Sourdough Pop Tarts
Sourdough pop tarts are easy to make with your sourdough discard and taste so much better than any store-bought toaster pastry!
The crust is filled with your favorite pop tart flavor, such as strawberry or blueberry, and topped with a sweet glaze.
If you're like me, you love having sourdough discard recipes so that none of your sourdough starter goes to waste!
These homemade pop tarts are made using a sourdough pie crust and the sweet filling of your choice!
It's kind of like a pop-tart and a toaster strudel had a sweet and flaky sourdough baby!
So grab your sourdough starter and let get to baking!
How to make sourdough pop tarts
Homemade pop tarts are simple to make, so let's dive straight into the details!
Prepare the crust
Grate the butter with a cheese grater and then use a bench scraper to cut the butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it forms large crumbles.
Add the sourdough starter discard and vinegar to the bowl. Mix with a fork until it starts to come together.
Press the mixture together with your hands until there are no dry bits. If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of ice water at a time to adjust. (Don't add too much water.)
Press the dough into a small rectangular shape and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to press the dough flat and to smooth the edges.
Let dough chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. (Up to 24 hours.)
Roll the dough and fill
Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangular shape, about ⅛" thick. Trim the edges and cut into 4 long, evenly shaped rectangles.
Lightly beat an egg and brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of your choice of filling onto one side of each piece. Fold the dough over and press the edges with a fork to seal.
Place the unbaked pop tarts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of each pop tart with the egg wash.
For these photos I used my homemade strawberry jam and homemade Nutella.
Bake and glaze
Bake in a preheated 350° F (177° C) for 25-30 minutes oven or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool.
Mix ½ cup of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of water and glaze each pop tart. (Add more water if the glaze is too thick.)
Sprinkle the top with sugar crystals or sprinkles.
(If you put the glaze on while the pop tarts are still hot, it will melt and become thin.)
Pop tart flavor variations
- Frosted Strawberry - Use 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam per pop tart.
- Frosted Blueberry - Use 2 tablespoons of blueberry jam per pop tart.
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon - Mix ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ tablespoon flour in a bowl. Use 1-2 tablespoons for each pop tart.
- Nutella Pop tarts - Use 1-2 tablespoons of homemade Nutella per pop tart.
- Apple Butter - Use 2 tablespoons of homemade apple butter per pop tart. (fall flavored pop tarts)
How to store and freeze
Store the sourdough pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 6 days. Reheat in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 10 minutes.
To freeze baked, unglazed, sourdough pop tarts, let cool completely. Wrap tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
Easy sourdough recipes to try
- sourdough brownies
- sourdough chocolate chip cookies
- cut out sourdough sugar cookies
- sourdough blueberry muffins
- chocolate chip sourdough scones
Sourdough Pop Tarts Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 teaspoon (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter (cold)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) white vinegar
Strawberry Filling
- ½ cup strawberry jam (see notes)
- egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten)
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon water
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the crust
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Grate the cold butter, using a cheese grater, into the flour mixture. Use a bench scraper or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until it forms large crumbles.
- Add the sourdough starter discard and vinegar to the mixture and use a fork to bring the dough together. Use your hands to bring the mixture into a cohesive ball and press into a rectangular shape. (Add a teaspoon of cold water if the mixture is too dry.)
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough and smooth the edges. Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least one hour. (Up to 24 hours)
Assembly
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle, with a ⅛" thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 4 long strips. Brush the edges with the egg wash.
- Add 2 tablespoons of filling to one side of each rectangle and fold the dough over itself. Use a fork to press and seal the edges. Brush the egg wash over the top of each pop tart.
- Place the pop tarts onto the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the baked pop tarts to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and water together until thick and smooth. Pour onto each pop tart and sprinkle with coarse sugar or sprinkles.
NOTES
- Frosted Strawberry - Use 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam per pop tart.
- Frosted Blueberry - Use 2 tablespoons of blueberry jam per pop tart.
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon - Mix ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ tablespoon flour in a bowl. Use 1-2 tablespoons for each pop tart.
- Nutella Pop tarts - Use 1-2 tablespoons of homemade Nutella per pop tart.
- Apple Butter - Use 2 tablespoons of homemade apple butter per pop tart.
Is there a way to make these with no sourdough? I don’t always have discard on hand but would love to make them on a whim, these were a hit!
Hi Paige, yes, just use our all butter pie crust recipe in place of dough in this recipe. Here is the link to the recipe: All Butter Pie Crust
So good! Followed the recipe, only chilled for a hour. Came together so quickly. Tastes so much better than the store ones. I was very impressed. Next time I’ll spread my jam out a little thinner and will double the recipe! One of the BEST discard recipes I have ever made. Do yourself a favor and make them!
Can you use salted butter and omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt? Or will it still be too salty?
Hi Jackie, no, that should be fine!
Could I use this for tart shells? If so how long would you typically bake it for?
Hi Shirley, We don't have a tart shell recipe, but I would refer to our sourdough pie crust: Sourdough Pie Crust
If I don’t have any sticks of butter, can I use butter in a tub instead?
Yes
Hi there - question … looking to take these on a trip for grand kids. If freezing - do we thaw and put in toaster to warm then add glaze? ( we plan on taking a toaster to hotel with us).
I appreciate the help!!
Hi Sara, yes that's correct. Thaw, warm in toaster, and put the glaze on afterward. Have a wonderful trip!
Are you able to substitute the sugar for pure maple syrup or honey?
Yes, but I would use half the amount since honey and maple syrup are much sweeter. If the dough seems too wet, add a little bit of flour until it's the right consistency.
These tasted great and I pinched the edges with a fork but how do I keep the fillings from oozing out while they bake? I tried 2 TBSP of filling and they oozed like crazy and when I tried 1 TBSP they still oozed and the filling wasn't enough. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Lisa, have you tried chilling them before baking? I would assemble them and chill for 30 minutes before baking.
Weird Question... but can you add some sort of sweet cream cheese filling to accompany the jam?
H Brooke, that sounds really yummy! While I haven't tried that, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Try adding one tablespoon of sweet cream cheese filling and one tablespoon of jam.
Could these be made smaller to be mini(ish) poptarts?
Hi Elizabeth, We haven’t made mini versions yet, but there’s no reason it wouldn’t work! Just be sure to adjust the baking time and reduce the amount of filling based on the size.
How much would we need to adjust the baking time for mini pop tarts? I was thinking of making each pop half the size.
Hello, I would set a timer for 18-20 minutes and keep an eye on them.