Easy Homemade Pop Tarts With Pie Crust: A Quick and Customizable Breakfast Treat

Easy Homemade Pop Tarts with Pie Crust

These homemade pop tarts are the easiest and most versatile version I have made in my own kitchen. You need one package of rolled pie crust, a jar of jam, and one large egg, and the whole batch comes together in about 35 minutes.

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Store bought pie crust keeps it simple, though a homemade crust works beautifully if you already have one ready to go. The filling is entirely up to you, from strawberry to brown sugar cinnamon, and you decide exactly how much icing goes on top. My kids race to be the one who adds the sprinkles.

Why you will love these Homemade pop tarts:

This is the kind of recipe that makes a Saturday morning feel special without turning the kitchen into a production line. There is nothing fussy here, no special pans, and no long list of ingredients you will use once and then forget about.

Here is what makes them such a favorite in our house:

• Kids can really help. Little hands can cut the dough, spoon in the jam, press the edges together, and brush on the egg wash. My youngest claims the crimping fork every single time and takes the job very seriously.
• Any flavor works. Strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, apricot, cherry, Nutella, or a brown sugar filling all follow the same simple method.
• You control the icing. A thin glaze, a thick layer, or no icing at all is completely your call.
• One package of crust and a jar of jam fill a whole baking sheet. That is a lot of breakfast from very little shopping.

Once you see how quickly these come together, the boxed version stops making much sense. And who wants a pop tart you cannot customize?!

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Everything you need is short and simple. I keep the pastry and the icing separate so you can see exactly where each ingredient goes.

Rolled store bought pie crust is the shortcut that makes this feel like a weeknight friendly recipe, and it is what I reach for most often. If you prefer homemade pie crust, plan for extra time and double your crust recipe so you have enough dough for both the bottoms and the tops.

Milk and cream are interchangeable in the icing, so use whatever is already in your fridge. If you need an egg free version, brush the edges with melted coconut oil, or use a mix of almond milk and agave in place of the egg wash. For the filling itself, any jam or preserve that holds its shape will work nicely.

Step By Step Instructions:

Prep takes about 20 minutes, baking takes 12 to 15 minutes, and the whole recipe lands around 35 minutes start to finish. Here is how I build a tray, one step at a time.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Let it come fully up to temperature while you work so the pastries go into a properly hot oven.
2. Set up your baking sheet. Lay a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, then unroll the pie crust onto another sheet of parchment so it does not stick while you cut. If the crust has been in the fridge, give it a few minutes at room temperature first so it unrolls without cracking.
3. Cut your rectangles. Cut as many pieces as you can that measure about 3 inches by 5 inches. An index card makes a handy guide if you want them even. Gather the scraps, knead them together, roll them out to just under 1/4 inch thick, and cut more rectangles. You can also assemble each pop tart as you go instead of cutting everything up front.
4. Beat the egg. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. That is your egg wash for sealing and for color.
5. Lay out the bottoms. Place 8 rectangles on the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between them.
6. Add the filling. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of jam onto the center of each rectangle. No need to spread it out, just keep it centered and fairly even.
7. Brush the edges. Dip a pastry brush into the egg wash and run it around the border of each bottom rectangle, right around the jam.
8. Add the tops. Place a second rectangle over each filled one, lining up the corners as best you can.
9. Seal the edges. Gently pinch the edges together with your fingers so the two layers merge into one. This step matters more than any other, because a well sealed edge is what keeps the jam inside the pastry instead of bubbling out onto the pan.
10. Crimp with a fork. Go around the edges again with the tines of a fork. It gives the pastries that classic look and seals them a second time.
11. Poke holes in the tops. A few small vents let steam escape so the tops stay flat and neat.
12. Brush the whole surface. Brush the entire top of each pop tart with egg wash, edges included. This is what gives them that deep golden color.
13. Bake. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown.
14. Cool completely. Let them cool all the way before icing, or the icing will melt and slide right off.
15. Ice and finish. Whisk together the icing ingredients, spread over each cooled pop tart, and add sprinkles, crushed freeze dried berries, or nothing at all.

Pinch first, then crimp with a fork. Two seals are better than one, and the jam stays exactly where it belongs.

If you want a different shape, a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter works, as long as you cut matching pairs for the tops and bottoms. A pizza cutter, a sharp knife, or a pastry cutter all work for the rectangles. Just remember that whatever shape you choose, the edges still need a full pinch and a fork crimp before baking.

Recipe Tips

Any jam or preserve you love will work here. I have made these with strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, mixed berry, apricot, and cherry, and a homemade chia jam is lovely too. Strawberry is the one that disappears fastest in our kitchen.

• Do not overfill. Too much jam means it escapes while baking, and a leaky pop tart is a sad pop tart.
• Press the edges closed by hand first. Then finish with a fork. Skipping the hand pinch is the number one reason filling leaks out.
• Wait for a full cool down. Warm pastries will melt the icing into a puddle.
• Use the egg wash twice. Once around the edges for sealing, and once over the whole top for shine and color.

Storage:

These are best eaten fresh, and they keep well when wrapped tightly in an air tight container. At room temperature they are good for about 2 days. In the refrigerator they hold for about 4 to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For reheating, skip the toaster, because the filling gets dangerously hot and the icing makes a mess. Warm them in a 350°F oven until they are warm and crisp again, or air fry them for a few minutes. Both bring back that fresh baked texture far better than a quick zap in the microwave.

Flavor Variations:

This is where the recipe really earns its keep, because the method stays the same and only the filling changes.

Brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. Mix about 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter, and 2 to 3 teaspoons cinnamon. Use that mixture in place of the jam in each pastry. For the icing, leave the jam out and stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead.

S’mores pop tarts. Add chopped chocolate and marshmallows to the middle, then frost the tops with marshmallow fluff or chocolate frosting and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the top.

Other fillings I keep coming back to include lemon curd, Nutella, peanut butter on its own or paired with jelly, your favorite pie filling, blueberry preserves, and apple butter. Any of them slide right into the same step by step method.

Try these other breakfast recipes:

If you enjoy baking a little something special in the morning, these are the recipes I send friends to next:

• Blueberry Baked French Toast Muffins
• Strawberry Crumble Muffins
• Carrot Cake Baked Donuts
• Triple Vanilla Donuts with Maple Glaze
• Banana Oat Blender Pancakes

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The tools that make this tray easy are simple: a sheet pan, a pastry brush, and a rolling pin for the scraps.

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Easy Homemade Pop Tarts with Pie Crust

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Easy Homemade Pop Tarts with Pie Crust These homemade pop tarts are the easiest and most versatile version I have made in my own kitchen. You need one package of rolled pie crust, a jar of jam, and one large egg, and the whole batch comes together in about 35 minutes.

• Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients

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Main Ingredients
1 package rolled pie crust
1 c plus 2 T jam or preserves
1 large egg

Icing
1 c powdered sugar
2–3 T milk or cream
2 T jam
1/2 tsp vanilla

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Instructions

1-Preheat oven to 400°F: Preheat oven to 400°F.
2-Lay a sheet of parchment on a: Lay a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet and unroll crust onto another sheet of parchment. Cut as many pieces of approx. 3 in by 5 in (you could literally use an index card as a guide!) rectangles as you can from each crust. With remaining crust, knead together and then roll out into another large, thin piece (just under 1/4 in.) to cut remaining rectangles. (You can also do this by putting each tart together as you go.)
3-Beat the egg for your egg wash: Beat the egg for your egg wash in a small bowl. Lay out 8 rectangles on the parchment lined baking sheet. Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of desired jam. Brush the edges with your egg wash and then place another rectangle on top of the rectangle with the jam. Gently pinch the edges to seal and then using a fork, crimp the edges. Poke some holes in the top of the pop tart and then brush the entire top, including edges, with the egg wash.
4-Continue with the rest of the pop: Continue with the rest of the pop tarts. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
5-Once cooled, whisk together icing ingredients and: Once cooled, whisk together icing ingredients and spread over each pop tart. Add sprinkles, freeze dried berries crushed, rose petals (ha, that’s what I used because I didn’t have freeze dried berries) or just eat them as is! Store in an air tight container for up to about 2 days although they are best fresh.

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 232kcal
• Sugar: 30g
• Sodium: 83mg
• Fat: 5g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 47g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 1g
• Cholesterol: 1mg