Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts Recipe
Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts are a delightful and charming treat, featuring a flaky, buttery pastry filled with a sweet and tangy homemade strawberry jam. This recipe guides you through making the pastry dough from scratch, preparing a fresh strawberry filling, assembling the pop tarts, and finishing them with a smooth powdered sugar glaze. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, these pop tarts bring the joy of a classic bakery favorite right into your kitchen.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes baking + 20-25 minutes filling reduction
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 pop tarts 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed
- 1/2 cup cold water
For the Filling
- 16 oz (~450g) strawberries (fresh or frozen – thaw if frozen)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
For Assembly and Glaze
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2–1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, sugar, and chilled butter until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Gradually add cold water while pulsing until the dough just comes together.
- Chill the dough: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a ball without overworking. Wrap it in plastic wrap, shape into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.
- Prepare the strawberry filling: Blend strawberries, honey, and lemon juice until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan to remove seeds.
- Cook the filling: Cook the strawberry mixture over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a jam consistency that clings when scraped with a spatula. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough: Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a 14×14 inch square on a well-floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness, sprinkling flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Cut dough rectangles: Cut each rolled dough into approximately 3.5 x 4.75 inch rectangles to form the pop tarts. Combine scraps and re-roll as needed to minimize waste.
- Fill and assemble pop tarts: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cooled strawberry filling onto half of the rectangles, spreading thinly and leaving a 1/3-inch border. Brush egg yolk around the edges, dock the top rectangles with a fork or skewer for venting, then place on top of filled rectangles. Press and crimp edges to seal.
- Bake: Place the assembled pop tarts on the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned on top and slightly browned on the bottom.
- Make the glaze and finish: Whisk together powdered sugar and milk until thick and smooth. After the pop tarts have cooled, spread about 1 tablespoon of glaze on each and decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- Use chilled butter and cold water for flaky pastry dough.
- If strawberries are frozen, thaw completely before using to ensure even cooking.
- Straining the filling helps remove seeds for a smooth texture.
- Docking the pop tart tops allows steam to escape and prevents bubbling during baking.
- You can adjust the powdered sugar glaze consistency by adding more milk for thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for thicker.
- Store leftover pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days.
Keywords: Strawberry Pop Tarts, Homemade Pop Tarts, Strawberry Jam Pastry, Breakfast Treat, Baked Pastries
