Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts

As the before or after school snack of so many childhoods, pop tarts have a special place in our hearts. With an ever-changing variety of flavors, shiny foil wrappers, and quite possibly the easiest preparation ever, store-bought pop tarts might seem hard to beat–but today’s recipe proves otherwise!

My homemade strawberry pop tarts have a delightfully flaky (not crumbly) golden brown crust, a bright strawberry jam filling, and a firm, tasty icing that is totally foolproof. Oh, and did I mention they have no preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial flavors? Once you taste these, you won’t be reaching for the store-bought version anytime soon!

When developing this recipe, I opted to use my versatile and foolproof homemade pie dough for the crust. Not only is it buttery and tender, it’s also SO simple to bring together with absolutely no guesswork required. The strawberry jam filling is quick and easy too, taking just a few minutes on the stove. And finally, the glossy, perfectly set icing.

Let’s get started!

For Crust

1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the basin of a food processor.2 ½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour,1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon table salt.

2. Scatter butter pieces evenly over the surface of the flour mixture and pulse until the butter is cut into the mixture and your mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You should still see some pieces of butter remaining, some may be as large as chocolate chips, this is fine!1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter

3. Add sour cream and pulse until sour cream is incorporated, flour is absorbed, and mixture is beginning to cling together.½ cup (120 g) sour cream

4. Remove dough from the food processor (be careful of the blade!) and transfer to a piece of plastic wrap. Form into a ball then flatten into a disk. Chill for at least 30-60 minutes before rolling out. In the meantime, prepare your filling.

For Filling

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan and whisk together until combined.

   ¼ cup granulated sugar,2 teaspoons cornstarch

2. Add berries and lemon juice and stir to combine.8 oz (226 g) strawberries,2 teaspoons lemon juice.

3. Transfer saucepan to stovetop over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the berries release their juices and begin to soften. Mash them with a potato masher or large fork until no large pieces remain.

4. Stir while the mixture bubbles and cook until it begins to thicken and begins to approach a jelly-like consistency. Note that the filling will continue to thicken as it cools.

5. Once the filling begins to thicken, remove from heat and stir in butter until completely combined. Set aside and allow to cool completely before filling the pastry (you can speed up the process by placing the filling in the refrigerator)

   . ½ Tablespoon butter

Assembly

1. Once dough has chilled and the filling has cooled, preheat the oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare egg wash by thoroughly whisking together egg and water.1 large egg,1 teaspoon water

3. Transfer pie crust to a clean, lightly floured surface and dust with additional flour as needed. Roll dough into a rectangle about ⅛-¼” thick then cut into 2.5”x4” (6x10cm) rectangles (I use a rectangular cookie cutter to do this, but you can just use a sharp knife or a pizza wheel!).

4. Place one rectangle on the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the surface with egg wash. Drop a rounded Tablespoon of strawberry filling into the center, then top with another rectangle of dough. Use a fork to crimp the sides to seal, then brush the surface of the dough with egg wash. Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to poke 6-8 holes in the surface of the pop tart to allow it to vent.

5. Repeat steps above until you have formed all of your pop tarts, then transfer to a 400F (205C) oven and bake 15-17 minutes and begin to turn golden brown. Allow pop tarts to cool on a baking sheet before decorating with icing.

Icing

1. Combine sugar, 1 Tablespoon of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add remaining milk as needed until smooth (if icing becomes too thin, you can always thicken it with a bit more powdered sugar). Icing has reached ideal consistency when you lift the spoon from the icing and the ribbon that drizzles off the spoon holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back in the bowl.1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar,2 Tablespoons milk,1 Tablespoon light corn syrup,¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2. Drizzle icing over the center of the pop tarts and top with sprinkles, if using. Allow frosting to harden before serving and enjoying.