Next Post
Artichoke and Broccoli Pesto Brie Panini with Thyme Honey.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
(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.
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.
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!
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.
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?
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
Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 sticks (1 cup) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 egg beaten, for brushing
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling could also use coarse salt – both are optional
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.
This post was originally published on April 28, 2020
These were so easy and yummy! I halved the recipe and it made 6, which is perfect for only two people! Will definitely make these again. Two questions regarding the filling: 1. halving the recipe made a perfect amount for a rounded TEASPOON per poptart, but not the tablespoon the recipe mentioned. Typo, or did I do something wrong? and 2. My filling was much less powdery looking than the second photo in your post. Is that picture what your filling actually looks like or was that maybe before the melted butter was added? They turned out delicious either way, but my filling had a thicker consistency and had to be sort of spread over the dough. I added a bit more flour but consistency stayed about the same.
Hi Rachel,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Unfortunately with baking, halving a recipe doesn’t always create the same turn out, so I think this is your issue. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I use a stand mixer for the dough if I don’t have a food processor? Or better to just use my hands?
Hi Limor,
I would recommend freezing the butter and then grating with a cheese grater and mixing by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I cannot wait to make these !!! They look incredible. I do have one question though – I have some shortening left over from making pie crust this weekend. Do you think it would be okay to sub shortening for the butter in the dough?? Thanks so much!
Hi Amy,
So sorry but the but is key for this recipe. I hope you love recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think I could leave the unbaked pop tarts in the fridge overnight so that they are ready to bake the next morning?
Hi Julia,
Yes that will work, just bring back to room temp before baking. I hope you love recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I use oatmeal flour instead of all purpose?
Hi María! I have not tried this recipe with oat flour, so I do not feel comfortable recommending it! Please let me know if you do try it! xTieghan
These were amazing! So much better than the packaged stuff. Question- are you able to freeze these to make them last longer? Thanks!
Hi Ariel! Yes you can freeze these! I am really glad you enjoyed them! xTieghan
Easy for a novice baker, like myself! And delicious. Will definitely make again!
Thank you Megan! xTieghan
Made these today, and they were oh so good! Didn’t have powdered sugar so I improvised and put some regular sugar in a blender to make it soft… turned out good but can’t wait to try again with the real deal! No leftovers in sight
Thank you so much Katie! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
Hi, can’t wait to try these! Are they able to be frozen and reheated?
Hi Ariel! Yes of course! I hope you love these! xTieghan
Is this supposed to make 8 or 16?
Hi Ellie! It is supposed to make 16, but many people did not get that many out of it. If you are planning to make a lot, I would consider doubling the recipe! xTieghan
I just made these in heart shapes and they are divine. It made 9 heart shaped tarts, plus one half moon shaped tart (filled with jam because I ran out of filling). I could have cut the icing recipe in half and still easily had enough. I’ll probably end up tossing the rest. The dough is delicious and the perfect texture. Very close to the original but a million times better. Thanks for the fun idea!!
That is so cute!! If you have a photo, I would love to see it! Also, so glad these turned out so well for you, Georgia! Thank you! xTieghan
These came out incredible!! So flaky and moist!
That is so great to hear! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi there, there’s supposed to be some liquid in the frosting recipe right?
These look absolutely amazing, can’t wait to make them today!
Hi Courtney! Yes, it is 3 tablespoons of water in the instructions! I hope you love this recipe!! xTieghan
Made these today, and they were phenomenal. I thought they’d be good, but these are beyond!! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Do you think it would be okay to freeze them and keep them? And if so, for how long?
x
Hi Anna-Marie! I am really glad these turned out so well for you!! Thank you for trying them! These should freeze well for a couple of months! xTieghan
First of all, Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts were my favorite growing up and I can’t tell you the last time I’ve had one.
These turned out amazing – everyone LOVED them!! Will definitely make them again – what a treat!!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe – I really enjoy your recipes!!
Aw that is so amazing to hear! Thank you Caroline! xTieghan