The BEST Sourdough Pop Tarts Recipe [with 2 flavor options] (2024)

Homemade sourdough pop tarts might just be the best thing you ever make with your sourdough starter, apart from delicious sourdough bread of course! If pop tarts were a part of your childhood that you didn't think you could eat an adult, think again! These are just oh so good, the will loved by people of any age! I am in love with the brown sugar filling, laced with cinnamon and topped with the best cinnamon frosting you've ever tasted ... it's even better the next day when it gets a little hard. So good!!

Using a whopping 200g of sourdough discard or sourdough starter, they are a great way to empty your sourdough discard jar! This recipe uses my easy sourdough pie crust recipe as a base. If you've never made sourdough pie crust before, I highly recommend having a read of that post to get a better feel for working with pastry.

Now if you absolutely love sourdough comfort food (because let's face it, pop tarts just have to be comfort food with all those memories), then make sure you check out this sourdough mac and cheese recipe and this classic sourdough pumpkin pie, which uses the same pie crust.

Why You'll Love This Recipe?

Make The Pop Tarts How You Like Them- Extra frosting? You got it! Strawberry rather than brown sugar cinnamon? Done! Add pecans to your brown sugar cinnamon ... they're yours! This is the joy of homemade pop tarts ... you get to control everything!

You Know What's In Them- These sourdough pop tarts are made with real ingredients, nothing artificial and no nasties! There's no high fructose corn syrup and no colors! For this reason, I let my kids eat more homemade sourdough pop tarts than they probably should!

Flaky Layers- if you've ever worked with sourdough short crust pastry, you'll know about the flaky layers, but if it's your first time, oh you're in for a real treat!!! Pop tarts are not made with puff pastry, but rather a delicious buttery pastry that creates layer upon layer of goodness!

What Are Sourdough Pop Tarts?

Pop-Tarts, those iconic toaster pastries that have become a beloved breakfast and snack staple, originated in the United States in the early 1960s. Pop-Tarts were introduced to the market in 1964 by the Kellogg Company and quickly gained popularity for their convenience and versatility. These rectangular pastries consist of a thin, flaky crust with a sweet filling, encased in a sugary glaze. Pop tarts are not made with puff pastry, but rather a short crust pastry.

Available in an array of flavors ranging from classic fruit options like strawberry and blueberry to indulgent varieties like s'mores and brown sugar cinnamon, Pop Tarts have become synonymous with quick and easy comfort food. They're like little hand pies, wrapped in a foil wrapper.

Originally marketed as a breakfast treat that could be enjoyed straight from the toaster, the appeal of Pop Tarts extended beyond the morning routine. Today, they are cherished as a versatile snack that can be enjoyed toasted, microwaved, or even straight from the package, making them a nostalgic and enduring part of American culinary culture.

Should I Use Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Starter Discard?

The great thing about making sourdough pop tarts (and in fact any recipe with a sourdough pie crust) is that you can choose to use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. Because the pie crust component doesn't actually need any leavening, it makes no difference which one you use. In fact many sourdough discard recipes are like this, and you can use active sourdough starter instead of sourdough discard if you prefer.

If you are curious as to the difference between the two, you might like to check out this post about sourdough discard vs sourdough starter.

How To Make Sourdough Pop Tarts

Making sourdough pop tarts is not difficult, but it is a little time consuming. Your time will be very well rewarded, however, once you bite into the homemade pop tart goodness!

Sourdough Pop Tart Crust

​You can easily make the sourdough pop tart pastry by hand, but you can also use a food processor or Themomix if you prefer.

Add all purpose flour, salt and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir together until well combined. Set aside for now.

Grate the cold butter into a bowl (I've just used a cheese grater). If the butter starts to melt or is very soft once grated, place the bowl into the freezer. This will help to firm the butter up and make the next step much easier. I cannot stress enough how important it is for the butter to be COLD.

Place the cold, grated butter into the bowl with the flour, salt and sugar and use a spatula, pastry cutter or simply your finger tips to coat the butter in the flour. You want the butter to stay cold, so try to touch it as little as you can.

Now, add the sourdough starter or discard and vinegar and bring the mixture into a dry, shaggy dough. It's best just to use your hands to squeeze the pastry dough together. It will be a rough, dry dough.

If the dough really isn't coming together at all, add a little iced water until you are able to bring it together.

Tip the rough dough out onto the counter, divide the dough into two pieces and bring each piece into a rough ball. Wrap each ball of pastry dough in parchment paper and squash it down into a disc shape. Wrap each disc in cling wrap and place both discs into the fridge.

If you prefer to just refrigerate as one ball, that's fine too. You can just divide the pastry into two pieces when you want to roll it out.

Leave the dough a minimum of one hour to fully hydrate and become cold. You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours before you use it.

Making the Sourdough Pop Tarts

Before you start, mix the ingredients for the fillings together:

Brown Sugar Cinnamon- combine the ingredients together and mix until well combined. It will be a sandy texture when ready.

Strawberry- mix the corn starch and strawberry jam until you can't see the corn starch (the jam will be a little cloudy).

Using a rolling pin, roll out one disc of pastry until it's around 3mm or ⅛" thick. You want to create 12 rectangles from this dough (I've made my rectangles around 8cm x 12cm (3" x 5") - you can make your bigger or smaller if you prefer). To cut the rectangles, I used a ruler to measure them out (so they're all uniform) and a metal dough scraper to cut the dough. A pizza cutter is also a really handy tool to cut the pastry if you have one.

Once you've cut the 12 rectangles out, lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (it's ok to use a few trays, this is especially good if you are making 2 different fillings). Now if you don't want a rectangular shape, you can of course make your sourdough pop tarts round or whatever shape you prefer.

Egg wash each of the rectangles (you want egg wash on the whole rectangle, not just the edges.

Add your filling, ensuring you keep it in the middle. You'll want around a tablespoon of filling for each pop tart. You don't want to overfill them as the filling will leak out.

Now roll out the other disc of dough and cut another 12 rectangles, exactly the same size as the bases. Lay a rectangle of dough onto each base, gently sealing them together with your fingers.

Now use a fork to crimp the edges and seal the pastry edges. Pop a few holes in the top of each pop tart using your fork to ensure the topping doesn't burst out.

Egg wash the top of each pop tart.

Bake the sourdough pop tarts at 200C (390F) for around 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

When the pop tarts are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for around 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Pop Tart Frosting

While the pop tarts are cooling, mix together the ingredients for the frosting. Whether you're making both types of frosting or just one, all you need to do is combine the ingredients listed until the frosting is smooth. Make sure there are no lumps of powdered sugar in the mixture.

Once the pop tarts have cooled, spread each one with as much frosting as you like. Leave them for around an hour to allow the frosting to set and enjoy!

Flavor Variations for Sourdough Pop Tarts

There's really no limit to the flavors you can create with sourdough pop tarts. I can honestly say that brown cinnamon sugar is my absolute favorite! But these ideas might also take your fancy!

Lemon Curd - Use lemon curd inside your pop tarts and then top with a zesty frosting infused with lemon zest. These are absolutely delicious and make a zesty, fruity homemade sourdough pop tart that you'll love!

Spiced Pumpkin Bliss - Embrace the fall vibes with a spiced pumpkin filling. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of cloves to the pumpkin puree for a warm and comforting flavor profile that pairs beautifully with the sourdough crust. Use the cinnamon frosting from the brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts for a delicious fall inspired sourdough pop tart treat.

Nutella Pop Tarts - Fill your homemade sourdough pie crust with nutella and top them with chopped hazelnuts or chocolate frosting.

Apple Pie Pop Tarts - use apple sauce mixed with a little brown sugar and cinnamon to fill your sourdough pop tart crust. Top with cinnamon frosting from the brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts.

Blueberry Pop Tarts - fill the pop tart crusts with blueberry jam mixed with corn starch (prepared in the same way as the strawberry jam filling). Prepare the frosting in the same way as the strawberry frosting, but use blueberry jam instead.

Savory Spinach and Feta Surprise - Challenge the sweet norm by experimenting with a savory filling. Sautéed spinach and crumbled feta make for a sophisticated, palate-pleasing option that transforms the concept of a Pop Tart into a savory delight.

How To Freeze and Store Sourdough Pop Tarts

Just like my homemade pie crust with sourdough starter, these sourdough pop tarts freeze really well. It's up to you whether you frost them or not before freezing. I've tested both frosted and un frosted and have found both versions freeze and store equally as well. I wrap individual pop tarts in aluminum foil and then put all of them together in a zip loc bag. This makes for easy snacking.

Allow them to thaw at room temperature if you have time. If you don't, you can zap them in the microwave or warm them gently in the oven.