Pop-tarts are a childhood classic for me but, I was never really all that adventurous when it came to the various flavors. Simple strawberry with or without frosting was and still is my all-time favorite.
A few days ago while visiting my parents I came across a box of strawberry Pop-tarts. My immediate reaction was to toast one but after that impulse passed, I thought it would be fun to try and recreate that treat myself.
With that in mind, I set out on my mission to create the best homemade pop tarts.
What kind of pie crust should you use?
You have two options here, make your own or buy your favorite refrigerated crust. I personally went with the latter as I have yet to perfect my own crust but I am working on it.
Once you have your crust, square it off and cut it evenly to divide it into sections. You can use any straight edge to get this desired effect.
Make an egg wash, for mine, I used 1 egg and about 2 teaspoons of milk. Using a brush coat both the top and bottom of the tarts.
Why not just coat the edges?
Well, the egg wash not only provides the glue for the edges but also helps the jam stick to the inside of the tarts if applied there.
Place about 1 tablespoon or a little more jam on the bottom portion of the crust. Spread it out from the middle but be mindful of how close you are to the edges. You will want to leave a little space for sealing later.
Fold over the top of the crust and use a fork to seal all of the edges of the tarts.
Create some holes on the top crust, I used a toothpick. I did a row of 4, then a row of 3, and repeated until the end.
Why the holes?
This small feature gives the steam a nice release pocket but also adds that classic Poptart feeling.
Time to chill
Once your pop tarts are fully formed, place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and allow them to chill. They have been sitting at room temperature and the crust starts to get pretty pliable.
Giving them a chance to gain some firmness before popping them in the air fryer makes them easier to handle and less of a mess.
Frosting (Optional)
Combine the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice together and set aside for later.
As a base, I started with 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon of extract. The heavy cream was used to create the consistency I wanted for the frosting. The lemon juice was added to taste for a nice way of balancing out all of the sweetness.
After your 30 minutes are up
Grab your tarts from the frig and place them in the air fryer at 350F for 10 minutes. The time may vary slightly depending on the model of your air fryer so give them a look around the 8-minute mark.
Once they reach a nice golden brown, remove them, add frosting if you opted for it, and let them cool before digging in.
These homemade pop tarts turned out so well and the taste was comparable to my childhood classic. A breakfast or late-night snack that I will defiantly revisit when that old sweet tooth hits.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Roll out pie crust and cut edges to create a nice squared section
- Cut vertically to create even sections
- Make an egg wash by combining an egg and 2 teaspoons of milk
- Brush entire bottom and top of the crust with egg wash
- Add strawberry jam to each
- Fold over the top of the crust and seal using a fork around the edges
- Use a toothpick to create some holes on top of the crust
- Place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes
- Spray the airfryer and the poptarts with cooking spray
- Place poptarts in air fryer and cook at 350F for 10 minutes
- Combine confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and lemon juice
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