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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!

overhead photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

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.

overhead prep photo of assembling Pop Tarts

 

Here are the steps…

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.

overhead prep photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts on baking sheet before baking

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

overhead photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts after baking but without frosting

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!

overhead close up photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

While the pop tarts cool…

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.

overhead close up photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

The real question? Do they taste like the original Pop Tarts?

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?

overhead photo of broken in half Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other homemade versions of childhood favorites? Try some of these.

Healthier Homemade Somoas Cookies

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts

Homemade Vegan Twix Bars

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

Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 16 pop tarts
Calories Per Serving: 310 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

Dough

Frosting

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. To make the filling. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
    2. To make the dough. In a food processor, combine the flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to form 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 rounded tablespoon of the brown sugar filling 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.
    4. Place the pop tarts on parchment-lined baking sheets. Poke a few holes on top of the tarts with a fork. 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, until golden. Cool completely before frosting.
    6. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. 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. Place on a baking sheet and allow the pop tarts to harden, uncovered for about 2 hours. Sprinkle with salt or sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

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.
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour. 
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overhead horizontal photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

This post was originally published on April 28, 2020
4.45 from 315 votes (255 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I just made these this morning with my 4-year-old! We loved making them together. They come together perfectly and taste amazing!

    Reply

    1. Aw that is too sweet! Makes me so happy that you two enjoy these and making them together! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. I’m making these now and I am so excited! It’s odd that you don’t include the liquids in the ingredient list. That through me a bit. Any reason why? I think it would be helpful.

    Reply

    1. Hi Katie! I leave it out because its only water and I figure that is an easy ingredient that does not need prep. I hope you understand! Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love these! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. I made these yesterday and noticed my pop tarts popped up when baking so there is a huge air gap inside. Is there any recommendation on how to fix that? I also only was able to make 10 pop tarts and they were smaller than the 4×3 size. So not sure if this helps figure out what I might have missed.

    Reply

    1. Hi Shelby,
      Try poking a few holes in the top of the pop tart before baking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Your recipes are so fun and always turn out great. Thank you! I’m in the process of making these right now–my dough is in the fridge chilling. I halved the recipe since it’s just me and my fiance during these quarantine times. Can’t wait to to eat one for an afternoon snack 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Libbie,
      I would recommend freezing the butter and then grating on a cheese grater and mixing by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Made a half-batch tonight. They came out so great! My boyfriend was standing in awe in the kitchen for a while after eating one of these. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  8. Made these this morning and they were really good! The filling however needs to be doubled to have enough for all the poptarts

    Reply

  10. Admittedly I’m not a super experienced baker, but these looked easy enough. The flavors were perfect, but I have to say that my dough was less than ideal. I followed the recipe to the letter (except I don’t have a food processor so I mixed by hand), but the finished product was super “mealy”….the whole thing just crumbled apart. Too much butter? The texture of the dough felt like there was too much butter. It rolled out fine, a little sticky, but I kept dusting with flour. Any suggestions? (Just a side bar – I do live at nearly 9,000 feet, so altitude is a huge factor.) Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jane,
      Altitude shouldn’t be your issue, I’m at 10,000 feet. I am wondering how much water you added to bring the dough together and if you used a cheese grater with frozen butter. Unfortunately, super cold butter is key for this recipe, so if your butter was at all warm from your hands this could have caused an issue. I am so sorry the recipe did not workout for you. Please let me know how else I can help. xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    I made these this morning with a friend each in our kitchens over Facetime! It was a really fun project and they turned out amazing!!

    Reply

  12. Haha my frosting looks more like gravy but oh well!! Tastes great! I made your jumbo fruit pop tart last week (delish) and thought about converting it to a frosted cinnamon and sugar recipe. Thank you for doing it for us!! We love them!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing!! I am sure those taste amazing as well haha. I hope you try this Ellie! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. These look amazing! Any plans for a s’mores pop tart recipe? They were always my favorite growing up and I would LOVE to make my own.

    Reply

  15. I don’t have a food processor…could I use a blender or am I out of luck for this recipe? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Haley,
      Try placing the butter in the freezer and then use a cheese grater to grate the butter, I think you will have best results this way. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply