If you ask me, Pop-Tarts are one of those things that just never taste as good as you remember them being when you were a kid. But that doesn’t mean you have to give them up completely.
How to Make Copycat Pop Tarts
Published Feb. 21, 2023.
Our recipe for strawberry pop tarts blows the packaged kind out of the water.
It takes less than 10 ingredients—most of which you probably already have—to make tender, buttery pastries with a perfectly sweet strawberry filling. Plus, like their store-bought counterparts, they taste just as good the next day fresh out of the toaster oven.
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10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
The dough contains the usual suspects—flour, butter, salt, sugar, egg—but it also has a more unexpected ingredient: sour cream. The addition of sour cream helps the pastry stay tender while also adding some complexity of flavor.
We also make the dough in a food processor, which is way easier than mixing it by hand—and makes incorporating the chilled butter a cinch.
Then there’s the filling. Strawberry jam tastes way better than whatever they put in the store-bought kind. Mixed with some water and cornstarch, it thickens up the perfect amount so that it doesn’t leak out of the pop tarts in the oven.
The part of this recipe that is the most fun is the shaping. You’ll really feel like a pro when you see the pop tarts start to come together.
As a finishing touch, you can make an easy icing to spread on top of your tarts once they’re baked. Just whisk together 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1 tablespoon softened cream cheese until smooth. And if you’re feeling extra fun and festive, a handful of sprinkles on top takes your tarts to the next level.
With one bite, you’ll be wishing your childhood self had pop tarts as good as these.
Strawberry Pop Tarts
Kids can make their own version of these beloved breakfast treats. They can decorate them with icing and sprinkles, or leave them plain . . . it’s up to them!Want more recipes for better-than-the-store snacks? Check out The Complete DIY Cookbook for Young Chefs!