Homemade Blueberry Pop Tarts

Our homemade strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon pop tart recipes are some of the most popular on our website (for good reason!), so we knew we had to include these homemade blueberry pop tarts in our first cookbook, Crowded Kitchen! They're made with a flaky, easy 4-ingredient crust, a tart blueberry lemon filling and a beautiful, naturally colored icing. These are so much better than store-bought!

Homemade Pop Tarts are so much better than store-bought

I used to LOVE pop tarts as a kid, but I tried one again recently and they just don't taste nearly as good as I remember. That's why we set out to create our own as part of our viral recipe series: Better Than Store-Bought!

Our homemade crust is similar to a pie crust and it's very easy to make in just a few simple steps. The filling is similar to a jam (but made with honey instead of regular sugar) and can be done with just about any fruit. So far we've tried strawberries, blueberries, cherries and raspberries and they're all great!

These are actually delicious without icing, but to make them look more like the childhood snack you know and love, we had to add it. Technically, real blueberry pop tarts have white icing, but this magenta color (from blueberry puree) is SO much prettier!

These are beloved by kids and adults alike. You'll need a bit of patience when it comes to rolling out and cutting the dough, but other than that, they're surprisingly easy to make.

If you're feeling ambitious, try our homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal next!

Key Ingredients Needed for Blueberry Pop Tarts

How to Bake Homemade Blueberry Pop Tarts

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, sugar and salt and pulse a few times until the butter pieces are pea-sized. Stream in the cold water, pulsing as you go, until a crumbly dough forms. 

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead it into a ball. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, flattening each one into a rectangle that's about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. 

3. To make the filling, add the blueberries, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest to a saucepan over medium heat. Gently smash the blueberries, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely. 
4. In a small bowl, reserve 2 tablespoon of the filling for the glaze and set aside. 

5. Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
6. On a well-floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a large rectangle about ⅛-inch thick, then trim it into a straight-edged rectangle that's 14x10 inches. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 rectangles for 8 total rectangles. 
7. Repeat with the other half of the dough. In total, you will have 16 rectangles of the same size. 

8. Using a fork, dock several holes in the center of 8 of the rectangles (these will be the tops). Into the centers of the other 8 rectangles, spoon about 1 ½ tablespoon of the filling and spread into a thin layer, leaving a border around the edges. 

9. Around the border of the filling, brush the beaten egg yolk, then place one of the docked rectangles on top, pressing down the edges to secure. Using the tines of a fork, crimp and seal the edges of each tart. Transfer to the sheet pan, then repeat with the remaining pop tarts. 
10. Bake the tarts for 30-35 minutes, until very lightly browned on the top and edges and golden brown on the bottom. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

11. To make the glaze, add the reserved 2 tablespoon blueberry filling to a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water and stir to combine, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl, extracting as much blueberry juice as possible. 
12. Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice to the blueberry juice and whisk until smooth. Spread as much of the glaze as you'd like over the cooled tarts and top with sprinkles. 

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Storage: Keep leftover pop tarts stored in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
• Use chilled butter to ensure it doesn't melt during processing. Cutting it into even pieces will also help make sure it gets evenly incorporated.
• Make sure to cook down the blueberry filling until it reduces in quantity and thickens. If it's too runny, it may run out of the pop tarts when baking.
• It's very important to dock the dough to allow steam out, otherwise the edges of your pop tarts may burst and filling will leak out when baking.
• If you don't have a food processor, you can stir the dry ingredients together, and then grate in the butter, or chop it into the dough with a bench scraper, then just work the butter into the flour with your fingers.

More Better Than Store-Bought Snacks You'll Love

We can't wait for you to bake these blueberry pop tarts in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

Print

📖 Recipe