Homemade Sourdough Pop Tarts Recipe (With Vanilla Glaze)
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If you grew up eating store-bought pop tarts, you probably remember tearing open that shiny foil wrapper on a busy school morning. These homemade Sourdough Pop Tarts bring back those memories, but with real ingredients and a buttery, flaky crust!
My family favorite filling is strawberry, but you can substitute with any of your favorite fruit preserves or even fill it with a classic like cinnamon brown sugar. Let the kids help decorate with vanilla glaze and sprinkles for a snack the whole family will love.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Anyone can make them:
They’re that easy. These homemade sourdough pop tarts are made with simple ingredients, and I’m guessing most of them are already sitting idly in your pantry right now. I love recipes that keep it simple, like my sourdough granola bars or sourdough graham crackers, and this one falls right in that same category.
Flavor freedom:
My family’s favorite flavors are sweet fillings like strawberry jam or preserves, but you can make yours with any pop tart flavor you like. Try blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, apple butter, or whatever makes your tastebuds happy. For the topping, there are all kinds of different fillings to work with. Go with vanilla and sprinkles, or mix powdered sugar and water, then finish with sugar crystals or sprinkles.
Make-ahead recipe:
You can make the pop tart dough ahead of time and chill it in the fridge for a day or two. Baked sourdough tarts freeze well too (without the glaze). It’s just 15 minutes in the oven, which even a rushed school morning can handle.
If your kids end up loving these pop tarts, here are a few sourdough recipes to try next: these sourdough graham crackers, sourdough granola bars, and sourdough goldfish.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough Pie Dough – Use my buttery, flaky Sourdough Pie Crust recipe. It can be long-fermented, so feel free to make it a few days ahead to save time. To make the pie dough, use an active sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard.
- Preserves/ Jam – My family loves homemade strawberry jam or preserves, but you can use any jam or preserve you like. If you’re making your own, make sure it’s thick, as runny jam is more likely to leak out of the pop tart during baking.
How to Make Sourdough Pop Tarts
- Prepare my sourdough pie crust recipe through step 7, then, follow the instructions below.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll one of the pie discs to a large rectangle and trim the edges. Divide the dough into 9 even pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush each piece of dough with an egg wash.
- Place a tablespoon of jam/preserves in the center of each piece, leaving a border around. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.
- As half of the dough chills, roll out the second pie crust and cut it into 9 pieces, just like you did with the first.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and top each pop tart with another piece of dough. Using the prongs of a fork, seal the edges of each pop tart closed.
- Brush the top of the pop tarts with an egg wash and poke the top piece of dough with a tooth pick. Cover again and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pop tarts are golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Once the pop tarts are at room temperature, prepare the vanilla glaze and spoon on top of each pop tart. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
- Leave to dry for a few hours. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftover pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for a couple of days; it’s 5 days for us.
For longer storage, lay the baked pop tarts in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze unbaked pop tarts the same way and bake them straight from frozen when you’re ready.
To reheat, bake in a conventional or toaster oven at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes if refrigerated, or 12 to 15 minutes if frozen. The microwave can make the crust soggy.
FAQs
Brown sugar and cinnamon is a classic if you’re craving those nostalgic brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. We also love homemade strawberry jam or preserves for strawberry pop tarts, but you can use any homemade jam you like. Use your favorite fruit jam like blueberry jam or apple butter, that’s just not what I like. Whatever you choose, make sure the filling is thick enough so it doesn’t leak during baking. Avoid anything too runny. If it slides off your spoon, it’ll probably slide out of the crust.
I haven’t tested this recipe with fresh milled flour, but I think it would work. Fresh flour tends to absorb liquid differently, so you might need to slightly reduce the water or add a touch more flour if the dough feels sticky. Start with less water and add more if needed. Keep an eye on the texture, the dough should be soft but not wet or tacky.
Yes, you can absolutely double the recipe if you’re baking for a crowd or want to freeze extras. Double all the ingredients and divide the dough into four discs instead of two. Work with one disc at a time to keep the dough from getting too warm. You’ll get 18 pop tarts, so if you don’t have a large baking sheet, bake them in batches.
Active sourdough starter or discard works well in this recipe. Both work great since you’re not using the sourdough for rising but for flavor. Make sure you’re measuring the same amount by weight, in grams, not volume. If you’re using discard that’s been sitting in the fridge, give it a quick stir first. The dough turns out buttery and flaky either way.
Sourdough Pop Tarts Recipe
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Ingredients
Sourdough Pastry
- 240 grams all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups
- 6 grams salt 1 teaspoon
- 2 grams baking powder 1/2 teaspoon
- 113 grams unsalted butter, frozen/cold 1/2 cup
- 60 grams lard 1/3 cup
- 140 grams sourdough discard heaping 1/2 cup
- ice cold water (optional) 1 teaspoon at a time
Filling
- 180 grams preserves/jam 9 Tablespoons
- 1 egg for egg wash
Vanilla Glaze
- 90 grams powdered sugar 3/4 cup
- 20 grams milk 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 2 grams vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon
- sprinkles if desired
Instructions
Sourdough Pop Tart Pastry
- Before you begin this recipe, measure the lard in a measuring cup and place it in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to chill.60 grams lard
- Next, put flour, salt, and baking powder in the food processor. Give it a whirl to mix the ingredients.240 grams all-purpose flour, 6 grams salt, 2 grams baking powder
- Cut the frozen butter into cubes, then place the it and smaller pieces of the cold lard in the food processor. Mix on dough or low setting until the mixture looks crumbly, about 15 seconds.113 grams unsalted butter, frozen/cold
- Add COLD discard or active starter to the food processor and mix until the dough forms.If the dough doesn't come together after mixing for at least 30 seconds, you may need to add ice-cold water. Continue adding teaspoon of ice water (one at a time) and mixing until the dough is formed.140 grams sourdough discard, ice cold water (optional)
- Remove the dough from the food processor and place on a clean work surface. Cut in half with a bench scraper or a sharp knife. Roll into two dough balls and flatten with your hands to create 2 discs.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place the discs of dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days to long-fermented the pie dough.
Shape
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the pie discs to a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Divide the dough into 9 even pieces (3 x 4 inches) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together an egg and a splash of water. Using a pastry brush, brush each piece of dough with an egg wash, then place a tablespoon of jam/preserves in the center of each piece. You’ll want to leave at least a ¼ inch border around each piece to prevent leakage. Cover the baking sheet with this plastic cover and place the tarts in the fridge to chill.180 grams preserves/jam, 1 egg
- Roll out the second pie disc and divide into 9 more pieces just as before.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and top each pop tart with another piece of dough.
- With clean fingers, press the border of the dough down, then using the pongs of a fork, seal the edges of each pop tart closed. Brush the tops of the pop tarts with more egg wash, then poke the top piece of dough with a tooth pick, about 6 holes each. This allows the steam to escape while the pop tarts are baking. Cover again and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Bake
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pop tarts are perfectly golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the pop tarts are at room temperature, prepare the vanilla glaze and spoon on top of each pop tart. Top with sprinkles, if desired.90 grams powdered sugar, 20 grams milk, 2 grams vanilla extract, sprinkles
- Leave the glaze to dry for a few hours. Enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sourdough Pie Dough – Use my buttery, flaky Sourdough Pie Crust recipe. It can be long-fermented, so feel free to make it a few days ahead to save time. To make the pie dough, use an active sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard.
- Preserves/ Jam – My family loves homemade strawberry jam or preserves, but you can use any jam or preserve you like. If you’re making your own, make sure it’s thick, as runny jam is more likely to leak out of the pop tart during baking. You can also get creative and use Nutella or create your own brown sugar cinnamon filling.
So much better than store-bought! I also love how you can switch up the fillings.
Can it be done without lard?
Absolutely! Omit the 60 grams of lard for 60 more grams of unsalted butter.
Could you replace shortening for the lard?
Absolutely! You can also replace the lard for more butter!
I’ve made these twice and my jelly keeps leaking out. What am I doing wrong?
Still taste good though!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying them — even with a little jelly escape! That’s actually a very common Pop-Tart problem.
Most often, leaking happens when there’s just a bit too much filling or when the edges aren’t fully sealed. A couple of tips for next time:
-Use a thin, even layer of filling (it’s tempting to add more!)
-Leave a clear border around the edges
-Firmly crimp the edges with a fork and make sure they’re well sealed
-Chilling the assembled Pop-Tarts for 10–15 minutes before baking can also help the dough hold its shape
Thanks for making them twice, and I’m so glad they still tasted good!