids are OBSESSED with Pop-Tarts! I love how easy they are to make at home, though.
Awesome, April!
My kids (and husband) devoured these! Thanks so much, homemade is the best!
Great, Lauren!! 🙂 You are so very welcome!! 🙂