Homemade Frosted Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pop Tarts

When I was in high school (don't you dare ask me how long ago that was), my best friend's favorite things to get from the vending machine was cinnamon brown sugar pop tarts. I think she would get them every.single.day. When I wanted to treat myself I would follow her lead and get them as well, and they were beyond phenomenal every time. The cinnamon brown sugar combination inside soft pastry was the best pick-me-up during the treacherous school day.

I wanted to do something special for Chris' birthday last week, and breakfast in bed was at the top of my list. Instead of bringing him pancakes or something traditional, I chose to make him something unique: homemade cinnamon brown sugar pop tarts. They were always a fun and delicious treat for me, and I wanted that for him as well! I can say they easily lived up to my expectations and more; they might have even exceeded the boxed version!

Although a little time consuming, using store-bought pie dough cut back on some preparation so I could get these delicious little pastries cooking in no time. Chris was very surprised and loved his birthday breakfast in bed. He ate them for the next few mornings as well, but I don't think he was complaining one bit :) I can't wait to try these again with a Nutella filling. YUM. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1 box (2 count) 9-inch refrigerated pie crust

Filling:

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. milk

Glaze: 

• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar , sifted
• 1 tbsp. milk, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

For the pastry: Remove pie crust from packaging. Roll out one of the crusts on a floured work surface. Roll it into a rectangle (as best you can) about 1/8 inch thick and 9x12 inches in size. Trim the sides as needed. Cut each piece of dough into thirds and each third into thirds again. You will end up with 9 rectangles, each measuring 3×4 inches. Continue with the second pie crust. 

Place 9 rectangles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The pop-tarts will not spread in the oven much, so you may place them relatively near one another. Keep the remaining 9 rectangles in the fridge for the time being. 

For the filling: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl until combined to make egg wash. 

Brush egg wash over the entire surface of each rectangle on the baking sheet. These will be the bottoms of your pop-tarts and the egg wash will help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of the prepared brown sugar filling into the center of each rectangle, spread it around, leaving around 1/4 inch of space on the edges. 

Remove the remaining 9 rectangles from the refrigerator. Brush the second set of rectangles with egg wash, then place each rectangle on top of the filling-topped rectangles - egg wash side down. Use your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Reserve remaining egg wash.

Use a toothpick to poke 8 holes in the tops of each filled pastry to allow the steam to escape. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork, to prevent the sides from opening as the pop-tarts bake. 

Refrigerate the filled pop-tarts uncovered for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once unbaked pop-tarts have chilled for 15 minutes, remove from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. Bake for about 22-28 minutes or until they’re golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the baked pop-tarts cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Make the glaze: Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until it reaches a spreading consistency. You want a thick glaze, but not too thick that it is hard to spread. Add another teaspoon or two of milk if needed. Use a spoon or knife to glaze each pop-tart. The glaze will slightly harden in about an hour.

Store pop-tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 6 days. To reheat, bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Baked pop-tarts freeze up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat as directed.

Source: Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction