August 22, 2013
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Perfectly iced and stuffed with strawberry filling, these homemade pop tarts are a major upgrade from the store-bought version. Made with real ingredients, they’re the perfect sweet breakfast idea or afternoon treat.
Homemade Pop Tart Ingredients
If your kids are anything like mine, they love pop tarts, and if you’re anything like me, you hate the long list of processed ingredients. After scanning my son’s packaged snack in frustration one day, I decided to make my own healthier version, including:
- strawberries
- sugar
- honey
- pie dough
- milk
- egg white
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
How to Make Pop Tarts
Now, you may be asking yourself, “How is it even possible to make pop tarts from scratch?” While it may seem intimidating, the process uses ready-made pie crust and takes only 30 minutes to finish.
- Preheat
Turn your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper while it heats. - Combine
In a 2-3 quart saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar, and honey with a splash of water - Simmer
Let the mixture simmer on medium heat for ~10 minutes or until it reaches a jam-like consistency. - Roll
While the filling is cooling, roll the pie dough to ⅛ inch thick. - Cut
Cut the dough into 12 rectangles 3X4-inches in size. - Fill
Use ~1 tablespoon of the jam to fill the center of half of the rectangle dough pieces. - Seal
Brush milk along the dough’s edge, and place a second rectangle on top of the first to seal the pop tart. Then, press a fork along the edges to make sure they are pressed down and cut 3-4 small slits on top of the pop tart. - Bake
Bake the pastries for about 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown. - Frost
Once cooled, ice the pop tarts, and enjoy!
Easy, right? I’ll be honest. Some of my pop tarts came out a bit “sloppy,” with filling oozing out from the edge. Some of the dough I didn’t roll to the same consistency. They were not perfect. The perfectionist in me was very upset at first, but my taste buds won. The imperfections in my homemade pop tarts made them, well perfect. I’m sure after making them, you’ll see why too!
How to Make Pop Tart Icing
While it’s easy to buy icing from the store, the homemade version tastes so much better. Plus, it’s super quick! All you need to is:
Beat
Using a mixer, beat the egg whites on a medium speed until stiff peaks begin to form.
Mix
Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix. Then, add the vanilla, make sure it is evenly mixed, and enjoy!
Best Fruit Filling for Homemade Pop Tarts
Feel free to get creative with your filling! Personally, I think strawberry filling is the best for homemade pop tarts. However, use whatever fruit you like best. If using a store-bought jam, it’s a good option to look for low-sugar varieties made with little to no processed ingredients.
More Homemade Pop Tart Fillings
Not a fruit fan? No problem! Get the kids involved, and turn your homemade pop tarts into a fun dessert. Here are a few more filling option ideas to swap out with the classic recipe shared below. Or, you can try one of these ideas with my gluten-free pop tart recipe.
- S’mores Pop Tarts
- PB&J
- Nutella (or homemade nutella!)
Freezing Homemade Pop Tarts
When kept in an airtight container, these homemade pop tarts can last up to 6 months in the freezer. They’re the perfect meal prep recipe for busy weekday mornings! All you have to do is pull one out of the freezer the night before or pop it in the toaster for a delicious on-the-go meal in minutes.
Homemade Pop Tarts
Ingredients
For Homemade PopTarts:
- 1 ½ cups strawberries chopped
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 homemade or store-bought pie dough
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
For Icing:
- 1 egg white from pasteurized eggs
- 1 ¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small 2-3 quart saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and honey with a splash of water. Heat over medium heat, bringing the mixture to a simmer for about 10 minutes until it’s the consistency of jam. Once the strawberries have broken down, remove from the heat, and allow it to cool completely. You can skip this step, and use your favorite jam or fresh fruit instead.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll your pie dough to ⅛-inch thick. Cut the dough into 12, 3x4-inch, rectangles.You will need two rectangles per poptart and more than likely, you’ll need to re-shape and recut dough as you go along.
- Fill a small dish with milk and set it next to your baking sheet. Place one row of rectangles onto the lined baking sheet. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of strawberry filling onto the center of each rectangle, making sure the filling doesn’t get too close to the edges. Carefully, with a pastry brush or your finger, brush milk onto the edges of the dough.
- Top each bottom rectangle with a second piece of rectangular dough. Using your fingers, press down the edges. Then, with a fork, lightly press down to seal the edges of the dough all around. With a sharp knife, cut a 3 or 4 small slits in the top of each poptart (about ½ inch each).
- Bake the pastries in the preheated oven, until golden brown, for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
- To make icing, beat the egg white on medium-high speed until peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, mixing gradually, and add the vanilla toward the end. Once the frosting is finished, spread onto each poptart and enjoy!
Karen
ate there any safe sugar substitutes that would work like Stevia or something similar- not Splenda or aspartame
MOMables
I have not tried making these with a sugar replacement. If you use stevia successfully, please let us know of the outcome. Thank you!
erin
I am finally going to try this today! We’ve decided that Nutella and bananas will be our filling. Thanks for an awesome, easy, healthier alternative to the store bought ones! Will definitely let you know how they turn out!
Makena
Yum!!! Mine just came out of the oven, super satisfied with the results. (;
Mia
How would I freeze and thaw these for future use?
Michelle
Mia, make the poptarts as above (only without the frosting), put in the freezer for later use and then heat them in the toaster when you are ready to use them!
Lauree Kramer
I have a sister whose three children are, in her own words, addicted to Pop Tarts and I want to show her how easy it is to make her own. I already have homemade strawberry jam from this summer and am going to use that with store bought dough for now because we have had a long weekend of funerals and traveling and I just want to get it done as quick as possible so they can be done when she’s ready to head home.
MOMables
you are a great sister Lauree! make sure you don’t over fill them with the homemade jam and that you press around the edges well to seal them. enjoy!
Lauree Kramer
They turned out great! My sister called me the next day so the kids could thank me. I ended up making four batches so we had some for own use. I frosted the ones I sent home with my sister (since that’s what her kids are used to) but we had ours just plain and loved them. My husband did have a blond moment and wasn’t thinking about how hot they’d be coming out of the toaster and gave himself a finger blister. I think he learned his lesson.
Michelle
Lauree, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! And hopefully your husband’s finger is better lol :)
MOMables
so glad everyone loved them!!
Jill B
Made these this morning and used frozen organic strawberries. SOO delicious. Will never buy anymore again. Thanks so much, our 4 kids loved these.
Michelle
I’m so glad to hear that Jill! We love them too. I actually should make some more! :)
Megan
Can you use frozen fruit to make the filling?
MOMables
yes, but you must thaw it and drain out the defrosted “juices” first… otherwise it will run out of the pastry. :)
Lee Anne
In regards to being able to reheat them in the toaster…can I expect much of a problem with the filling seeping out, or does it stay contained for the most part? I have not seen any other recipes that allot for putting them in the toaster so this strikes my curiosity. Other than that, I LOVE that you are making homemade fillings and not using all that processed junk from a jar!
Michelle
Lee Anne, if you make them properly (unlike my photos ;)) the filling should not seep out. My poptarts were a bit messy, but I honestly didn’t have trouble heating them up. However if you make sure the filling is in the middle, and seal the edges with the fork you should be fine!
Christine
Hi, loving these! Raw egg whites for the icing? Am I reading that correctly?
MOMables
Hi Christine! Yes, it’s called “royal icing”. If you are not comfortable, make a traditional icing of powdered sugar and milk. Check out this video by Alton Brown where he explains it.
Allison
I just made these with the homemade pie crust!! Super Yummy. Didn’t have enough strawberries so I added a couple of slices of peach in. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Michelle
That sounds delicious with the peaches! yum!
Jessica P.
I am so excited to try this!! Just have one question…. If I am unable to get organic strawberries , would store bought organic pie filling work?? Also, that way have a couple different flavors… Thanks… :)
MOMables
you can mix and match your fruits and fillings as you want. the recipe is super (super) flexible in terms of what you fill it with.
Kim M
How do you store these out of the freezer, and how long do you think they’re good for?
MOMables
Once baked, I store them in an airtight container or zip bag. Good for about 3 days. If you are not able to eat them fresh, store in fridge and toast.
suzi
Can these be frozen?
Michelle
Suzi, they can be frozen and reheated in a toaster without the frosting :)