Strawberry Pop Tart Recipe
This strawberry pop tart recipe is simply delicious! Filled with a homemade sweet strawberry jam filling and enveloped in a buttery pastry.
Store-bought pop tarts might be a favorite amongst many, but a homemade version is so much better! Especially when it uses a homemade pastry crust and homemade strawberry filling. It gives it a wonderful real strawberry flavor that’s not cloyingly sweet.
It’s super easy, too, and you can use fresh or frozen strawberries! Pop tarts are like little hand pies, similar to these strawberry hand pies but made the pastry method is a little different. Usually I laminate my pie dough to create extra layers, but for pop tarts this step is skipped. It makes the pastry more dense and tender, without big flaky layers.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make your own homemade strawberry pop-tarts. Find the ingredient amounts written in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Homemade pie crust
- Homemade strawberry preserves.Or use high-quality store-bought strawberry jam if in a hurry.) For homemade preserves, you’ll need the following:
- Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla
- Egg for eggwash
- Vanilla glaze. This is made from powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little milk.
Method
Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour.
Use a pastry cutter or pulse the food processor to cut the butter into small pieces until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Add the yogurt to the bowl and stir until the dough comes together. Use your hands to combine the dough into a shaggy ball, and only add in as much chilled water as needed, a teaspoon at a time.
The dough should hold together when pressed but should not be sticky.
Bring the dough onto a clean work surface and form it it into a ball.
Cut the dough into two equal portions, and gently shape each piece into a flat disc using your cupped hands.
Wrap each dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before using it.
Strawberry filling
Add the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt to a saucepan. Place it over medium heat and stir regularly while the strawberries release their juices. Mash the strawberries as they heat.
As the mixture comes to a boil, it will thicken quickly, become jelly-like, and lose its cloudy appearance. Let it boil while stirring continuously until thickened and reduced.
Scoop the filling into a bowl. Let it chill in the refrigerator until completely cold. It will thicken more as it cools.
Assembling the Pop Tarts
On a Iightly floured surface, roll out one half the pastry dough into a 8×15-inch rectangle using a rolling pin. If the edges aren’t straight, lightly trim them.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the rectangle half lengthwise, then width-wise 4 times, resulting in ten 3×4-inch rectangles.
Place a dollop of strawberry filling in the center of each pop tart dough piece, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Brush the edges with egg wash.
Roll out the second half of the dough and cut it the same way. Place these pieces on top of the jam-filled ones.
Press around the edges of the pop tart to seal. Use a fork to create a crimped pattern around the edges.
Place the pop tarts 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Use a pastry brush to brush each pop tart with an egg wash. Add a few air holes with a toothpick or fork.
Place the pop tarts in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Baking and icing
Bake the pop tarts until puffed and golden brown. After baking, let them cool on a wire rack before icing them.
Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a small bowl until smooth.
Once the pop tarts are cooled, drizzle the vanilla icing on top of the pop tart. Sprinkle with sprinkles for a fun finish.
Storage
Store leftover pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Pop tarts can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-bag.
They can thaw overnight and at room temperature, reheated gently in the microwave if desired.
Strawberry Pop Tart Recipe
Flaky strawberry pop tarts filled with a homemade sweet strawberry jam filling and enveloped in a buttery pastry.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 312g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour or pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 226g (1 cup) butter, cold
- 120g (½ cup) natural yogurt, cold (see notes for substitutions)
- Ice-water as needed
Strawberry Filling
- 250g (9oz) of fresh or frozen strawberries
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- Small pinch of salt
Eggwash
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
Icing
- 120g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk, as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour.
- Use a pastry cutter or pulse the food processor to cut the butter into small pieces until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Add the yogurt to the bowl and stir until the dough comes together. Use your hands to combine the dough into a shaggy ball, and only add in as much chilled water as needed, a teaspoon at a time. The dough should hold together when pressed but should not be sticky.
- Place the dough on a clean work surface and form it into a mound. Cut the mound in two and form each piece into a flat disc.
- Wrap each dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before using it.
Strawberry filling
- Add the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt to a saucepan. Place it over low-medium heat and stir regularly while the strawberries release juices.
- Use a wooden spoon to mash the strawberries as they heat. As the mixture comes to a boil, it will thicken, become jelly-like, and lose its cloudy appearance. Simmer the mixture, stirring continuously while it thickens. Take care because it will splash when it bubbles.
- Scoop the filling into a bowl. Let it chill in the refrigerator until completely cold. It will thicken more as it cools.
Assembling the Pop Tarts
- Roll out half of the pastry dough into an 8x15-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin. If the edges aren't straight, lightly trim them. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the rectangle half lengthwise, then width-wise 4 times, resulting in ten 3x4-inch rectangles. Repeat with the second piece of pastry dough.
- Whisk together an egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
- Place a dollop of strawberry filling in the center of 10 of the pop tart dough pieces, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Brush the edges with egg wash.
- Place the remaining dough pieces over top of the jam-filled pieces.
- Press around the edges of the pop tart with your fingertips to seal. Use a fork to create a crimped pattern around the edges.
- Brush the top of each pop tart with an egg wash. Use a toothpick of a fork to prick the top of each pop tart a handful of times.
- Place the pop tarts in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Baking and icing
- Bake the pop tarts for approximately 22-26 minutes until puffed and deep golden brown. After baking, let them cool on a wire rack before icing them.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a small bowl until smooth.
- Once the pop tarts are cooled, drizzle the vanilla icing on top of the pop tart. Sprinkle with sprinkles for a fun finish.
Notes
Store leftover pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Pop tarts can also be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. They can thaw overnight and at room temperature, reheated in the microwave if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 183mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g
