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(Better than store-bought) Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts. Easy homemade brown sugar cinnamon filling, stuffed between two layers of cinnamon dough, baked until toasted, and finished with a sweet vanilla and cinnamon frosting. These brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts are flaky, perfectly sweet, and heavy on the cinnamon. Finish each mini tart with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar or pretzel salt for an added layer of deliciousness. Every bite is roll your eyes back good!

After sharing my homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts a couple of weeks ago, we received so many messages and comments. so many of them were requests for a homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. I had no idea that the cinnamon flavor is apparently everyone’s favorite. Growing up, I always ate the chocolate flavor. It just never occurred to me that you all might actually LOVE the brown sugar pop tarts more.
Well, I heard your requests loud and clear. Today we have homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. And honestly? These really are SO GOOD. Yes, I will forever love the chocolate fudge pop tarts, but I have to admit, I think I missed out on these cinnamon tarts as a kid. The crust is flaky and buttery, the filling is sweet and heavy on the cinnamon…with just a hint of butter, and the frosting is that final layer that completes these little mini tarts.
Admittedly I hesitated to share this recipe so soon after the chocolate tarts. But with everyone baking up a storm right now I figured, why not? These are fun to bake if you’re home with your kids or just need a random Tuesday afternoon project. And most importantly? They’re delicious.

These pop tarts are simple. Even simpler than the chocolate fudge pop tarts because the filling is quicker to mix up. This filling doesn’t require any cooking or any time in the fridge to chill. It’s a very simple mix of brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter, and vanilla. That’s it, just mix and done.
Once the filling has been mixed, make the dough. I really wanted these pop tarts to be as authentic as possible to the ones from the box…but taste better (of course). But I also didn’t want to use just plain old dough. The boxed tarts have a crust that’s similar to a graham cracker, so I wanted to mimic that look and flavor. To do this use, I use a mix of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon. The whole wheat flour adds a little more crumb and a little more color to the dough. The cinnamon adds flavor.

pop tarts before baking (above), pop tarts after baking (below)

The result? It took a few trials, but I think I got them pretty darn close to the classic look…but with a better taste, thanks to using real ingredients.
I like using the food processor to easily mix the dough, but you can simply use your hands as well.
Roll the dough out and cut into rectangles. Use the back of a spoon to spread the filling over half of the rectangles, leaving a small border around the edge of the dough. At this point, you’ll want to brush the borders of the rectangles with the egg. Using the beaten egg ensures that all of the filling stays inside of the pop tarts while they bake. Add the top piece of dough to enclose the filling. Then use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges around the tarts. This seals all that yummy filling inside.
Bake the pop tarts up, and twenty minutes later you’ll have the smell of warm cinnamon wafting in the air. You’ll also have the most delicious homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts!

Make the frosting, which is key. It’s a pretty quick mix up of powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Nothing fancy, but it’s a mix of very delicious (sweet) things.
Spread the frosting over each tart. Then let the pop tarts hang out for a bit to give the frosting some time to harden. And that’s pretty much it. Could not be simpler, and the end result is roll your eyes back good.

Well, I don’t know for sure. It’s been a while since I had my last pop tart, but they do taste really, really good. You can really taste the real brown sugar and cinnamon with undertone flavors of vanilla and sweet butter. The crust is flaky and the center filling is soft and gooey.
And everyone’s second question…can you put these in the toaster? I wish I could say yes, but no, I would not recommend it. If you leave the frosting off of the pop tarts, then yes, you can easily toast these in the toaster and enjoy them warm, which I’m sure would be delicious.
And guys? That’s all I have for you. If you take away one thing from the blog post, let it be that these pop tarts are DELISH. So much better than the boxed stuff from the store.
Added bonus? Every single ingredient is a pantry staple. Meaning you have zero excuses to not bake these up today. Tuesday pop tarts anyone?

Looking for other homemade versions of childhood favorites? Try some of these.
Healthier Homemade Somoas Cookies
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make these homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon 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!x
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

I’m dairy-free and really try to limit butter. For spreading I usually use an avocado based butter. How do you think that might change a recipe when using it for baking? The buttery flavor would be so key on these – dont want to mess it up!
Hi Savanna,
So sorry but I have not experimented with avocado based butter. The super cold butter is key to this recipe so I would hate to advise against that. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Oo, what if you only have unsalted butter? Do u need to compensate with more salt ?
Ooo, what if you inky have unsalted butter?
Hi Grace! I would just add a pinch of salt to make up for it! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Looks great! Could shortening be subbed in the dough to make it dairy free? Or would you recommend a vegan butter alternative? Thanks!
These turned out perfectly! We had all the ingredients already (because they are super simple), and following the directions exactly resulted in delicious pop tarts
Thank you so much Olivia! xTieghan
My mom always kept these in the pantry growing up… made them today (instead of whole wheat flour added a mix of almond and oat flour) and they are PERFECTION. Thank you for the nostalgia!
Thank you so much for trying these Sarah! I am so glad they brought back good memories!! xTieghan
Delicious! And I love the addition of the whole wheat flour. I did not have to use all the recommended water for the dough, nor the frosting.
I for some reason only got a total of 8 pop tarts, and only had 8 tablespoons of the filling… and didn’t cut the recipe. Either way, definitely worth making!
Thank you so much! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Sort of silly, and probably obvious question, but can this be reheated in the toaster? Or does the frosting not get hard like a store bought?
Hi Geneva,
I would recommend reheating on low in the oven. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Ahh, these sound incredible and I think I may even have all the ingredients already on hand! I love homemade version of my favorite store-bought treats, like these!
Thank you so much Melissa! xTieghan
Do you think these would work with a gluten free 1-for-1 flour replacement?
Hi Samuel! I have not tried these with GF flour, but I would recommend trying these with cup4cup. I hope they turn out amazing for you! xTieghan
The only pop tart I ever tried as a kid was frosted cherry. I don’t remember if I liked it or not. My mom preferred lemon Zingers, Twinkies and Hostess cupcakes (old school, I know). These pop tarts look delicious. I’m going to try them with GF flour and see what kind of magic I can create.
Hi Marina! Well, I hope you love these pop tarts!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Can you leave off the frosting so it can be packed in a lunch?
Hi Elsie,
Yes this would be okay to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Omg and I thought your recipes couldn’t get any better!!! Holy! Can’t wait to try this!
I only have all-purpose flour and it’s a pain trying to find whole wheat flour. What can I use as a sub, or can I just omit?
Hi Nisha,
You can just use all purpose flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t wait to try this! I LOVE everything i’ve made from your recipes!
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan
Yum! Can you use all AP floor? I want to make them but don’t have whole wheat flour.
Hi Steph,
Yes this is okay to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan