Strawberry Pop Tarts

These homemade strawberry pop tarts are made with an easy and flaky pastry crust, filled with strawberry jam and topped with vanilla icing.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 4

Total Time 55

Servings pop tarts

Calories 412kcal

In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the strawberries release their juices.
Crush the strawberries until mostly liquid and then bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Let cool and use when ready.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut them until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water and vodka 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to clump together. Don't overmix. You may not need all of the water/vodka.
Gently mold the dough into a ball. Cut in half and then press each into a flat disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Once ready, lightly flour a clean surface. Take out ½ the dough and roll the crust down to ⅛" thick and 9x12" in size. Cut into 3x4" pieces so you'll end up with 9 rectangles. Using a spatula, transfer the rectangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the egg wash on each of the rectangles. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, leaving ½" of space around the edge.
Take out the second piece of dough and roll out to the same size as the first. One at a time, place a second rectangle on top of the 9 assembled ones. Use your fingers to press around the seems and then use a fork to form the edges. Poke holes in the tops of each filled pastry to allow steam to escape.
Place the pop tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the pop tarts for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned, rotating halfway through. Let the pop tarts cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Whisk all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until it reaches spreading consistency. You want a thick glaze that is easy enough to spread. Spread over the top of each pop tart and decorate with sprinkles, if using. Allow to cool for 15 minutes so the frosting can set.

If you don't want to make the strawberry filling, store-bought strawberry jam works fine.
Speaking of the filling, I prefer to make it a day ahead of time to allow to cool and set.
Place the pop tarts in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking to keep the butter cold and create a flaky pastry crust.
Make sure you seal the pop tarts well with your finger or fork, or the filling will leak out.
Do not skip poking the holes as it allows the steam to escape.