Easy Strawberry Almond Pop Tarts
Who doesn’t love a pop tart, right? Flaky pastry enveloping a sweet and gooey filling, drizzled with icing. It is the most simple and perfect treat. I’m sure many of you have fond recollections of this sweet toaster treat. I can remember having them as an after-school snack in high school at my best friend’s house – that pantry was always stocked with the brown sugar cinnamon flavor. And a few years later, I lived off room temperature vending machine pop tarts in college and have zero regrets. Although I don’t eat pop tarts nearly as often as I used to, they are still one of my favorite childhood and teenage delicacies.
These Strawberry Almond Pop Tarts aren’t exactly the same as their pre-packaged nostalgic counterparts, but they’re pretty darn close. I took one of the most popular pop tart flavors – strawberry – and put a spin on it by adding toasted almonds and a touch of almond extract. The brightness of the strawberry jam goes wonderfully with the savoriness of the toasted almonds to create a delicious confection perfect for a celebration or Saturday morning treat. Flaky pie crust pastry, sweet and tart jammy filling, and that classic icing drizzle. And of course, you can’t forget the colorful sprinkles on top!
The Pie Crust
You can certainly use homemade pie crust for these; but to make this recipe super easy, I use store bought crust. You’ll want the packages of pie crust that you roll out yourself (not the pre-formed crust in the baking tins). Normally these crusts are sold in packages of two – So make eight pop tarts, you’ll need two packages (or four pie crusts).
The Jam
I also use store bought strawberry jam for this recipe! Any type will do but I prefer jam made with real cane sugar as opposed to processed high fructose corn syrup. Make sure you are purchasing jam and not jelly. Jelly will be more gelatinous and could have an odd texture in the finished product.
The Toasted Almonds
I prefer unsalted almonds for this recipe, but you can use lightly salted if that’s all you can find. You can either buy pre-toasted almonds at the store or toast your own – I’ve included instructions for this on the recipe card below!
The Icing
I make a super simple icing for these pop tarts. Just whisk together powdered sugar, a touch of almond extract, and milk. I start with just a tablespoon or two of milk and add more as needed to reach the perfect consistency. You want to be able to drizzle the icing over the pop tarts. However, you’ll want to avoid making it too thin and watery – it will just run off and won’t stick to the pop tarts if it is too thin. Keep in mind that you can always add more powdered sugar, if needed, to thicken the icing as well.
Making the Pop Tarts
You’ll want to make sure the pie crusts are fully thawed (if they were frozen upon purchase) and have set at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Next, simply unroll the crusts. No need to use a rolling pin as they will already be the perfect thickness!
Once you have all four crusts rolled out into round discs, you’ll want to cut off the rounded edges using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, leaving a square or rectangular shape. This does not have to be perfect! You can then discard the scraps or use them for something else – I love making cinnamon sugar chips with them (see my quick recipe below!).
Next, you’ll want to cut each large square in half horizontally and then in half vertically to create four smaller square or rectangular shapes. Again, these do not have to be perfect! Once you have all of your smaller pastry squares cut, fill half of them with about 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of your strawberry almond jam filling. Next, brush the edges of the filled pastry squares with a beaten egg and top with the remaining squares. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork and brush the tops and edges with the remaining beaten egg. Using the tines of a fork, poke the top of each pop tart a few times to create small holes for steam to escape.
Bake the pop tarts until golden, let cool slightly, drizzle with icing, and top with fun sprinkles.
Serve the pop tarts warm or at room temperature.
What to do with Leftover Pie Crust Dough Scraps – Make Cinnamon Sugar Chips!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pie dough scraps onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil (if using foil, lightly spray with oil). Brush melted butter over each piece of pie dough and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. These can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Eat well and enjoy!
Utilizing premade ingredients, these fun Strawberry Almond Pop Tarts are so easy to make and are perfect for a birthday party or weekend morning treat!
- 4 premade refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (if two come in a box, then you will need two boxes)
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam
- 2 tbsp unsalted toasted almonds, finely chopped (you can use either store bought pre-toasted or toast raw almonds at home. See instructions for toasted almonds below.)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg, beaten
- Sprinkles for topping (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 5 tbsp milk
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- Toasting the Almonds
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place slivered or sliced almonds, in a single layer, on a parchment or foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the almonds are fragrant and slightly golden brown, stirring halfway through. These can burn quickly so check them throughout the cooking process. When the almonds are done, remove them immediately and transfer to a plate. When the almonds are cool enough to handle, chop them finely using a sharp chef's knife or food processor/chopper. you'll want the almonds to be finely chopped but not a powder.
- I like to use slivered or sliced almonds for this because they are easier to chop. However, you can also use whole almonds - They many just take a bit longer to toast.
- I usually make more than I need for this recipe because I like to use them for other things, such as a topping for ice cream or oatmeal. You can store these toasted almonds in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Prep
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper - I recommend a rimmed baking sheet just incase some of the filling leaks out or the pop tarts. Take your thawed pie crust out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes while you make the filling.
- Make the Filling
Mix together the strawberry jam (1/2 cup), vanilla (1/4 tsp.), and toasted, chopped almonds (2 Tbsp.) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cut the Dough
Roll out the pie crusts until they are each in a flat circle. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, carefully cut off the rounded edges on each crust until you have a square shape (it does not have to be a perfect square). Next, cut each square shape into quarters so that you have 16 smaller square shapes (again, they do not have to be perfect).
- Make the Pop Tarts
Fill 8 of your squares with about 2 heaping teaspoons of your jam mixture. Brush each of the filled squares with the beaten egg. Place a non-filled square on top of each filled square so that the edges line up approximately to create the pop tarts. Using a fork, crimp the edges all the way around the pop tart, pressing firmly so that filling does not leak out. Using the tines of the fork, poke the top of each pop tart three or four times to create small holes for steam to escape.
- Chill the Pop Tarts
Place the pop tarts on the lined baking sheet. If you do not have room on one sheet, you can use two baking sheets or make the pop tarts in batches. Place the pop tarts in the refrigerator for one hour or the freezer for 30 minutes.
NOTE: If you are making these in batches, make sure to cool your baking sheet completely in between batches.
- Bake the Pop Tarts
Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and bake at 400 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet or a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the icing.
- Make the Icing
Place the powdered sugar (1/2 cup) in a small or medium bowl. Add the almond extract (1/8 tsp.) and 2 tablespoons of milk. Whisk until everything is fully incorporated. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have reached the right consistency. You do not want the icing to be watery but you want it to be thin enough to be able to drizzle it over the pop tarts. Cover with a moist paper towel until ready to use.
- Finish the Pop Tarts
After the pop tarts have cooled slightly, drizzle the icing over them using a spoon or whisk and top with colorful sprinkles if desired.
Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature.