Strawberry Pop Tarts

These homemade strawberry pop tarts, made with strawberry preserves and flaky pastry, are so much better than store-bought.

They take a little time between the dough and the chilling, but most of it is hands-off.

🥘 How To Make Strawberry Pop Tarts Step By Step

Make the pie crust:

1. Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse sand and the butter pieces are pea-sized.
2. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together into a ball.
3. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Assemble and bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk into a large rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Trim the edges straight, then cut into 8 rectangles, about 5x3 inches each. Repeat with the second disk, rerolling scraps as needed.
3. Spoon 1½ tablespoons of preserves onto half the pastry rectangles and top with the remaining rectangles. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal, then crimp with a fork for a tighter seal. Poke a few holes in the top of each with a toothpick to vent steam. Arrange on the prepared pan, spaced about 1 inch apart, and brush with egg wash if you want more color.
4. Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

Make the glaze:

1. Whisk the powdered sugar and cream (or milk) together until thick but pourable. Stir in a spoonful of leftover preserves if you want a naturally pink glaze.
2. Spread over the cooled pop tarts and top with sprinkles. The glaze sets in about 20 minutes at room temperature, or faster in the fridge.

📋 Important Tips Before You Start

• Make-Ahead Tip: The pie dough keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for a month or more.
• Freezer Tip: Assembled unbaked pop tarts freeze well for a few weeks. Bake straight from frozen, no need to thaw first.
• Shortcut Tip: Store-bought preserves and store-bought pie crust both work fine if you want to skip making them from scratch.
• Common Mistake: Skipping the straight-edge trim before cutting rectangles. It's what makes the pairs match up cleanly and seal evenly.

📖Recipe

Strawberry Pop Tarts

Homemade strawberry pop tarts with strawberry preserves and flaky pastry, so much better than store-bought.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 8 hand pies

Equipment

• Rolling Pin
• pastry cutter
• baking sheet pan
• wire cooling rack

Ingredients

  

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Pie Crust

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
• ▢ 4-5 tablespoons cold water

Pop Tarts

• ▢ 1 cup strawberry preserves, store-bought or homemade, see notes
• ▢ 1 double batch pie crust, recipe above, or use store-bought
• ▢ 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash, optional

Glaze

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• ▢ pink food coloring gel, optional
• ▢ rainbow sprinkles, optional

Instructions

 

Make the Pie Crust

• Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse sand and the butter pieces are pea-sized.
  2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp coarse salt, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter
• Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together into a ball.
  4-5 tablespoons cold water
• Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Pop Tarts

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk into a large rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Trim the edges straight, then cut into 8 rectangles, about 5x3 inches each. Repeat with the second disk, rerolling scraps as needed.
  1 double batch pie crust
• Spoon 1½ tablespoons of preserves onto half the pastry rectangles and top with the remaining rectangles. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal, then crimp with a fork for a tighter seal. Poke a few holes in the top of each with a toothpick to vent steam. Arrange on the prepared pan, spaced about 1 inch apart, and brush with egg wash if you want more color.
  1 cup strawberry preserves, 1 large egg
• Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.
• Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

Make the Glaze

• Whisk the powdered sugar and cream (or milk) together until thick but pourable. Stir in a spoonful of leftover preserves if you want a naturally pink glaze.
  1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, 1 cup strawberry preserves
• Spread over the cooled pop tarts and top with sprinkles. The glaze sets in about 20 minutes at room temperature, or faster in the fridge.
  rainbow sprinkles

Notes

• Make-Ahead Tip: The pie dough keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for a month or more.
• Freezer Tip: Assembled unbaked pop tarts freeze well for a few weeks. Bake straight from frozen, no need to thaw first.
• Shortcut Tip: Store-bought preserves and store-bought pie crust both work fine if you want to skip making them from scratch.
• Homemade Strawberry Preserves: to make your own instead of using store-bought, combine 2 cups sliced strawberries, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and ⅔ cup granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat. Mash the berries as it heats and bring to a boil, then boil for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened, then stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature before using. Leftovers keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
• Sealing Tip: Trim the dough edges straight before cutting rectangles so the pairs match up cleanly and seal evenly.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!