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Homemade Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Recipe
5 from 26 votes

Homemade Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Recipe

Homemade Brown Sugar Pop-Tarts feature a tender pastry crust made from cold butter and sour cream, filled with a spiced brown sugar mixture containing cinnamon and vanilla. These pop-tarts are baked until golden and finished with a sweet brown sugar glaze that adds a shiny, sweet layer on top. The pastry's flaky texture pairs with the buttery, cinnamon-sweet filling for a nostalgic breakfast treat.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 10 pop-tarts
Calories: 492 kcal
Course: Dessert, Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Pastry Crust
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 1 cup butter very cold and cut into pieces, unsalted
  • ½ cup sour cream
Brown Sugar Filling
  • 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ table salt heaping teaspoon
  • 3 Tablespoons butter melted, unsalted
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water
Brown Sugar Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar firmly packed (can use light brown if you don’t have dark but the color won’t be as dark)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons milk I use whole milk, if using lower-fat milk you may need a bit less
  • 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pastry Crust
    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the basin of a food processor and pulse to combine.
  2. Scatter butter pieces over the surface and pulse in 1-second increments until butter is cut into the flour mixture. Pea-sized butter pieces may remain.
  3. Add sour cream and pulse again just until dough begins to cling together. Turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and work into a 1” thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes. Shortly before you are ready to roll out your dough, prepare the filling and egg wash:
Filling
  1. Stir together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
  2. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and stir until combined and mixture is paste-like. Set aside.
  3. Prepare egg wash by whisking together egg and water until well-combined.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Transfer chilled pastry dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle that’s between ⅛-¼” thick (0.5cm). Cut into approximately 2 ½”x4” (6x10cm) rectangles (you can use a sharp knife or pizza wheel, but I like to use the cookie cutter I linked to in the equipment section in the recipe card).
  3. Place one cut-out rectangle on prepared baking sheet and lightly brush with an even coating of egg wash.
  4. Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoons of filling and drop it into the center of the rectangle. Cover with another rectangle cut-out of pastry dough and use a fork to crimp the edges closed to seal. Brush the surface of the pop-tart with egg wash and use a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife to poke 6-8 holes through the top layer of dough (to vent the pop-tarts).
  5. Repeat with remaining dough until you have formed all of your pop-tarts. Space the pastries at least 2” apart on baking sheet, you’ll likely need to bake two trays, keep the second tray in the refrigerator while the first one bakes.
  6. Transfer to 400F (205C) preheated oven and bake 15-17 minutes, until beginning to turn golden brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet before topping with icing.
Brown Sugar Glaze
  1. Whisk together powdered sugar, brown sugar (break up any clumps in the brown sugar), 1 Tablespoon of milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Add more milk as needed, a small splash at a time, until icing is smooth and the ribbon of icing that drizzles off the whisk holds its shape for a second or two before dissolving back into the bowl.
  2. Drizzle icing over pop- tart and allow to harden before serving and enjoying.

Notes

  • Using cold butter and sour cream in the dough yields a flaky crust.
  • Do not toast the pop-tarts if they are iced, as the glaze will melt.
  • Warm un-iced pop-tarts in the microwave if desired instead of toasting.
  • If using lower-fat milk in the glaze, reduce the amount as less milk may be needed.
  • Corn syrup improves glaze shine but can be omitted for a less shiny finish.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1pop-tart Calories 492kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 64g (21%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 25g (38%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 81mg (27%) Sodium 139mg (6%) Potassium 98mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 39g (78%) Vitamin A 771IU (15%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 pop-tarts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 492

% Daily Value*

Serving 1pop-tart
Calories 492kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 139mg 6%
Potassium 98mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 39g 78%
Vitamin A 771IU 15%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.