Who doesn’t love a good pop tart? Homemade pop tarts are a delicious blend of crisp pie crust, smooth peanut butter, and sweet jelly, all baked to golden brown perfection. You’ll absolutely love the flaky crust that surrounds the perfectly sweet filling. It’s the best pop tarts you’ll ever have!
Table of contents
This recipe for homemade pop tarts is special because it lets you recreate a childhood favorite right in your own kitchen. Plus, it is a great way to involve the kids in the kitchen. So, why buy store-bought pop tarts when you can make a healthier, tastier version at home?
Why I Love This Recipe
Easy to make: This Homemade pop tarts recipe is simple and straightforward, using basic ingredients like pie crust, peanut butter, and jelly.
Family-Favorite: Kids will love helping out in the kitchen with this homemade pop tarts recipe. It is a great way to teach them about the joy of baking, and the end result is a tasty reward that’s better than store-bought.
Crowd Pleaser: Homemade pop tarts are sure to be a hit, whether they’re served for breakfast, packed for lunch, or offered as a snack. Their delicious flavor and fun, nostalgic feel make them a crowd-pleaser for both kids and adults alike.
Key Ingredients
Pie Crust: This is the primary component of our homemade pop-tarts. It creates the flaky, delicious exterior that we all love. In this recipe you can use store bought or use a homemade pie crust recipe.
Peanut Butter: This adds a rich, creamy texture and flavor to the filling of our pop-tarts. It is a perfect pairing with the sweetness of the jelly.
Jelly: A classic pop-tart filling, jelly adds a sweet, fruity flavor that compliments the savory peanut butter. You can use your favorite flavor, though strawberry jam or strawberry preserves are popular choices.
All Purpose Flour: A staple in baking, all-purpose flour provides structure to our pie crust dough. It helps to bind the ingredients together and creates the texture we’re looking for in our pop-tarts.
Egg: This is optional, but it is used for making an egg wash. Brushing the pie crust with egg wash before baking gives it a beautiful golden-brown color and a glossy finish. It also helps in sealing the edges of the pop-tarts.
Equipment
Oven – Preheating the oven to the right temperature is crucial for the perfect bake. In this recipe, we bake our homemade pop-tarts at a toasty temperature of about 425˚.
Rolling Pin – This tool is essential for rolling out our dough to create the perfect rectangle shapes for our pop-tarts. It guarantees even thickness and helps you get that professional look.
Fork – A simple fork is used in this recipe for sealing the edges of our pop-tarts, which helps make sure that the yummy filling stays inside while baking.
Baking Sheet – A non-stick baking sheet is essential for this recipe. It guarantees easy removal of the pop-tarts after baking and also aids in achieving a beautifully golden-brown finish. Optional: you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for even easier cleanup!
Pastry Brush (Optional) – This is used for applying an egg wash on the pop-tarts before baking, giving them a beautiful and glossy finish. If you don’t have a brush, a small piece of clean cloth or paper towel can work too.
How to Make Homemade Pop Tarts
Preparation
Before we get started, let’s do a little prep work. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, prepare a non-stick baking sheet for the pop tarts to bake on.
Step One – Prepare the Dough
Start off by cutting your pie crust using a sharp knife into small rectangles, measuring about three by four inches each. If you have any leftover dough, don’t let it go to waste! Simply re-roll it with a rolling pin and continue cutting until you run out of dough. If you’ve done it right, you should end up with about sixteen rectangles, enough for eight scrumptious pastries.
Step Two – Prepare the Filling
Next, it is time to create the delicious filling for your homemade pop tarts. In a small bowl, mix together your jelly and flour until they’re well combined.
Step Three – Fill the Dough
Now, take half of your dough rectangles and place two alternating stripes of jelly mixture and peanut butter on them. This will create a fantastic flavor combination that’s sure to delight.
Step Four – Seal the Pop Tarts
To create the classic pop tart shape, take another rectangle of dough and place it on top of the filled one. Then, use a fork to press down the edges, sealing the filling inside. Make sure to work your way around the entire pastry for a complete seal.
Step Five – Prepare for Baking
Place your prepared pop tarts on your non-stick baking sheet. If you want to achieve a beautiful golden brown color, brush the tops with an egg wash (an egg beaten with a teaspoon of water).
Step Six – Bake to Perfection
Finally, it is time to bake! Pop your homemade pop tarts into the preheated oven and bake until they reach a gorgeous golden brown color, which should take approximately ten minutes. Once they’re done, let them cool before enjoying.
Your delicious Homemade Pop Tarts are ready to serve!
Expert Tips
Use a Rectangle Cookie Cutter: For uniform and professional-looking homemade pop-tarts, use a rectangle cookie cutter to cut your pie crust. This will help make sure that all your pastries are the same size and bake evenly.
Seal with a Fork: After filling your dough, place the second piece of dough on top and seal it using a fork. This not only gives your homemade pop-tarts a classic look but also makes sure that the filling stays inside while baking.
Use a Non-Stick Baking Sheet or Silicone Bakeware: To prevent your pop-tarts from sticking, use a non-stick baking sheet or silicone bakeware. If you don’t have either, line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Watch the Clock: Keep an eye on the total time your pop-tarts are in the oven. Overbaking can cause the pastries to dry out and the filling to bubble over.
Recipe Variations
Go for a strawberry twist: If you fancy fruit-filled pastries, this variation will hit the spot. Substitute the peanut butter and jelly with strawberry jam or strawberry preserves. They make delicious homemade strawberry pop tarts!
Indulge in cinnamon goodness: For those who love the warming taste of cinnamon, try this variation. Replace the peanut butter with a brown sugar cinnamon filling. The sweet combo will undoubtedly make your pop-tarts irresistible.
Sweeten it up with glaze: If you have a sweet tooth, this variation is for you. Prepare a simple glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream, and frost your pop-tarts once they’ve cooled down. The glaze adds an extra layer of sweetness and makes your homemade pop-tarts even more delicious.
Make it pop with sprinkles: For a fun and colorful variation, decorate your pop-tarts with sprinkles after glazing. Not only will this add a playful touch to your homemade pop-tarts, but it will also make them more appealing to kids.
What to Serve With
- Start your day off right by pairing your homemade pop tarts with a hot cup of coffee. The rich flavor of the coffee perfectly compliments the sweetness of the strawberry jam filling.
- Want a more delicious treat? Drizzle some glaze made from powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract over your pop tarts. This adds an extra layer of sweetness and makes them even more irresistible.
- For a fun and festive twist, add some colorful sprinkles on top of the glaze. This not only makes your homemade pop tarts more visually appealing but also adds a delightful crunch.
- If you’re in the mood for a dessert-like treat, serve your homemade pop tarts with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. The contrast of the warm pop tart and cold ice cream is simply divine.
Recipe FAQs
The all-purpose flour is mixed with the jelly to thicken it. This prevents the jelly from leaking out during the baking process.
You can seal the pop-tarts by placing a second piece of dough on top of the filled rectangle. Then, use a fork to press around the edges, sealing the two pieces of dough together.
The egg wash, which is a mixture of a beaten egg and a teaspoon of water, is brushed on top of the pop-tarts before they are baked. It gives them a beautiful golden-brown color and a shiny finish.
Absolutely! While this recipe uses peanut butter and jelly, you can experiment with other flavors. Strawberry preserves, brown sugar and cinnamon, or even cream and unsalted butter can be used as fillings.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate: After your homemade pop-tarts have cooled down, store them in an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for up to five days, guaranteeing that their flavor and texture are maintained.
Freeze: Unfortunately, due to the delicate nature of the dough and the filling, freezing is not recommended for these Homemade pop-tarts. The moisture in the filling could make the dough soggy when thawed.
Reheating Instructions: When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen pop tarts, reheat them in a toaster until they’re warm all the way through.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
What to Expect: This recipe makes eight homemade pop tarts that are 3×4 inches each.
How to Scale: If you want to make more than eight pop tarts, you can double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed.
Homemade Pop tarts
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- ¼ Cup peanut butter
- ¼ Cup jelly
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- 1 large egg optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Cut out pie crust into 3×4 inch rectangles. Re-roll left over dough with rolling pin until you are out of dough, with both crusts you should get about 16 rectangles for 8 pastries.
- In a small bowl mix the jelly and flour together.
- Place two alternating stripes of ½ – ¾ teaspoons of jelly mixture and peanut butter on half of the rectangles.
- Place a rectangle on top and seal by pressing with a fork, working your way around the entire pastry.
- Place finished pastries a non-stick cookie sheet. Optional: you can brush with an egg wash (egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water) for better browning.
- Bake at 425˚ until golden brown. Approximately 10-12 minutes.
Comments & Reviews
My great niece will lavish these pastries. She insists on having her pb&j after every school day. Now, her mom can make & freeze.
Great! These freeze well which makes them a great recipe to make ahead of time for school days.
I can’t wait to try this! I actually have a pie crust in my fridge right now, and I was looking for a recipe to use it! These look amazing and you can make them much healthier in your own kitchen than buying the processed food version.