If you grew up on the foil wrapped pastries from the grocery store aisle, you already know the appeal. They were sweet, portable, and a little magical when you were eight years old. What they were not was full of real fruit.
Making homemade strawberry pop tarts changes the whole experience. You get a buttery, tender crust, a bright filling made from actual strawberries, and a glossy icing that sets firm enough to stack.
There are no preservatives, no artificial colors, and no artificial flavors hiding in the ingredient list.
The crust is built on a trusted homemade pie dough method, so it bakes up flaky, tender, and golden brown. The strawberry jam filling cooks on the stovetop in minutes, and the icing is the same glossy one many bakers use on easy sugar cookies.
In my kitchen, these tarts have become the thing my kids request when they want a treat that still tastes like real food. Here is what you need.
Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts: A Flaky From-Scratch Recipe 21
Ingredient
Amount
Why It Matters
All purpose flour
2 1/2 cups
The base of the crust. Keep extra on hand to dust your work surface while rolling, since the dough can stick.
Granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon for the crust, 1/4 cup for the filling
A little sweetness in the dough and the main sweetener in the fruit filling.
Table salt
1/2 teaspoon
Balances the butter and keeps the crust from tasting flat.
Unsalted butter, cubed and very cold
1 cup
Cold butter creates steam pockets in the oven, which is what makes the crust flaky.
Sour cream
1/2 cup
Adds moisture, binds the dough together, and adds flavor without being noticeable. Plain full fat Greek yogurt may substitute.
Cornstarch
2 teaspoons
Thickens the filling so it forms its own layer and the crust stays crisp instead of going soggy.
Strawberries, quartered
8 ounces
The star of the filling. Frozen strawberries work too, and other berries or hand pie fillings can step in.
Lemon juice
2 teaspoons
Brightens the strawberry flavor so the filling tastes fresh rather than flat.
Butter for the filling
1/2 Tablespoon, salted or unsalted
Stirred in at the end for a silkier, richer jam.
Egg and water
1 large egg plus 1 teaspoon water
The egg wash. It goes on the inside and the outside of each tart.
Powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups
The icing base.
Milk
2 Tablespoons
Thins the icing so it spreads and drizzles easily. You may need a touch more if you skip the corn syrup.
Light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon
Gives the icing its glossy shine and firm set. This is not high fructose corn syrup. Leave it out and you get a softer, less shiny icing.
Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon
Warms up the flavor of the glaze.
Nonpareils or sprinkles
Optional
Purely for fun, and worth it if you are serving kids or a crowd.
Two ingredients deserve a closer look. The first is butter. For the crust, use unsalted butter and make sure it is very cold, straight from the refrigerator right before you cube it. For the small amount of butter that goes into the filling, salted or unsalted both work fine, and you will never notice the difference.
The second is the egg wash, which does double duty. Brushed on the inside of the pastry, it creates a barrier that keeps the filling from soaking into the dough, so the crust stays crisp. Brushed on the outside, it encourages that deep golden color as the tarts bake.
Sprinkles are optional, though they do make the finished tarts look like the ones from the box, only better. If you want to try something different with the same filling, spoon it between squares of puff pastry, either a double batch of homemade puff pastry or a store bought sheet, and you get a toaster strudel style treat with almost no extra work.
Worth knowing: the filling here is a real homemade strawberry jam, cooked down with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until it sets. Many store bought versions contain very little dried strawberry along with apples and pears, which is why they taste more like sugar than fruit. Once you make the real thing, the difference is hard to miss.
The process moves in four friendly stages: mix and chill the crust, cook the filling, assemble, then bake and ice. Nothing here is difficult, but the order matters, because the dough needs time in the refrigerator and the filling needs to cool completely before it meets the pastry. Here is the quick overview.
Detail
Value
Prep time
1 hour
Cook time
15 minutes
Oven temperature
400F (205C)
Servings
10 pop tarts
Serving size
1 pop tart
Making the Crust
Combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in the basin of a food processor and pulse them together. Scatter the cold cubed butter evenly over the surface and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
You should still see some pieces of butter, and some may be as large as chocolate chips. That is exactly what you want.
Add the sour cream and pulse again, just until it is incorporated, the flour is absorbed, and the mixture starts to cling together. Take the dough out of the bowl, minding the blade, and put it on a sheet of plastic wrap.
Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts: A Flaky From-Scratch Recipe 22
Form it into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and chill for 30 to 60 minutes. While the dough chills, make the filling.
Once the filling is cool and the dough is firm, move the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and dust with more flour as needed. Roll it into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut that rectangle into 2.5 by 4 inch pieces. A rectangular cookie cutter makes this fast and even, but a sharp knife or a pizza wheel works just as well.
Filling
Whisk the granulated sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Add the quartered strawberries and the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set the pan 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 a large fork until no large pieces remain.
Keep cooking and stirring while the mixture bubbles, until it thickens and starts to look like jelly. Remember that it will thicken further as it cools, so do not worry if it still looks a little loose.
Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts: A Flaky From-Scratch Recipe 23
Pull the pan off the heat, stir in the butter until it is completely combined, and set the filling aside to cool completely. The refrigerator speeds this up if you are in a hurry, and cool filling matters because warm filling will soften the dough.
How to Assemble Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
Once the dough has chilled and the filling has cooled, preheat the oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg and water together thoroughly to make the egg wash.
Set one dough 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 it with a second rectangle of dough.
Press the edges together and crimp them with a fork to seal. Brush the top with more egg wash, then use a toothpick or wooden skewer to poke 6 to 8 holes in the surface so steam can escape while baking. Repeat with the remaining rectangles.
Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts: A Flaky From-Scratch Recipe 24
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the tarts are golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet before you decorate them, because icing slides right off a warm tart.
Cool the tarts completely before icing. Warm pastry makes the glaze slide right off.
Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts: A Flaky From-Scratch Recipe 25
For the icing, whisk the powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of milk, the corn syrup, and the vanilla until smooth. If it is too thick, add the remaining milk a little at a time.
If it turns out too thin, thicken it with a spoonful more powdered sugar. You have reached the right consistency when you lift the spoon and the ribbon of icing holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the bowl.
Drizzle it over the center of each cooled tart, add sprinkles if you like, and let the frosting harden before serving.
Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts: A Flaky From-Scratch Recipe 26
One practical note that surprises people: once these tarts are frosted, do not put them in the toaster. The icing will melt and make a mess. A few seconds in the microwave warms them nicely, though the icing does get quite melty.
The tarts spread a little as they bake, so leave an inch or two of space between them on the sheet and grab a second baking sheet if the first one gets crowded. They taste best the day they are made, and they also freeze well, so a double batch is never a bad idea.
FAQs
Can you freeze homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts?
Yes, homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts freeze very well. For make-ahead convenience, arrange the assembled but unbaked Pop-Tarts on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container for up to three months. You can bake them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
What is the filling in homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts?
The filling is a homemade strawberry jam made with 8 ounces of fresh or frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and 1/2 tablespoon of butter. The ingredients are cooked on the stovetop until thickened to a jelly-like consistency, creating a real fruit filling without preservatives.
Why does the recipe use sour cream in the pie crust?
Sour cream is used in the pie crust to create a more tender and flaky pastry. The acidity in the sour cream tenderizes the gluten in the flour, which results in a delicate, buttery texture without leaving a sour taste in the finished Pop-Tarts.
How do you store finished homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts?
Store finished, iced Pop-Tarts in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers to prevent the icing from sticking together.
What You Need If you grew up on the foil wrapped pastries from the grocery store aisle, you already know the appeal. They were sweet, portable, and a little magical when you were eight years old.
Total Time:0 min
Yield:10 pop tarts 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar ½ teaspoon table salt 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and very cold ½ cup sour cream
For the Filling ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 8 oz strawberries, quartered 2 teaspoons lemon juice ½ Tablespoon butter, salted or unsalted
Egg Wash 1 large egg 1 teaspoon water
For the Glaze 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons milk 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Nonpareils
Instructions
For Crust 1-Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the basin of a food processor. 2-Scatter butter pieces evenly over the surface: 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! 3-Add sour cream and pulse until sour: Add sour cream and pulse until sour cream is incorporated, flour is absorbed, and mixture is beginning to cling together. 4-Remove dough from food processor (be careful: Remove dough from 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 5-Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small: Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan and whisk together until combined. 6-Add berries and lemon juice and stir: Add berries and lemon juice and stir to combine. 7-Transfer saucepan to stovetop over medium-low heat: 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. 8-Stir while the mixture bubbles and cook: 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. 9-Once the filling begins to thicken, remove: 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 pastry (you can speed up the process by placing the filling in the refrigerator).
Assembly 10-Once dough has chilled and filling has: Once dough has chilled and filling has cooled, preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 11-Prepare egg wash by thoroughly whisking together: Prepare egg wash by thoroughly whisking together egg and water. 12-Transfer pie crust to a clean, lightly: 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!). 13-Place one rectangle on prepared baking sheet: Place one rectangle on 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. 14-Repeat steps above until you have formed: Repeat steps above until you have formed all of your pop tarts, then transfer to 400F (205C) oven and bake 15-17 minutes and beginning to turn golden brown. Allow pop tarts to cool on baking sheet before decorating with icing.
Icing 15-Combine sugar, 1 Tablespoon of milk, corn: Combine sugar, 1 Tablespoon of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. If 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. 16-Drizzle icing over the center of the: Drizzle icing over the center of the pop tarts and top with sprinkles, if using. Allow frosting to harden before serving and enjoying.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.
