Homemade Strawberry Heart Pop Tarts

These Strawberry Heart Pop Tarts are a great weekend project to get your kids in the kitchen and the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. My kiddo had been asking for these strawberry pop tarts ever since we made Nutella pop tarts.

So read on for all the detailed tips and tricks for making homemade pop tarts. Or just grab your rolling pin, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make some strawberry heart pop tarts!

strawberry heart pop tarts on a cooling rack.
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Ingredients

This recipe has instructions for making your own pastry for the pop tarts and homemade strawberry jam. You can also buy both of these things from the store.

But, if you have the time, it’s always better to make your own, whether it’s rough puff pastry, tomato sauce or salad dressing. That way, you know what’s in it, you can control the sugar and salt, and, bonus, it usually costs less.

If you’ve got extra strawberries after making this recipe, check out this strawberry and apple pie or unsweetened strawberry applesauce. Or make dehydrated strawberries and use them in homemade granola or powdered in meringues.

Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Cooking with kids

Get your kids excited about being in the kitchen by letting them pick out recipes they want to make or even create their own recipes like my kid’s fig bacon jam pasta. Pop tarts are way more fun than helping cut the salad vegetables!

How should a kid start in the kitchen? Carefully. A good lesson is that dull knives are the most dangerous! So kiddo uses regular knives, and we teach her about the hazards in the kitchen and safety. Always cut away from yourself. And when working with kids, accept that it’ll take twice as much time as it should.

Recipe tips and tricks

kiddo rolling out dough with a small rolling pin.

 
kiddo cutting out dough hearts.

kiddo using a fork to seal the edges of the heart-shaped pop tarts.

heart-shaped pop tart on a plate.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these in other shapes and sizes?

Of course. There’s no limit to what you can make. However, the downside of small shapes is that you can only put a small amount of filling in them, so you get a higher ratio of pastry to filling. Actually, that may not be a downside for you.

How should I store any extra jam?

Store any extra in the fridge for a week or two. If you want to make more and store it for longer, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation to make sure you do this safely.

Can I freeze pop tarts?

Absolutely. You might need to be careful with them in the toaster if the pop tarts are small.

the flaky inside of a strawberry heart pop tart.

Or make another easy Ugly Duckling Bakery pie and pastry recipe like:

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.

Recipe

Strawberry Heart Pop Tarts

5 from 1 vote
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Unspecified
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 10 small pop tarts
Calories: 300kcal
These strawberry heart pop tarts are a fun and delicious way to introduce your kids to baking. Let them decorate to their hearts' desire!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or food processor

Ingredients

Strawberry jam filling

  • ½ pound strawberries, stemmed and hulled
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pop tart dough

  • 2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (228 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 egg

Instructions

Strawberry jam filling

  • In a small pot, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of water over low heat until the strawberries are falling apart and the mixture has thickened. Feel free to smash the berries with a potato masher.
    ½ pound strawberries, stemmed and hulled, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • If you want to remove the seeds, put the jam through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool.

Tart dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
    2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all purpose flour, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Add the butter and mix on low speed 1 to 2 minutes until the pieces are the size of peas.
    1 cup (228 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
  • Crack the egg into the measuring cup used to measure the milk, and whisk to combine. Add this to the mixer bowl and mix on low until the dough just starts to come together.
    ¼ cup milk, 1 egg
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead only until the dough comes together. Divide into two equal amounts, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one for 1 to 2 hours prior to use. The other disk can be placed in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out and stored in the freezer for up to 3 to 6 months.

Assembly

  • When ready to roll and fill the pop tarts, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Roll out the dough on a lightly floured countertop to about ¼ inch thick and use a cookie cutter to cut out hearts or other shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
  • Depending on the size of your cookie cutter, spoon a teaspoon or two of jam into the center of one heart.
  • Dip your finger into a bowl of cold water and gently wet the edges of the heart.
  • Cover with a second heart cut-out, and use a fork or your finger to seal the edges well. Repeat with the remaining cut-outs.
  • If your house is warm and the dough has gotten soft, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes prior to baking.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, until the tops of the pop tarts have turned a golden brown. You may need to rotate your baking sheet halfway through.
  • Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely prior to glazing and decorating, if desired.

Notes

This strawberry heart pop tart recipe uses one half of the batch of tart dough. Freeze the other half for future uses.
To decorate the top of your pop tarts, combine a cup of confectioner’s sugar with a teaspoon or more of lemon juice and any food coloring you choose. Add more lemon juice as needed to get the glaze to a thick but pourable consistency. Add sprinkles!

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 604IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
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