Description

Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts are a delightful breakfast treat featuring a flaky, buttery pastry filled with sweet homemade strawberry jam and finished with a smooth powdered sugar glaze. These pop tarts are made from scratch with simple ingredients and baked to a golden perfection, offering a delicious homemade alternative to store-bought pastries.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Strawberry Filling

16 oz (~450g) strawberries (fresh or frozen; thaw if frozen)
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Egg Wash & Glaze

1 egg yolk
1/2 – 1 cup powdered sugar
1–2 tablespoons milk
Optional: sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

Prepare the Dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, and chilled butter until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Gradually stream in the cold water while pulsing until the dough comes together.
Knead and Chill Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface or bowl and gently knead it into a ball, being careful not to overwork. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and shape it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.
Make Strawberry Filling: While the dough chills, blend the strawberries, honey, and lemon juice. Strain this mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan to remove seeds.
Cook the Filling: Simmer the strawberry mixture over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until thickened to a jam-like consistency that slowly holds together when scraped.
Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 300˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll Out Dough: Divide the chilled dough in half and roll each half into roughly a 14 x 14 inch square on a floured surface, aiming for about 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut Dough Rectangles: Cut the dough into rectangles about 3.5 x 4.75 inches. Reserve scraps and re-roll to reduce waste.
Assemble Pop Tarts: Spoon about one tablespoon of cooled strawberry filling onto each bottom rectangle, leaving a 1/3 inch border. Brush egg yolk around the edges, place the top dough piece over the filling, dock with a fork or skewer, then press and crimp edges to seal.
Bake: Place the assembled pop tarts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and the bottoms show slight browning.
Glaze and Decorate: Whisk together powdered sugar and milk to form a thick glaze. Once pop tarts have cooled, spread about one tablespoon of glaze on each and top with sprinkles if desired.

Notes

Use chilled butter and cold water to ensure flaky pastry layers.
Straining the filling removes seeds for a smoother texture.
If filling is too runny, cook a few minutes longer to thicken.
Docking the top dough helps release steam and prevents puffing.
Store pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For extra crispiness, you can brush the tops with additional egg wash before baking.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: strawberry pop tarts, homemade pop tarts, homemade strawberry jam, breakfast pastry, baking