Craving pop tarts? Make your own homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts for breakfast.
- These homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts are undeniably worth the hard work they require.
- Try these pop tarts with a medium roast coffee for best coffee pairing practices.
- Make strawberry pop tarts by replacing the filling with strawberry jam!
- Grab my FREE desserts eBook at the bottom of the post for more delicious coffee pairing recipes just like this!
Many of us can remember the days of enjoying Pop-Tarts as children and all of their incredibly delicious flavors. From blueberry and cocoa to cherry and s’mores, there is something for everyone.
One of my favorite flavors was always the frosted brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts. I would enjoy one when I came home from school or in the morning for breakfast. They were sweet, full of cinnamon, and perfectly flaky. And there was nothing better than when they popped right out of the toaster. Sometimes, I would even spread butter on top of them when they were still warm — as if they needed it!
As an adult, I recently began to miss the glory days of my pop tart-eating childhood. So I decided to make my own version and take them to the next level. These pop tarts I’ve created below are almost like mini pies, and they taste even better than the originals if that’s possible!
Read on for a few baking tips when deciding to take on the challenge of making your own homemade pop tarts!
Set aside a weekend or your next day off for this recipe.
I strongly advise not skipping the chill time suggested in the recipe below, as tempting as it may be. The pastry needs to chill several times throughout the course of the recipe. This makes it easier to handle and helps it bake properly.
Ideally, you should set aside about 2 hours for this recipe, so it’s best to make these pop tarts either on a weekend or when you have a day off work. Avoid making the dough the night before and letting it chill in the fridge all night. If you do this, your pastry dough won’t be pliable enough to roll out the next day.
You can substitute vanilla glaze for the tops and strawberry preserves for the filling.
For a twist on this recipe, you can make strawberry pop tarts by substituting strawberry preserves (or cherry or whatever type of preserves you prefer!) for the filling instead of the brown sugar cinnamon filling. Just add about 1 tbsp of preserves instead.
You can also make a basic glaze by omitting the ground cinnamon in the icing recipe below.
Helpful Hint: To make them look like real strawberry Pop-tarts, top the glaze with a dusting of rainbow sprinkles for a beautiful presentation!
Pair these pop tarts with a medium roast coffee.
For the perfect coffee companion, consider a medium roast coffee. These pop tarts have lovely buttery and cinnamon flavors, which would be nicely complemented with a fuller body coffee that has a low acidity.
Think Sumatran coffee here, and give Blue Bottle’s Giant Steps a try. It’s a darker blend with tasting notes of cocoa, marshmallows, and graham cracker.
If you want more coffee and food pairing suggestions like this, grab my free desserts eBook at the very bottom of this post. Each recipe includes a suggested coffee companion to help you pair each dessert perfectly at home. Grab your eBook today.
Share your brewtiful bakes with us on Pinterest or on Instagram!
When you’ve finished with your pop tarts, post a pic and tag me on Instagram @bakedbrewedbeautiful or use the hashtag #bakedbrewedbeautiful, so I can see your brewtiful bakes!
I love to talk baking, so if you had any issues with your pop tarts too, feel free to send me a message or reply with a comment below!
Best Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts Recipe
Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl and mix together. Add the cold butter and use your hands (or a food processor) to incorporate. Once the butter resembles pea size pieces, it's ready.
Start by adding 4 tbsp of water first and mix together. If the mixture isn't clumping together, add another tbsp of water.
Flour your counter and drop the mixture onto it. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape each piece into a 5-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove 1 disk from the fridge and roll it out onto a floured surface to a 13 x 11- inch rectangle. Trim down with a pizza cutter to get a clean 12 x 10- inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 5 x 3-inch rectangles. There should be 8 in total. Place them on the prepared sheet and place in fridge.
Grab the second disk and repeat the process. Place the 8 pieces on the prepared sheet and place second tray in the fridge. While the dough chills, begin the filling.
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl combine egg and milk to make egg wash.
Take 1 of the baking sheets from fridge and brush each of the rectangles with the egg wash. Place 1 tbsp of filling in the center of each rectangle and spread evenly. Leave about 1/4 inch of space around all the edges. Brush the rectangles on the 2nd baking sheet and then place (egg wash side down) on top of the rectangles with filling. Press down on the edges to seal the pop tarts shut.
Seal all edges with a fork to get a nice crimping look and a tiny hole into the top of each pop tart using a toothpick. Place trays in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the pop tarts with egg wash. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through. Let cool completely.
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk in a bowl until it's thick enough to spread. If too thick, add 1 tsp or milk. Spread over cold pop tarts. Enjoy pop tarts right away or wait until the icing hardens!
Ingredients
Directions
Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl and mix together. Add the cold butter and use your hands (or a food processor) to incorporate. Once the butter resembles pea size pieces, it's ready.
Start by adding 4 tbsp of water first and mix together. If the mixture isn't clumping together, add another tbsp of water.
Flour your counter and drop the mixture onto it. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape each piece into a 5-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove 1 disk from the fridge and roll it out onto a floured surface to a 13 x 11- inch rectangle. Trim down with a pizza cutter to get a clean 12 x 10- inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 5 x 3-inch rectangles. There should be 8 in total. Place them on the prepared sheet and place in fridge.
Grab the second disk and repeat the process. Place the 8 pieces on the prepared sheet and place second tray in the fridge. While the dough chills, begin the filling.
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl combine egg and milk to make egg wash.
Take 1 of the baking sheets from fridge and brush each of the rectangles with the egg wash. Place 1 tbsp of filling in the center of each rectangle and spread evenly. Leave about 1/4 inch of space around all the edges. Brush the rectangles on the 2nd baking sheet and then place (egg wash side down) on top of the rectangles with filling. Press down on the edges to seal the pop tarts shut.
Seal all edges with a fork to get a nice crimping look and a tiny hole into the top of each pop tart using a toothpick. Place trays in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the pop tarts with egg wash. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through. Let cool completely.
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk in a bowl until it's thick enough to spread. If too thick, add 1 tsp or milk. Spread over cold pop tarts. Enjoy pop tarts right away or wait until the icing hardens!
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This recipe was so easy to make! It’s a great recipe for a saturday afternoon when you have nothing to do because it does take some time but it’s so yummy! When I made it the only thing that was a bummer was that it only made 6 insteasd of 8 but that was only because I think I got my measurements wrong. I will definitely be making it again though! 10/10 would recommend!
Thanks so much for sharing! So happy to hear that this pop tart recipe came out great for you. It, indeed, does take some time, but well worth the wait for a homemade pop tart! Happy Baking!