Strawberry Pop Tarts
Homemade strawberry pop tarts with strawberry preserves and flaky pastry, so much better than store-bought.
Ingredients
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!