Whenever a crazy person enters your life via a random comment on the internet, just give them one of these pop-tarts. Hopefully it’ll solve the problem.
So what do we need to make these awesome—better-than-the-store-bought-kind—pop-tarts?
Just eleven simple, already in your pantry, ingredients.
We’re finally back to baking (sorry for the brief savory break. I feel the need to do a cooking post every once in a while to break up the rhythm), but if you remember we always start with a mixer bowl.
This time we’re changing it up a bit.
Let’s give that stand mixer a rest and use the food processor instead.
We begin by making the pastry dough.
Dump in the flour and salt.
Put a lid on it, and give it a couple pulses to mix together.
Next up, reach into your fridge and take out the butter.
It is very important that the butter be extra, super, duper, cold.
Dice the butter.
Drop the butter into the flour.
Place the lid back on the food processor.
Oh hello there, butter.
Pulse about 10 times, or until the mixture resembles course crumbs, the size of peas.
You’ll know the mixture is ready when you can grab a handful and it comes together to form a loose ball.
The next step is to add the ice cold water.
Add 1/4 cup of ice cold water, be sure to add it in a tablespoon at a time.
The dough should form into a ball and come off the sides of the bowl.
Tip: If the dough appears to be dry add more water—as needed—a tablespoon at a time. Remember, you can always add more but you can never take any back!
Dump the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap.
Form it into a ball and divide it in half.
Then form each half into a disk and wrap separately with plastic wrap.
Place the wrapped disks of dough into the refrigerator. Allow to chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
After the dough has chilled, remove the disks from the fridge and let them come down to room temperature for a bit. This will make rolling out the dough, easier.
Working with one disk at a time, place on a lightly floured surface.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about an 1/8 of an inch thick.
Trim off the sides, using a pizza cutter, so that its 9×12 inches in size.
Cut the dough into thirds. Make sure each third is even Steven.
Then proceed to cut each third into thirds. (Am I confusing you yet?)
I used a ruler to make sure each piece is even.
You should end up with 9 rectangles, each 3×4 inches in size.
Place each rectangle onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
The pop-tarts don’t spread out much while baking so you don’t have to worry about leaving too much space in between each.
These nine rectangles are the bottoms of the tarts.
Place the sheet in the fridge while you repeat the process with the second half of the dough, for the tops.
Cut the second dough into 9 rectangles in the same manner you did the first.
Once you have 18 rectangles of dough cut, you are ready to make the filling. We’re making cinnamon brown sugar pop tarts so guess what? We’re going to make cinnamon brown sugar filling! Yup. I know I know. Who would have thought?
Into a large bowl, dump the brown sugar.
Throw in some flour.
And last but not least, the cinnamon. Which happens to be the best ingredient in the whole, entire dish. Cinnamon fixes everything. It makes everything better. Can you tell that I love cinnamon? It’s the best spice in all the world.
Use your paws to mix the filling together.
Or if you do not like to get your hands dirty in the kitchen, then you shouldn’t cook, then just feel free to use a fork.
Stir together until all the ingredients are mixed evenly.
Before we get to filing these tarts, we need to make an egg wash.
What is an egg wash you ask? Well, it’s just egg and water mixed together.
So crack an egg into a small bowl and throw in a splash of water. And for all you precise foodies out there, by splash I mean a tablespoon of water.
Give it a good whisk.
See, that up there, is what you call an egg wash. Pretty simple huh?
We use egg washes for all sorts of baking needs. Most commonly we brush egg wash on top of uncooked pastries and doughs to give them a glossy golden brown finish.
Okay time to assemble these toaster pastries.
Remove the baking sheets from the fridge.
Brush each “bottom” with the egg wash.
Place about a heaping tablespoon of the cinnamon brown sugar filling onto the center of each dough rectangle.
Use your fingers, or the back of the spoon to spread out the filling. Make sure to leave about a 1/4 inch border on the sides to be able to close the pastries.
Now, brush the “tops” with egg wash and place them over the filling, egg wash faced down.
Top each pastry.
Seal the edges by using a fork to make a crimping pattern all around.
We’re almost done. They are almost ready to hit the oven.
Next step is to poke holes in each pastry.
I like making five holes in each, just because I think five is best. No reason in particular. Just five. But anyhow, the holes are necessary because it allows the steam to escape and allows the pop-tarts to get flaky.
Use a skewer or tooth pick to poke the holes.
Place the tarts in the fridge once again and chill for about 30 minutes.
After 30….
The final step before baking is to brush each pastry with egg wash.
Remember, this will allow them to get golden brown while baking.
Continue with all of them.
Okay, NOW, they are ready to go into the oven.
Pop these bad boys into a preheated 350° oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning.
And just like that, magic….PRESTO! They are done.
Well, in all reality, it really wasn’t magic. I unfortunately had to wait the 30 minutes to cool and the 25 minutes for them to bake. You all get to enjoy the magic instantness that is the virtual world.
Let the baked pastries cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the pop-tarts onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Okay, while they cool down, let’s make the glaze shall we?
This, much like everything else in this recipe, is super easy.
Here’s what you need.
In a small bowl dump the powdered sugar.
Add the cinnamon.
Stream in the vanilla.
Add the milk, a little at a time.
Give the glaze a whisk until you get a slightly thick / slightly runny consistency.
If you find it to be too thick add a bit more milk, until desired consistency is reached.
Using a butter knife or an offset spatula glaze each pop-tart with the icing.
I like to frost the center making a rectangle with the glaze, to mimic the store bought kind.
Let the pop-tarts sit for a bit so that the icing can harden.
You can reheat them in a preheated 350º oven for about 10 minutes. You can also pop them in the toaster for a few seconds to quickly warm them up.
One of my sisters likes her pop-tarts cold. I always tell her she’s crazy, the whole point of a pop-tart is to “pop” them into a toaster and warm them up. They are better that way. Granted she also cuts off the crusts. What?!?! That’s the best part. But lucky for me I’m always there to eat her crusts.
You have to make these for your family, for your kids, for your friends, for your coworkers, or just for yourself!
You can feel good about eating these. Have you seen the ingredient list for store bought toaster pastries?! Well the list is a mile long—kinda sorta—and some things are not even pronounceable (for me at least). These only have a handful of ingredients and what’s more, you can name them all.
But the best part of these homemade pop-tarts is that they taste a million-trillion times better than the store bought kind. Trust me. Or make them for yourself to find out.
You can make these on a Sunday and have them ready for the week. Just reheat them before work, or before school, or before your errands. Or before you lounge. I don’t know what you do.
This recipe could work for any kind of pop-tart you like. Whichever flavor is your favorite. Just make the dough and that is the building block to anything your heart desires. Let your imagination go wild.
You can make strawberry jam filled pop-tarts.
Or you can make S’MORES pop-tarts.
Or you can just make these Cinnamon Brown Sugar kind because they happen to be my all time favorite. They are the best kind.
Either way, just make them. You wont regret it.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pop-Tarts
Taken and adapted from the Food Network Magazine.
Use this recipe as a base recipe and fill them with whatever flavors you’d like.
Yield: 9 toaster pastries
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small chunks
- 4 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, whisked with a tablespoon of water, to brush the pastries with
For the glaze:
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 teaspoons milk, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt; pulse a couple times to combine the ingredients. Throw in the cold, diced butter, and pulse 10 more times or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas.
With machine running, add ice water through the opening on top of the lid, in a slow, steady stream, one tablespoon at a time, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. It should form a ball and come away from the sides. It is very important to not over process the dough. A way to test the doug is by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still dry and doesn’t come together, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into disks and tightly wrap in plastic. Place the disks in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
To assemble the toaster pastries: Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and allow it to thaw for a bit. This will help you roll out the dough, and make it easier to work with. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Trim the sides of the dough so that it measures 9×12 inches in size. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Cut each piece of dough into thirds and then each third into thirds again. You should end up with 9 rectangular pieces, each measuring 3×4 inches. Using a ruler will make this process easier.
Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough pieces. This will be the “bottom” of the tart; the egg will help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, making sure to leave about 1/4 inch of space on the edge. Brush the second dough pieces with egg wash as well, and place a second rectangle of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Crimp the edges with a fork all around the edge of each rectangle. This will ensure the tarts do not open up during baking.
Gently place the tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart five times with a skewer or tooth pick; this will allow the steam to escape, so that the tarts will become light and airy instead of flat pop-tarts. Brush the tops with extra egg wash. Refrigerate the tarts, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. This will allow the butter in the dough to chill and firm up causing a flakier crust.
Remove tarts from the fridge and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they’re golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the tarts cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until it reaches a spreading consistency. It should be thick but not too thick. Use a butter knife or offset spatula to glaze each tart. Allow the glaze to harden before eating. Store them in an airtight container. To reheat, place in a350° oven and heat for 10 minutes. Or you can pop them in a toaster to warm them for a few seconds. Enjoy.
These sound unreal!! Love this idea!
Thank you! 🙂
The prettiest thing on earth 🙂
Thanks!! They’re delicious, you have to try them.
look super delish…
poptarts are imported food items here in my country, we can buy it at duty free shops and selected supermarkets
Oh wow!! Do they offer a lot of flavors there? You’ll have to try making them 😉
haha, same with Australia! you’re lucky to find 5 flavors in one place! the jam filled are easier to find but i love the brown sugar ones!
Beautiful tutorial, I am going to have to make these!
Thank you very much. Yes please do make them and let me know how they turn out! 🙂
I can’t wait to make these. Like I’m drooling over these pics!
Haha, thank you!! I can’t wait to hear how you like them!
I am SO making these!
Awesome!! Yes you have to!
Wow, your step by step pictures are just gorgeous and you make it look so easy!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoy it. Thanks for checking it out! I hope you give these a try.
I just made s triple batch of these for a Christmas treat. I sprinkled with decorations. They are time consuming but I had a blast making them. They are so good!
Look amazing! Your kitchen must smells so good when these are baking!
Warm cinnamon in the oven is probably the best smell ever!
Wow, these are beautiful! I’d love to make them! (Wish I could pin this post!)
Thank you very much! You can pin it, at the end of the recipe (above the comments) I have social media buttons 🙂
Wow, my mouth is watering… These look amazing! This was a great post- you made me laugh too.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m also happy I made someone laugh with my “trying to be funny” comments!
Amazing recipe and gorgeous photos! This post was an instant success on RecipeNewZ and is now featured on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/RecipeNewZ Congrats!
Thank you, and thanks for the feature. Much appreciated!
I love homemade Pop Tarts, and yours look amazing. I eat mine at room temperature; I never thought warming them improved them, but I’ll have to give it another try. But it was your post that inspired me. I have been feeling exactly as your post describes. I’m 22, trying to make dreams come true, and spending as much time as I can having fun and cherishing moments I know will not be there forever. Life is a funny thing and can be very unpredictable, so it’s important to enjoy it while it’s here.
Thank you for writing! I’m glad I could inspire you. I’m also glad I’m not the only one out there who feels the same way. I wish you all the luck and I hope your dreams come true. I enjoyed reading your comment. Thanks again. And yes please try warming the pop tarts up, you’ll become addicted 😉
I’ve made homemade Pop Tarts a couple times before, and I’ve always just used up old jams/jellies! I’ll definitely have to try this cinnamon sugar kind next!
And I’ve never tried it with the james and jellies. Let’s make a deal? I’ll make it with the jams and jellies and you try it with the cinnamon sugar! We’ll see how we like them 🙂
I happen to have a roommate who LOVES Poptarts! 😉 I would have never thought to make them from scratch. you continue to Amaze me Jon! well done! Keep up the creative recipes
Haha, how funny, I happen to have a sister who LOVES poptarts just as much as I do I think you have to make these for your roommate! Thank you Star! (What a pretty name btw)!
We featured this great recipe in our Food Trend Friday blog post. Thanks for all of the great recipes. You can check it out here:
http://blog.recipelion.com/food-trend-homemade-pop-tarts/
Thank you very much for the feature! I’m a little late in the response to this, forgive me. But I’m thankful all the same!
Thank you for making this recipe!!!! I love pop tarts but always feel guilty unwrapping the silver wrapper, now I can make my own and not feel guilty about what’s going in my body.
You’re very welcome! Don’t feel guilty now that you can make them yourself! Thanks for writing!
Thank you! A great recipe that even my picky eater loves! And as a parent trying to escape the packaged world it was a simple and pleasing outcome!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you liked the outcome. And I know quite a bit about picky eaters. I grew up with a few picky eaters in my household. It’s tough to cook for them. But I’m glad that your picky eater enjoyed it!! Thanks for writing! I hope you come back and try some new recipes!
I used to make these for my daughter when she was younger but I would make one huge one because after all the center is the best
I had such a hard time keeping the glaze from running down the sides of the tart! I added more powdered sugar to thicken it but I still had to keep wiping the sides until it hardened :/
I just finished making these! My family and Icannotwait to eat them in the morning! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Can’t wait to make these for Valentine’s Day breakfast! My boyfriend and I LOVE cinnamon brown sugar poptarts, they’re our favorite! They look so delish, can’t wait to try. Do they heat up well? I”d have to make them the night before because I have an 8 a.m. class.
I can’t wait for you to make them as well!! I hope you and your boyfriend enjoy them! They heat up really well actually!! They will be perfect if you make them the night before. Just warm them up in the oven, toaster oven or toaster for a bit before serving. They become even better! Let me know how they turn out!
This year will be second Valentine’s Day making them! I’m planning on making them a tradition because they turned out so well! Thanks so much for an amazing recipe!
Would these be terrible without the egg wash? I would love to make them for my daughter, but she has an egg allergy. Any thoughts? Thanks! They look amazing!
No not at all! The egg wash really is just there to provide extra color. They’ll still taste great, just wont be golden brown on the outside. Though you’ll put the glaze on top and wont be able to notice either way. Please let me know how they turn out!
Now I’m annoyed by your recipes. They are awesome and I can’t get off your site. I’m looking forward to trying some of these with my girls. You had me at Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pop-Tarts.
Hey Jonathan. Great recipe. How much ml has 1 cup in this recipe and how much grams has 1 stick of butter?
Thank you! 1 stick of butter is about 113 grams. As for the 1 cup in ml, it depends on the ingredient. 1 cup of what?
1 cup of flour I mean 🙂 and thank you for answer.
Wow!!! Your photos are just feautiful! Thank you for this recipe and all the amazing visuals!!!
Love this! And the pictures are fantastic!
Hagen ~ http://runhappylivehungry.wordpress.com/
Jonathan, truly a work of art and a labor of love. Fabulous photography and superb instructions. Wow. One day I hope you will make a pop tart with a savory cinnamon filling. There is great demand for something like for people who cannot take sugar.
Oh my goodness! I was looking up Poptart recipes a couple days ago, because I LOVE Poptarts but something in them makes my stomach really upset, so I decided to make my own. When I found your recipe, and I was reading through it, I was really impressed that it was only 11 ingredients! So, I put them to the test, I made them today, and the crust is absolutely perfect-Flaky and crunchy. And the filling, OH THE FILLING, perfect amount of everything, I wouldn’t change it for a million bucks! The glaze is amazing as well, but I think I would have used just a tiny bit less of cinnamon and a little more vanilla; other than that, it was delicious! The whole product is perfect, and I just impressed my whole family with my baking skills. (and your recipe, lol) Thank you for making this recipe! Never buying the store bought ones again! 🙂
You were 23 when you wrote this? So what, 26 now? Wow. I hope you read back over your way too Iong intro for this and feel as embarrassed for yourself as I feel for you. You are still a child. Drop the stupid emo hipster crap and become an adult before talking about being a kid again. People like you are wastes of time and space. And you didn’t even create this recipe?
Relax. Breathe. Take a step back. You’re stooping down to the level of a child. Maybe eat a poptart, or a snickers bar because you’re not you when you’re hungry.
I’ve been making these every Valentine’s Day for 5 years now for my boyfriend and his family. I think this may partially be why he’s kept me around for so long. Still one of my favorite recipes of all time!