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Channeling the inner child in us all with these (better than store-bought) Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts. Easy homemade chocolate fudge sauce stuffed between two layers of chocolate sugar cookie dough, baked until toasted, and finished with a sweet milk chocolate frosting. These chocolate pop tarts are flaky, fudgy, and heavy on the chocolate. Finish each mini tart with a sprinkle of coarse sugar or pretzel salt for that classic “pop tart” look. Every bite is roll your eyes back delicious!
You guys, today is a special, special day. We have homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts to talk about!
And best of all? They take us back to the carefree days of being a kid, and that’s something we should all embrace right now. Less stress, more baking, and plenty of chocolate. Yess!
But really, what was your favorite pop tart flavor growing up? I only ever ate the chocolate fudge pop tarts and left anything berry-filled in the dust. It was always chocolate for me. What about you guys? Dying to know!
Funny enough these pop tarts are a very, very old HBH recipe that I pulled back into my kitchen and perfected. With everyone home right now baking up a storm, I figured these would be a fun weekend project with a beyond delicious outcome. Soo…these homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts are here to keep us entertained and well sugared-up this weekend.
I am excited!
(chocolate dough before adding the fudge sauce)
Now, onto the process…
Because I have many words to share about these pop tarts.
Start with the chocolate fudge sauce. This is a simple mix of cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and chocolate chips. It’s melted together on the stove until it just begins to bubble up and thicken. Once the sauce starts to thicken, remove it from the heat and add a touch of butter for richness, and a splash of vanilla for the best flavor.
Simple, but so darn good. This sauce is rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet.
The key is to let the sauce firm up before you begin assembling the pop tarts. It’s should be thick and spreadable.
While the sauce chills, make the chocolate sugar cookie dough. If you can make cookies and roll them out, you can make this crust. It’s just flour, cocoa powder, sugar, plenty of salted butter, and ice-cold water. I like using the food processor to easily mix the dough, but you can simply use your hands as well.
Once the chocolate fudge sauce is chilled, roll the cookie dough out and cut into rectangles. Spread a bit of the fudge sauce over half of the rectangles, leaving a small border around the edge of the dough. Now, the next step is important. Brush the borders of the rectangles with the egg, then add the top piece of dough to enclose the filling. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the edges around the tarts to seal all that fudge inside.
Again, using the beaten egg is really important. It ensures that all of the chocolate fudge sauce stays inside of the pop tarts while they bake. For my first test round I skipped the egg and all of the sauce leaked out of the tarts. It was not good.
Bake the pop tarts up and twenty minutes later you’ll have homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts!
But, they need frosting…
Yes, they do need frosting….well they actually don’t NEED the frosting. They would still be good without. But in my opinion, the frosting is key. It’s what takes them to GREAT!
Plus, as I mentioned, I wanted these to be as close to the original version as possible.
The frosting is just a mix of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and melted milk chocolate. Simple ingredients that when combined together are so very delicious.
Now, if you wanted a shiny, glossy finish to your pop tarts, use a couple of tablespoons of either meringue powder or add one egg white into the frosting. Using meringue powder will give your frosting shine. It helps it to nicely set up and dry so that the frosting doesn’t smudge when touched. This is completely optional and honestly, I don’t often take the extra effort. But I did want to make the note to you all that this is certainly an option. It will give your pop tarts a more authentic pop tart look.
Once you’ve mixed the frosting, and the pop tarts have cooled, simply frost each tart. Let the frosting stiffen a few minutes, then sprinkle with either Swedish pearl sugar or a coarse salt. I like to use pretzel salt. It’s delish and adds a salty crunch with every bite.
Let the pop tarts harden…or enjoy them right away…so delish!
So the real questions you’re all wondering?
Can you toast these? Honestly, no I would not recommend it. Well, if you leave the frosting off of the pop tarts, then yes, you can easily toast these in the toaster. But if you frost the pop tarts, I wouldn’t toast them.
Do these taste just like real, store-bought pop tarts? Actually, they do…but they’re also better. Better because they have real ingredients and real chocolate flavors. And if you’re like me, add that sprinkle of sea salt for a touch of saltiness too.
Trust me here. These are GOOD, so much better than the stuff from the store that comes in a box.
So with that, let’s all agree that this weekend’s quarantine project should be pop tart baking and eating.
What do you say? Personally, I think this is a great idea. Who’s in?
Nothing not to love about these sweet, flaky, and extra fudgy chocolate pop tarts. Please do make and ENJOY. Excited to see all the pop tarts being made this weekend on Instagram. Can’t wait.
PS. I’ve never had a brown sugar pop tart, but I’m thinking they need to be my next “better than store-bought” recipe. Thoughts?
PSS. Looking for a few other homemade pop tart ideas? Try these…
Homemade Strawberry White chocolate Pop Tarts
Brown Sugar Peach Puff Pastry Pop Tarts
Giant Strawberries n’ Cream Pop Tart
Lastly, if you make these homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Poptarts
Servings: 16 pop tarts
Calories Per Serving: 417 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Chocolate Fuge Filling
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dough
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 sticks (1 cup) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ounces dark or milk chocolate, melted
- coarse salt or sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. To make the chocolate fudge filling. In a small saucepan, stir together the cocoa powder, milk, and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 5-8 minutes, until the chocolate is melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips, the butter, and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to the fridge to cool and thicken, at least 30 minutes.2. Meanwhile, make the dough. In a food processor, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to forms pea-size balls. Add 1/2 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and forms a ball. If the dough feels dry, add 1-2 tablespoons additional water. 3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll out into a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangles, about 4 x 3 inches. Place a tablespoon of the chilled chocolate fudge on one half of the rectangles, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Lay the other half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges by crimping with the back of a fork. Repeat until you've used all the dough, you will have leftover fudge. 4. Place the pop tarts on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover the baking sheets and place in the fridge for 1 hour or the freezer for 20 minutes. 5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the pop tarts for 15-20 minutes. The pop tarts will still leak a little. Cool completely before frosting. 6. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate. If your frosting is too thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons additional water. 7. Spoon a thin layer of the frosting on top of the cooled pop-tarts. Allow frosting to harden 10 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse sugar or salt. Place on a baking sheet and allow the pop tarts to harden, uncovered, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Crimping and Sealing the Pop Tarts: It's import to really seal the tarts well or your filling will leak out while baking. Using the beaten egg helps to seal the fudge inside.
For a Shinny, Glossy Frosting: Use 2 tablespoons meringue powder. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, cocoa powder, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons water for 7-10 minutes on medium speed, until smooth soft peaks form. Stir in the melted chocolate. If your frosting seems too thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons additional water.
If you don't have a Food Processor: You can use use you fingers to mix the butter with the flour until the butter is pea sized. Slowly drizzle in the cold water as directed.
Swedish Pearl Sugar: can be purchased here.
Pretzel Salt: can be purchased here.
This post was originally published on April 17, 2020
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I follow you on tik tok and have had this saved for so long and I finally got to try it. It was so easy to follow and all your tips helped!
Hi there! Thank you so so much! I am so glad you loved these pop tarts! And thanks for following along on Tiktok too! 🙂 xT
Absolutely delicious! Perhaps a little TOO decadent lol. I too had issues with the inside separating but after sitting in the fridge it all mixed back in just fine. I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder for everything and it made the most rich and decadent poptarts I have ever eaten. 10/10 will definitely try this recipe again!
Hey Ariel,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Have a great summer weekend!
Can we make these with the sugar free sugars?
Hi Linda,
So sorry, I have not tested that, so I really am not sure what your results would be. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Made these during lockdown for my family and was thinking of them again. Perfect recipe and easy to follow. Hard part is not eating two since they don’t come wrapped in foil.
Hey Kayla,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, love to hear it turned out well for you! XxT
I followed this recipe exactly however I found the texture to be quite dense and the flavour was quite bland/cardboard like. Though I won’t be making these again I may suggest subbing honey for the maple syrup as I find it a bit sweeter – additional sweetness is needed to make this recipe more palatable.
On the plus side, I did find the recipe easy to follow and simple to make.
Hi Fiona,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know! xT
Could these be frozen to last more than 3 days?
Hey Anissa,
Sure, I bet that would work nicely for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This went horribly. I followed the directions exactly and I still had to restart twice. For starters, the fudge mixture kept seizing on me. I don’t know what I could’ve done differently because, like I said, I followed everything exactly. On the third try, I decided to just make my own ganache which finally worked. The crust tasted gross. It had zero flavor other than flour and butter. I also rolled the dough out to an 1/8 in and 4×3(I measured with a ruler) and I still only got 8, not 14, so again, not sure what happened there. Overall, these took me a ton of time and wasted ingredients and I’m beyond disappointed. I genuinely don’t know how it turned out so badly when I followed the instructions and ingredients to a T.
Hi Sydney,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m so very sorry to hear you had some issues. Is there a specific question that you had that I can help with? Otherwise, I think this recipe just might not be for you. Again, my apologies! xx
This is such a rude response Tieghan. She literally listed all of the specific issues she had and you aren’t providing any advice that could help her troubleshoot for next time. I’m guessing because you wouldn’t know how to fix the issues yourself? So unprofessional.
What’s the best way to store these?
Hi Stephanie,
I like to store these in the fridge:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I wish I’d seen this review for trying this! 3 cups of sugar wasted, as I also had to restart twice! I also ended up making my own ganache.
What I did was measure everything the same, but only heat the cream/milk.
Once it’s on the edge of boiling, pour it over the chocolate and wait around 3-5 minutes.
Stir, and if there’s still bits of unmelted chocolate, microwave in increments of 30 seconds.
Once it’s all melted, add the butter/vanilla to cool it back down.
Everything else was great though! I used milk chocolate in the frosting since I’d ran out of dark, and it was fairly balanced! Even then, very dark chocolately, I’d probably use less dark percentage next time for the filling, but that’s probably on me. I also ended up with around 8, so not sure what’s going on there. Could be the size of tart I aim for? As for the crust, I think it’s supposed to be simpler, as the filling/frosting have enough flavor to support it.
TLDR: MAKE YOUR OWN GANACHE! The end result is like a classy, but still classic chocolate fudge poptart. I’ll for sure make more of these, they really hit the spot for the void that real pop tarts left behind.
You mention in the blog post the fudge filling has sugar as an ingredient but I don’t see it in the recipe? Should the fudge filling have sugar in it? I made a batch and while good it definitely seemed like it needed some sweetness. Thanks!
Hey Meredith,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback!! The recipe is correct as written, sorry I will have to fix that sugar portion in the blog. I hope this helps! xT
These were yummy! Very decadent! You have to reallly love chocolate which I do but may need to have a glass of milk with to cut it. The fudge part of the recipe can definitely be cut in half, I ended up with so much fudge leftover at least half if not more and don’t have any idea what to do with it. May spread on strawberries? But will say the fudge tasted almost identical to the original pop tart flavor. I also made the cinnamon sugar pop tarts as well and those are just omg perfect.
Hey Kelly,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Yum, great idea to spread on strawberries! xx
How do you think this recipe would be if made with puff pastry dough? So just use the chocolate filling and frosting but plain dough? 🙂
Hey Mica,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe used puff pastry dough, I’m not sure what the results would be! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Excellent recipe!
Hey Vic,
Happy Sunday!!💕 Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xx
Hi Teighan! I am looking for a recipe for a cookie butter Poptart that has Biscoff in the dough as well as the filling. Do you have any recommendations?
Hi Molly,
So sorry, I don’t have a recipe for that! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx