Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts

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Our frosted strawberry pop tarts are a breakfast staple. These homemade toaster pastries have a strawberry jam filling and a flaky buttery crust. Like lemon pop tarts, apple pop tarts, pumpkin pop tarts, chocolate pop tarts, and blueberry pop tarts, they’re very easy to make.

📌 Pin Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts

Three homemade strawberry pop tarts cooling on the back of a parchment paper-lined metal tray.

🍓UPDATED POST: This frosted strawberry pop tarts recipe was published in 2016. In 2021, keeping the original recipe intact, a helpful option was added for making the recipe faster. Updates include fresh photography, step-by-step images and a user-friendly format.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Better than store-bought: Shelf-stable pop tarts have artificial flavors and colors. They can often taste like cardboard. Homemade frosted strawberry pop tarts are filled with real jam and have a flaky, buttery crust.
  • Pop tarts are a portable breakfast: These toaster pastries are a portable meal for busy families. Pair them with fresh fruit, or a glass of juice or milk.
  • Perfect for snacking: Pack them in lunch boxes, backpacks and totes. Take them to the ball park, on road trips, or picnics.
  • Enjoy them for dessert: Frosted strawberry pop tarts are ideal hand held desserts perfect for potlucks, picnics, and tailgating. Serve them instead of a slice of pie.
  • A baking tradition: This is the perfect recipe to make with the family. Baking together creates treasured memories.
Bite taken out of a frosted strawberry pop tart.

🛒 Ingredients

There are 2 ways to make strawberry pop tarts. The first is super quick and easy using a box of store-bought refrigerated pie crusts. The second is with homemade pastry dough. Try them one way or both. The choice is yours!

For Quick Pop Tarts

  • Refrigerated pie crusts (package of 2 crusts)
  • Strawberry jam or strawberry preserves
  • Large egg + splash of water

For (optional) Homemade Pastry Dough Crusts

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Sea salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Ice-cold water
Ingredients for homemade strawberry pop tarts.

For Vanilla Icing

  • Powdered sugar
  • Whole Milk
  • Pure Vanilla Extract
  • Sea salt
  • Optional: Pink gel food coloring
  • Wilton white nonpareils (crunchy candy sprinkles)

🧑🏼‍🍳 Expert Tip: To keep the frosting a brilliant white, use “clear” vanilla extract instead of “amber” colored vanilla.

Ingredients for pop tart frosting.

🥣 Easy Ingredient Substitutions

If you’re missing an ingredient for making these strawberry pop tarts or the yummy frosting, don’t put on your shoes and head to the market. Instead, head to your fridge or pantry. Check for these easy ingredient swaps.

  • Strawberry Jam: Use any type of jam or preserves like blackberry, blueberry, passion fruit, or mixed fruit.
  • Powdered Sugar: Make your own powdered sugar from granulated sugar. Process sugar in a blender or food processor until fine and fluffy. One cup granulated sugar yields about 2 cups powdered sugar.
  • Whole Milk: Use half or heavy cream.
  • Vanilla Extract: If you don’t have this on hand, you can leave it out.
  • Wilton White Nonpareils: Use jimmies (sprinkles) instead. Don’t limit yourself to white sprinkles on strawberry toaster pastries! Try pink or multi-colored sprinkles.
Close-up view of homemade strawberry pop tarts with white frosting and sprinkles.

📖 Recipe Steps

Pop Tarts With Refrigerated Pie Crusts

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat.

  • STEP 1: Lightly flour your work surface. Unroll both pie crusts. With a rolling pin, roll each to 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife, square the edges of each circle. Cut each crust into 4 rectangles. Gather the scraps of dough together. Roll them out to form 8 additional rectangles.
  • STEP 2: Spoon strawberry jam in the center of 8 rectangles. Form pop tarts by placing remaining rectangles on top. Seal the pastries by crimping the edges with a fork. In a ramekin, beat the egg with a splash of water. Brush top of toaster pastries with egg wash.
  • STEP 3: Arrange strawberry pop tarts on the prepared baking sheet, with room between each. Create vent holes: lightly pierce the top of each pastry a few times with the tines of fork. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges are golden blonde. Cool pastries on a wire rack.
  • STEP 4: Assemble the icing. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. If needed, add a tiny pinch of salt and whisk again. With a spoon, frost the top of each pop tart with icing. After glazing, decorate with crunchy sprinkles.
How to make frosted strawberry pop tarts in 4 easy steps.

(Optional) Homemade Pastry Dough

RECIPE NOTE: This is how to make pastry dough from scratch. It’s the way generations of grandmas would make homemade toaster pastries. After the dough is made, follow the instructions above for assembling the strawberry pop tarts.

  • STEP 1: Fill a glass 3/4 of the way up with ice, then add water. Put it aside. Chop the butter into tiny pieces.
  • STEP 2: In the bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, add flour, granulated sugar, salt and butter. Mix until combined. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. With the mixer on medium-low, gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to hold together.
  • STEP 3: Gather the dough into a ball. Divide it into 2 pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap the dough in parchment paper, or slip it into a zip-top bag with the air pressed out. Chill in fridge 1 hour. This is important. Chilled dough helps make pastries flaky.
Freshly-made strawberry pop tarts on a breakfast table with jam.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Recipe FAQ

These are the most commonly asked questions when making frosted strawberry pop tarts, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

More ideas for pop tart fillings?

Love the flavor of strawberry, but want to mix things up? Try different jams like raspberry, blueberry, cherry, or mixed fruit. Another great taste option: replace the jam with Nutella.

How to store homemade pop tarts?

Arrange pop tarts in a single layer inside a parchment paper-lined, air-tight container. If stacking, separate the layers with parchment paper. Refrigerate up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap each pastry in parchment paper. Carefully stack them inside a zip-top freezer bag, or a plastic container with a snap-on lid. Freeze for up to 1 month.

How to reheat homemade toaster pastries?

Reheat refrigerated or frozen pop tarts on a baking tray in the toaster oven at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Reduce possible risk of fire: never reheat homemade pop tarts in an upright position in a slotted toaster. The filling may leak out of the crust. You can also warm this tasty snack in the microwave.

Homemade toaster pastries on a breakfast table.

☀️ More Grab-and-Go Breakfast Ideas

If you enjoy quick portable meals, you’ll love these simple travel-ready recipes. Assemble them in advance so they’re ready to go.

Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated these the BEST homemade strawberry pop tarts. They loved the flaky, buttery crust, the delicious jam filling, and the yummy vanilla icing. The appreciated being able to use either store-bought refrigerator pie crusts, or homemade pastry to make the treats.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
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Three homemade strawberry pop tarts cooling on the back of a parchment paper-lined metal tray.

Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts


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5 from 19 reviews

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Description

Frosted strawberry pop tarts are a tasty portable breakfast perfect for busy families. They’re quick and easy to make. Double the recipe, and freeze half for later. For a satisfying snack, pair with fresh fruit. For a hand-held dessert, serve after dinner.


Ingredients

Units Scale

3-INGREDIENT POP TARTS

  • 1 (14-ounce) box refrigerated pie crusts (2 count)
  • 1 cup strawberry jam or strawberry preserves
  • 1 large egg + splash of water

HOMEMADE PASTRY DOUGH (OPTIONAL)

No refrigerated pie crusts? Make your own pastry dough!

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons ice-cold water

ICING

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (not amber-colored vanilla)
  • 1 tiny pinch sea salt, if needed
  • OPTIONAL: Wilton white nonpareils (candy sprinkles)

Instructions

POP TART RECIPE

There are 2 ways to make homemade pop tarts. The first is super quick using a box of store-bought refrigerated pie crusts. The second is with homemade pastry dough. The choice is yours!

STRAWBERRY POP TARTS

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

  1. Lightly flour your work surface. Unroll both pie crusts. Roll each to 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife, square the edges of each circle. Cut each crust into 4 rectangles. Gather the scraps of dough together. Roll them out to form 8 additional rectangles.
  2. Spoon strawberry jam in the center of 8 rectangles. Form pop tarts by placing remaining rectangles on top. Seal the pastries by crimping the edges with a fork. In a ramekin, beat the egg with a splash of water. Brush top of toaster pastries with egg wash.
  3. Arrange pop tarts on the prepared baking sheet, with room between each. Create vent holes: lightly pierce the top of each pastry a few times with the tines of fork. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until edges are golden blonde. Cool pastries on a wire rack.
  4. Assemble the icing. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. If needed, add a tiny pinch of salt and whisk again. With a spoon, frost the top of each pop tart with icing. If desired, decorate with white candy sprinkles. 

HOMEMADE PASTRY DOUGH (optional)

  1. Fill a glass 3/4 of the way up with ice, then add water. Put it aside. Chop the butter into tiny pieces.
  2. In the bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, add flour, granulated sugar, salt and butter. Mix until combined. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. With the mixer on medium-low, gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to hold together. 
  3. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide it into 2 pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap the dough in parchment paper, or slip it into a zip-top bag with air pressed out. Chill in fridge 1 hour. This is important. Chilled dough helps make pastries flaky.

Follow above instructions for making strawberry pop tarts.

Notes

For bright-white icing: Use clear vanilla extract, not amber-colored vanilla. But if you don’t have any vanilla extract on hand, feel free to just leave it out.

How to reheat these toaster pastries: Use a toaster oven. Reheat refrigerated or frozen pop tarts on a baking tray at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Never reheat homemade pop tarts in an upright position or in a slotted toaster. The filling may leak out.

  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com

Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts 👉🏻 Join the Convo

Did you grow up with boxes of Kellogg’s pop tarts in the cupboard? Do you love how easy it is to make homemade toaster pastries? Share your thoughts on frosted strawberry pop tarts in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

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36 Comments

    1. Reheating is best done on a baking tray in toaster oven so the pop tarts can lie flat. I would not recommend using a standard toaster with the pastries inserted vertically. Because if the edges are not sealed tightly, you might have a mess on your hands!

  1. My goodness, that looks so incredible. I bet it’s leagues above the taste of the commercial ones. Yours look like something you could respectably serve for dessert.






    1. Marie, you are just too sweet! These scrumptious treats are so incredibly delicious. I hope there’s enough time this season for you to whip up a batch for your family. Happy holidays from my home to yours! :-)

  2. I love these! They’re totally adorable! I can’t wait to make them for my niece. While keeping my fair share :) She’ll love them, too.






  3. These are really cute and look delicious! Do you think this recipe would work well using gluten-free all purpose flour? Just wondering . . . =) Thanks for the great recipe. Cheers!

  4. Oh my goodness, these look SO good! I used to love pop tarts and haven’t had one in SO long! Can’t wait to make my own now






  5. Omg these look soooo delicious!!!!! I will totally make these when I have kids. I want to make a lot of all natural things that are still a treat for the kids. Rather than an actual pop tart filled with preservatives. Great post!






    1. Oh, yes, Maddy! These are perfect for early mornings. And they make a great addition to a Sunday brunch spread, are fabulous for a quick snack, and can be used as a dessert item or late-night snack. :-)

    1. Sophia, you are going to love these! And yes, please change up the fillings and enjoy the wide spectrum of flavors that it’ll bring. Let me know how your Pop-Tarts turn out. :-)

    1. Thank you so much Lauren for sharing my recipe on Pinterest! I hope your son adores these sweet little packets of homemade goodness. And baking with love makes them taste even better. :-)

    1. Julie, you are so kind! Thank you so much for sharing my recipe on Pinterest. I really appreciate it. I hope your kiddos enjoy these fun pop pastries. :-)

  6. Wow those pop-tarts look so yummy. I have been wanting to try to make them myself! So glad I found this recipe!






    1. Ooo…Molly, I’m so glad you found this recipe too! Let me know how it goes when you bake up your first batch. Just be sure to seal the edges really well to prevent leakage of the preserves. :-)

    1. Emily, you are going to be so delighted by the finished product! After the first bite I have no doubt that you’ll look forward to making double batches for yourself as well as friends and family. :-)

  7. I can’t wait to try this recipe! Hubby loves his Pop Tarts, but they’re expensive and I’d rather we not be eating all the additives. If homemade gives him the same pleasure, we will make the switch. It also gives me the chance to recreate some of the old fashioned flavours I used to enjoy, but can’t find in the stores anymore :)






    1. Yay! Kyla, I can hardly wait for you to try this recipe in your own kitchen and taste the scrumptious, dreamy flavors of Pop-Tart goodness. Please let me know how your pop pastries turn out. You can also experiment with other fabulous flavors!

    1. Thank you so much Colleen! I’m so glad you like this recipe. And yes! Homemade Pop Pastries are perfect for Sunday brunch and adult enjoyment too! :-)