Growing up, our house always had a box of strawberry pop tarts in the kitchen as a special breakfast treat. I’m not sure what I loved most - that sweet strawberry filling, the flakey crust, the tasty vanilla glaze, or the bright rainbow sprinkles on top. Scratch that, knowing me it was probably the rainbow sprinkles on top.

I wish I had known back then just how easy pop tarts are to make, and how much better the homemade version tastes. The difference in flavor alone will blow your mind. Once you’ve tried homemade pop tarts, I promise you’ll never look at the store-bought version again.

To keep this recipe easy like Sunday morning, I used all-natural, pre-made pie crust and strawberry jam. If you are a homemade pie crust master or love making your own jam, you can absolutely make these components from scratch. Personally, I use pre-made ingredients to keep the recipe simple and quick (a major plus when baking with kiddos), but everyone is different, so choose your own delicious path.

The entire recipe has only 8 ingredients and takes less than one hour, so now any day (no matter how crazy or busy) can be a homemade pop tart kind of day. It’s time to get all cozied up in your pajamas and feel like a kid again.

Ingredients

Pop Tart

• 1 package refrigerated pie dough (14.1 oz box; contains dough for two pie crusts)

• 3/4 cup strawberry jam

• 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons milk

Vanilla Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners sugar

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Recipe yields 6 pop tarts.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line one cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, prepare your egg wash by whisking the egg and milk together. Set aside.

3. In another small bowl, mix strawberry jam and cornstarch until fully combined.

4. Remove pie dough from refrigerator and microwave for 10 seconds (if you try to unroll the dough when it is too cold, it will break).

5. Lightly flour a cool work surface or countertop, and unroll one piece of dough on top. Using a rolling pin, gently roll-out pie dough into a square shape (3-4 strokes in each direction should be sufficient). Cut the dough to form an even square.

6. Cut dough into 6 even-sized rectangles. Repeat with the second piece of pie dough to create 12 dough rectangles.

7. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of strawberry filling into the center of 6 rectangles. Spread filling evenly, keeping the edges clean. Apply a light layer of egg wash around the edges of the dough using a pastry brush or your finger (this will help bind the dough together).

8. The remaining dough rectangles will serve as the top of your pop tarts. One at a time, place a piece of dough on top of the strawberry filling, using your fingers to gently press the edges of the two sides together. Seal edges further by pressing the back of a fork along the edges (see photo below). Repeat until all pop tarts are sealed.

9. Place pop tarts on baking sheet, then brush the tops with egg wash. Using a toothpick, poke a few small holes into each pop tart to allow steam to escape while baking.

10. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on your pop tarts for the last few minutes.

11. While the pop tarts are baking, create your vanilla glaze by whisking together sugar, milk, and vanilla.

12. Allow pop tarts to cool for 10-15 minutes, then place a heaping tablespoon of vanilla glaze into the center of each. Using the back of the spoon or a knife, spread the glaze evenly.

13. Garnish with rainbow sprinkles immediately (before the glaze hardens).

Recipe Notes

• Pop tarts are best enjoyed within 1-2 days. Store covered at room temperature.

• When cooking, check on the pop tarts after approximately 6 minutes. If one side of your pan is browning faster than the other, rotate the pan so they cook evenly.

• If you want to make your pop tarts a little less sweet, drizzle a light glaze on top vs. using a spoonful of frosting. For this route, add an extra teaspoon of milk to thin the glaze.

• Baking is all about creating something that brings joy to others. Even if your pie crust or jam is not from scratch, there is still so much love going into every delicious bite.