As yummy as store bought pop tarts are, these homemade pop-tarts are so much better! Buttery, flaky pie crust, a thick strawberry jam filling, and a delicious (and so easy!) vanilla glaze all come together to make the best pop-tarts ever. This recipe is made even easier by using store bought pie crust, flavored jam of your choice and the glaze is two ingredients!!! You need to try these on your next baking day!
use store bought ingredients
I highly, HIGHLY recommend using store bought ingredients for this recipe to make it super simple. Store bought pie crust works like a dream with these pop-tarts. Every store bought, refrigerated pie crust I've bought comes with two sleeves of pie crust, which you need for this recipe. If you have a homemade pie crust recipe that you absolutely love, you can definitely use that too. If you're looking for a homemade pie crust, try this easy, homemade pie crust recipe.
The filling for these homemade pop-tarts are made by using store bought jam, and a little bit of cornstarch with equal parts cold water. Super simple and I wouldn't change a thing. I love strawberry pop-tarts so naturally I went for the strawberry jam. I think grape, blackberry, raspberry, or any fruit jam would be delicious here.
tips for making the glaze
This glaze for these homemade pop-tarts is super simple. It's just milk, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. Vanilla or almond extract can be added for a little extra flavor but it's completely optional. You can use whatever kind of milk you like but if you want a thick, almost spreadable texture of glaze, a higher fat milk will work best. I used whole milk and the glaze came out very thick and set up quickly.
I've had several comments about the sweetness of the glaze. The glaze is pretty sweet which is why adding a pinch of salt is helpful to offset the sweetness.
*Optional Tip* You can also add ¼ teaspoon (very small amount) of lemon juice. The glaze will still be sweet and have a slight citrus flavor but it won't be overbearingly sweet.
what sprinkles to use
You can't make pop-tarts and not garnish them with sprinkles!!! When it comes to sprinkles use whatever kind you like, or whatever you have on hand. To get a similar look in the photos, I mixed these rainbow nonpareils with this color sprinkle medley.
Ingredients
- 1 package of 2 refrigerated 9 inch pie crust you need both
- ¾ cup strawberry jam
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons milk add extra milk for thinner consistency
- pinch of salt
- sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Unroll the pie crusts onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to slightly roll out the pie crusts and square off the edges. It doesn't have to be perfect you just want to make a more square shape with the crust to make cutting out the pop tarts easier.
- Cut 8 equal sized squares out of each pie crust. I measured mine out to be about 6 inches tall and 4 inches wide. Use a fork to poke holes in the center of 8 of them, these will be the tops.
- Put the strawberry jam in a small sauce pan and heat it over low-med heat. While the jam is slowly heating up combine the cornstarch and the cold water in a small bowl and mix it together until combined. Add the cornstarch mixture to the jam and stir in around until combined. Continue mixing so the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Once the jam starts bubbling, remove it from the heat. Carefully spoon a small amount of jam in the center of the 8 squares (that haven't been poked) and spread it out, leaving ¼ inch border towards the edges. Take the squares (with the poked holes) and lay them on top. Use a fork to crimp the sides of the squares together, creating a seal. Place the poptarts on the baking sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown.
- Allow the pop-tarts to cool. Meanwhile you can make the glaze. In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, milk, & salt. Mix the ingredients together until a glaze forms. Spoon/drizzle the glaze over the poptarts and garnish with sprinkles.