5.0 from 39 votes
Homemade Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Recipe
My homemade brown sugar pop-tarts are perfectly crisp, buttery, and not too sweet. They're surprisingly simple to make with a few pantry staples. Guaranteed to spark some childhood nostalgia! Recipe includes a how-to video.
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
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 unsalted butter very cold and cut into pieces
- 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 heaping teaspoon table salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 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
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the basin of a food processor and pulse to combine.
- 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.
- 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:
Cup of Yum
Filling
- Stir together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Add melted butter and vanilla extract and stir until combined and mixture is paste-like. Set aside.
- Prepare egg wash by whisking together egg and water until well-combined.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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).
- Place one cut-out rectangle on prepared baking sheet and lightly brush with an even coating of egg wash.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Drizzle icing over pop- tart and allow to harden before serving and enjoying.
Notes
- You can omit the corn syrup but the glaze will not set as firm and will not be as shiny. For the milk, I use whole milk but any type will work, if using a lower-fat milk you will likely need less than is called for.
- I don’t recommend toasting these pop-tarts if you’ve added icing, it will melt off in your toaster! Instead, if you’d like them warm, heat them briefly in the microwave before enjoying.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1pop-tart
Calories
492kcal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
64g
(21%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
25g
(38%)
Saturated Fat
15g
(75%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
6g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
81mg
(27%)
Sodium
139mg
(6%)
Potassium
98mg
(3%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
39g
(78%)
Vitamin A
771IU
(15%)
Vitamin C
0.1mg
(0%)
Calcium
50mg
(5%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10pop-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.