Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
Flaky butter pastry sealed around thick strawberry jam, baked golden and finished with pink icing and sprinkles. Nine tarts, and they beat the boxed version outright.
By Hanan · Salt & Hearth
Published August 18, 2026
Full quantities, times and temperatures · How we make this site
Prep
40 min
Cook
22 min
Total
62 min
Serves
9
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Homemade pop tarts are one of those things that sound like a novelty until you make them, at which point the boxed version stops being an option. The pastry is a straightforward all-butter shortcrust with the butter left in visible flakes, the filling is jam thickened with a little cornstarch so it does not escape, and the icing is powdered sugar and milk. What you get is a proper pastry — flaky, buttery, with a thick band of fruit through the middle — under a layer of sweet icing and sprinkles.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Genuinely flaky butter pastry rather than the cardboard texture of the boxed kind.
- Any jam works, so the flavour is entirely up to you.
- The unbaked tarts freeze, so you can bake one at a time.
- Nine full-size tarts from one batch.
- The icing and sprinkles make them look exactly like the ones from the box, only better.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (225 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons cold milk
- 4-6 tablespoons ice water
For the filling
- 3/4 cup thick strawberry jam
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
To finish
- 1 large egg, beaten, for sealing and glazing
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A drop of pink food colouring, optional
- Sprinkles
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Cold butter:
- The whole recipe depends on it. Cube it and put it back in the fridge until the moment you need it.
- Thick jam:
- A set, thick jam rather than a loose conserve. Thin jam runs out of the seams no matter how well you seal them.
- Cornstarch:
- One tablespoon stirred into the jam. It sets the filling during baking and is the single most useful trick here.
- Egg wash:
- Used twice — once to glue the edges together, once on top for colour. Keep the two uses separate and clean.
- Ice water:
- Added a spoonful at a time. The right amount varies with the humidity, so go by feel rather than the number.
Method
- 1
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together, then cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until you have pieces ranging from pea-sized to small flakes. Leave them visible — those butter pieces steam in the oven and are what makes the pastry flaky.
- 2
Whisk the egg with the milk, add to the flour, and bring together with a fork, adding ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just holds when squeezed. Stop as soon as it comes together; more water means tougher pastry.
- 3
Divide into two discs, wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. This rests the gluten and re-chills the butter, both of which the pastry needs.
- 4
Stir the jam with the cornstarch and lemon juice. The cornstarch thickens the jam as it bakes so it stays put instead of boiling out of the seams.
- 5
Roll each disc into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick and trim to a neat rectangle, then cut into 3x4-inch pieces — 18 in total, 9 bases and 9 tops.
- 6
Lay out 9 rectangles, brush the edges with beaten egg, and put a heaped tablespoon of jam in the centre of each, leaving a clear 1/2-inch border. Overfilling is the main cause of blowouts.
- 7
Lay the remaining rectangles on top and press the edges firmly with a fork all the way round to seal. Prick the top of each two or three times so steam can escape rather than forcing the seams open.
- 8
Chill the assembled tarts on a lined baking sheet for 30 minutes while the oven heats to 375F. Chilled pastry holds its shape and puffs properly.
- 9
Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake 20-24 minutes, until deep golden at the edges.
- 10
Cool completely on a wire rack. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and colouring into a thick, spreadable icing, spread over the cooled tarts and add sprinkles before it sets.
Tips
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter, cold dough, a chill before baking — flakiness depends on it.
- Do not overfill. A heaped tablespoon is the limit; more and the jam boils out through the seam.
- Thicken the jam with cornstarch. Straight jam is too loose and will leak.
- Prick the tops. Without steam vents the seams blow open every time.
- Ice them only once completely cool, or the icing melts and runs off.
Variations to try
- Use raspberry, apricot, blueberry or cherry jam.
- Fill with cinnamon sugar mixed with a little flour and melted butter for a brown sugar cinnamon version.
- Fill with Nutella and a pinch of salt.
- Skip the icing and finish with coarse sugar sprinkled over the egg wash before baking.
Storage & make-ahead
Store iced tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Unbaked assembled tarts freeze beautifully: freeze flat on a tray, then bag for up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes. Baked tarts also freeze un-iced for 2 months — reheat in a 350F oven and ice once cool. Do not refrigerate; it makes the pastry tough.
Frequently asked questions
- Why did my filling leak out?
- Overfilled, under-sealed, or the jam was too thin. Use a heaped tablespoon at most, press the edges firmly with a fork, and thicken the jam with cornstarch.
- Can I use shop-bought pie crust?
- Yes, and it works well for a shortcut. Roll it slightly thinner than it comes and follow the recipe from the cutting step.
- Why is my pastry tough?
- Too much water or too much handling. Add water sparingly and stop mixing the moment the dough holds together.
- Can I make them ahead?
- Assemble and freeze unbaked — that is the best way. Bake straight from frozen with 5 extra minutes.
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