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Homemade strawberry pop tarts with red and pink sprinkles on a wire rack.
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Strawberry Pop-Tarts

You can make the classic Strawberry Pop-Tarts right at home for a snack that tastes way better than store-bought! We simply fill flaky sheets of pie crust with a thick strawberry jam, bake until ready, and top them with icing and sprinkles to make it fun.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 pastries
Calories: 363kcal
Author: Shani W.

Equipment

  • Sauce Pot
  • Silicone Spatula
  • Immersion Blender
  • Rolling Pin
  • Knife or pizza cutter!
  • Pastry Brush
  • Fork to crimp edges
  • Sheet Pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Kitchen Scissors
  • Wire Rack

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 ct. each)
  • 1 count egg (for egg wash)

Strawberry Jam Filling

  • 8 ounces strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Easy Icing & Sprinkles

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (2 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup (or ½ tablespoon merengue powder - see notes below)
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla (optional)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • water (to thin)
  • sprinkles

Instructions

  • Sit the pie crusts on the counter and let them come to room temperature.
  • Crack the egg in a small bowl and whisk to create an egg wash. Set aside.

Strawberry Jam Filling

  • Rinse your strawberries, remove the tops, and slice them into quarters.
  • Add the sliced berries, sugar, and lemon juice to a pot and cook on medium heat until it begins to boil, stirring frequently.
  • Cook for about 20 minutes. While it is boiling, use an immersion blender to blitz the berries.
  • Once the jam is really thick and most of the liquid has reduced (see pictures above), remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
    You should be able to swipe a spatula through the pot and the jam takes awhile to fill the hole back up!

Pastry Assembly

  • Roll the pie crusts to about ⅛-inch thickness.
  • Cut out 12 even-sized rectangles. You will need to combine the scraps and roll them back out into a thin sheet, so you can use up all of the crust.
    To get even shapes, cut out a "stencil" that's 3 inches long and 4.5 inches tall using parchment paper.
  • Poke holes into 6 of the rectangles - this will be the top crusts.
  • Add about 1-2 tablespoons of completely cooled filling to the middle of the 6 bottom crusts; these are the ones without any ventilation holes.
    Spread the filling into a rectangle, leaving about a ⅜-inch border for sealing.
  • Brush your egg wash on the border. Then, top each pastry with the top crusts.
  • Crimp and seal the edges with a fork.
  • Add all six pastries to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until they just begin to take on some color.
  • Remove from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy Icing

  • In a small bowl, combine all icing ingredients except for the water.
  • Add a tiny amount of water, if necessary, to thin it out. The consistency should be very thick and able to spread easily - almost like peanut butter.
  • Top the pop tarts with the icing, add sprinkles, and let everything rest until the glaze has set. Enjoy!

Notes

Icing Notes:
You can top homemade pop tarts with either a sugar cookie icing or royal icing. 
  1. Sugar Cookie Icing is made with corn syrup. The syrup helps bind the ingredients together and causes the icing to dry with a beautiful glossy top. It fully sets after 18 hours, so do not stack or transport the pastries before then.
  2. Royal Icing is made with egg whites, or meringue powder. It's not overly sweet, and can be piped easily for more control over designs. This icing fully dries in about 2 hours. 
Reheating Instructions:
If using Sugar Cookie Icing, do not add your pop tarts to a toaster - the icing will melt all over your machine! Royal Icing is toaster-safe, but can flake off afterwards.
To reheat, I recommend microwaving (both icing types) for 10 seconds until warmed. 
Storage Instructions:
Store homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Be sure to read the above tips on icing to see if your pop tarts can be stacked or not!
These are very freezer-friendly. Add the pastries after they have fully dried to a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze for up to 4 months. When you're ready to eat, let the pop-tart come to room temperature on the counter before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg