With 5 simple ingredients and 12 minutes of cook time, these homemade pop tarts are an easy to make sweet treat that’s much healthier than the store-bought version.
Why this recipe works
These homemade pop tarts start with a flaky pie crust then are stuffed with jam and topped with an easy homemade glaze. They’re sweet but definitely not over-sweet, I’d say they have the perfect balance!
My kids have always loved Pop-Tarts, but they’ve always tasted a bit too artificial for my liking. Making homemade pop tarts never crossed my mind until recently, and now I won’t be going back. They remind me of our blueberry hand pies with their frosted glaze and jam filling. Even the kids will love helping with this recipe!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
JAM – You can use whichever flavor of jam you’d like. Strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry jam, and even apple butter are all great choices!
CRUST – We chose to use an easy Jiffy pie crust mix. We have also tried using a refrigerator pie dough, but you won’t get very many pop tarts out of it, so we suggest a pie crust mix or even a homemade pie dough.
How to Make Homemade Pop Tarts
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Make the pie crust according to the box instructions with 4-5 Tablespoons of water.
EXPERT TIP – Cut out the face of the Jiffy box to use as a template for the size of your pop-tarts.
- Roll out the pie crust into a long rectangle and use the template to cut out 8 rectangles. You will need to bunch and re-roll dough a few times, adding water to the mix. Rectangles should be 1/8-1/4 inch in thickness.
- Line four rectangles on a baking sheet. Place 1 Tablespoon of jelly, jam, or apple butter on the dough and spread out, leaving 1/2-inch perimeter clean.
- Wet the perimeter of the rectangle with water and top with another rectangle of dough. Use a fork to press down all along the edges. Repeat for the remaining dough.
- Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes.
- Top with glaze made by combining powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl with a whisk or spoon. Drizzle onto the warm pop-tarts and decorate with your choice of sprinkles.
EXPERT TIP – to make a cinnamon sugar glaze, add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to the glaze. To make a pink glaze, add 1 teaspoon of your red jam (raspberry or strawberry) to the glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, these homemade pop tarts freeze well. Place your room temperature pop tarts in a freezer safe bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, let them thaw at room temperature and pop in the toaster!
You can store your pop tarts in a sealed ziploc bag or an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also keep them in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these homemade pop tarts with a glaze and sprinkles as we did, but if you prefer less glaze, use your spoon to lightly drizzle lines across the top of the pastry or omit it altogether. Nonpareils or rainbow jimmies are a popular choice for sprinkles. You can also switch up the color of the glaze by adding a small amount of food coloring to the mixture, this can help you tell your pop tart flavors apart!
Homemade pop tarts are basically jam-filled pastries with a sweet homemade glaze and can be enjoyed as breakfast on busy mornings or as a snack throughout the day. Pop in the toaster for a warm treat with a bit more crunch.
More Hand Pie Recipes
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Homemade Pop Tarts
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 9 oz jiffy pie crust mix 1 box
- 4 Tbsp water 4-5 Tbsp
- 4 Tbsp jam *1 TBSP per pop tart* blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry jam, or apple butter.
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk 1-2 tbsp
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can store your pop tarts in a sealed ziploc bag or an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also keep them in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Make the pie crust according to the box instructions with 4-5 Tablespoons of water. Cut out the face of the Jiffy box to use as a template for the size of your pop-tarts.
- Roll out the pie crust into a long rectangle and use the template to cut out 8 rectangles. You will need to bunch and re-roll dough a few times, adding water to the mix. Rectangles should be 1/8-1/4 inch in thickness.
- Line four rectangles on a baking sheet. Place 1 Tablespoon of jelly, jam, or apple butter on the dough and spread out, leaving 1/2-inch perimeter clean. Wet the perimeter of the rectangle with water and top with another rectangle of dough. Use a fork to press down all along the edges. Repeat for remaining dough.
- Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes.
- Top with glaze made by combining powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl with a whisk or spoon. Drizzle onto the warm pop-tarts and decorate with your choice of sprinkles
- Tip: to make a cinnamon sugar glaze, add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to the glaze. To make a pink glaze, add 1 teaspoon of your red jam (raspberry or strawberry) to the glaze.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Rebecca Koch says
The homemade pop tarts look really delish! Will have to try them!
Fred says
Is there a way that I can make lemon Pop Tarts?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes you can use lemon curd instead of the jam :)