Homemade pop tarts are one of my favorite things to make. To put it simply, they’re little breakfast pies and you know how I feel about pie. My favorite pop tarts as a kid were the frosted brown sugar cinnamon. Warm or cold I could always find a reason to enjoy them.
Now that I’m an adult, I still enjoy frosted pop tarts, but prefer to make my own version. As in, my recipe for flakey all butter pie dough filled with fall apple pie filling and topped with a cinnamon vanilla glaze.
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INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
FRESH APPLES
For these cinnamon apple pop tarts, I partnered with Starr Ranch Growers to showcase their delicious Honeycrisp apples. Based in Washington, Starr Ranch Growers, is a group of multi-generational farming families who raise premium, wholesome conventional and organic fruit.
The Honeycrisp apple is perfect for fall baking. The crisp texture, sweetness and hints of honey are all the characteristics that make it my favorite apple.
Homemade Pie Dough
Layers of flaky pie dough are undeniably better when made from scratch. The dough is quick to bring together, wrap and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Autumn Spices
Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves make up the flavor profile for the apple filling. Your kitchen will definitely smell like fall while you’re cooking sown the apples.
Granulated and Light Brown Sugar
I’ve used granulated sugar in the apple pie filling then sprinkled brown sugar on the pastry before spooning on the apples.
Kitchen Tools for Making Pop Tarts
- wooden rolling pin
- pizza cutter or pastry wheel
- wooden ruler
- pastry brush
Now let’s get to making these pop tarts from scratch!!
Tips for Making Apple Cinnamon Pop Tarts
I suggest making the pop tart dough the night before you plan to bake. Pie dough needs time to rest, 30 minutes is the least amount of time I would refrigerate my dough before using it.
If you refrigerate the dough over night, let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften before rolling out.
Use a wooden ruler to measure while you’re cutting out the pop tarts. I like to use a pastry cutter, pizza cutter or a small sharp knife for clean edges.
The apple pie filling can also be made the night before for easy assembly the next morning. Just make sure its cool before spooning onto your cold pastry.
How to Store Homemade Pop Tarts
Store your homemade apple cinnamon pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 6 days. To reheat them, bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm with fresh glaze!
MORE APPLE RECIPES TO TRY:
Cinnamon Apple Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 2 Starr Ranch Growers Honeycrisp Apples
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Brown Sugar Sprinkle
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Homemade Pie Crust
- Make homemade pie crust dough according to directions. Divide in half, then shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- *You can also make the pie dough the night before. Set cold dough on the counter for about 20 minutes the next morning before rolling out.
Make Apple Filling
- Peel, core, and dice apples. Place apples into a medium skillet with butter.
- In a small bowl whisk together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Sprinkle over the apples in the saucepan.
- Bring to medium low heat until simmering. Stir apples gently with a rubber spatula for 4-5 minutes until the apples are mostly soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Assemble Pop Tarts
- Remove one disc of pie doughs from the fridge. Place onto a lightly floured works surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, carefully roll the dough out into a 10×13 inch rectangle.
- Using a ruler and a pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into a 9×12 inch rectangle. Next, cut the rectangle into 9 equal pieces, each measuring each 3×4 inches.
- Place the 9 rectangles on a large parchment paper lined baking tray. Place the tray in the fridge to keep dough cold. Repeat rolling and cutting with second half of dough.
- Once all of the dough is cut, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) .
- Remove the baking sheet from the fridge. Brush the tops of each of the 9 pop tart bases with lightly with egg wash (this will help the top dough to stick to the base and seal in the filling).
- Stir the flour and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle across the egg wash. Then, spoon a rounded tablespoon of of the apple pie filling onto the center of each pop tart base. Level slightly into a rectangular shape, staying in the center and not pushing towards the edges.
- Place the tops onto the each filling covered pop tart base. Use the tines of a fork, to press around the borders of the pop tarts to press the top dough into the base. This will create line indentations around the entire pop tart. Then, gently poke a few air holes across the center of top layer.
- Place the tray of pop tarts in the fridge to chill the dough for 25 minutes. Remove tray from fridge, brush a thin coat of egg wash across the tops of the pop tarts. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until lightly golden on edges and tops. Place pan on cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then, transfer pop tarts directly to wire rack to completely cool.
Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
- Once the pop tarts are cooled, you can add the frosting/glaze! Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Add ¼ cup of powdered sugar for thicker frosting and a teaspoon at a time of milk for thinner. Spoon the frosting onto the tops of the pop tarts and spread with a small spatula.
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