Apple Pop Tarts
There’s nothing quite like a batch of warm Apple Pop Tarts made completely from scratch. These cozy homemade pastries combine a buttery, flaky pie crust with a sweet cinnamon-spiced apple filling and a simple cinnamon glaze on top.
They have all the nostalgic charm of the classic toaster pastry, but with the flavor and texture of homemade apple pie. Make the pastry from scratch for the full experience, or use store-bought pie crust when you want a shortcut. Either way, these Apple Pop Tarts are perfect for fall breakfasts, brunch, or an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love apple pie but want something a little more fun and portable, these homemade Pop-Tarts are the perfect solution. Each pastry has plenty of buttery crust, tender spiced apples, and sweet cinnamon glaze in every bite.
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- Flaky, buttery pastry: Homemade pie crust gives these pop tarts an incredibly tender, flaky texture.
- Real apple filling: Fresh apples are cooked with brown sugar and warm spices instead of using canned pie filling.
- Perfect for fall: Cinnamon, nutmeg, apples, and buttery pastry make these such a cozy autumn bake.
- Easy to customize: Use homemade pie crust, tart crust, puff pastry, or even store-bought dough.
- Make-ahead friendly: Both the pastry and apple filling can be prepared in advance.
- Better than store-bought: They have all the nostalgia of a pop tart with the flavor of freshly baked apple pie.
If you’re craving even more cozy apple desserts, my Apple Pie Cookies are another fun way to turn classic apple pie flavors into an individual treat.
What Pastry Should I Use?
For the pastry, you can use this tart crust recipe, which will give the pop tarts a more cookie-like texture. For a flakier bite that resembles classic pop tarts, use this easy pie crust recipe. Homemade pastry tastes the best but store-bought works well. If you want the flakiest bake of all, use puff pastry, though it won’t resemble the classic pop tart texture as much.
If you’re new to making puff pastry, I definitely recommend you check out this guide!
All of these recipes utilize flour, cold butter, and cold water. Or for a simpler option, use store-bought puff pastry dough.
Key Ingredients
The ingredient list is fairly simple, but a few components make a big difference in the flavor and texture of these homemade Apple Pop Tarts.
Apples – Use a firm baking apple that will soften without turning mushy. Granny Smith and Pink Lady are both great choices because they hold their shape and balance the sweetness of the filling.
Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and a deeper caramel flavor to the apple filling.
Cinnamon & Nutmeg – These warm spices give the filling that classic apple pie flavor.
Lemon Juice – Brightens the apples and balances the sweetness.
Cornstarch – Thickens the juices released by the apples so the filling stays inside the pastry instead of leaking out.
How to Make Apple Pop Tarts
This recipe can be a bit complex, so I’ll walk you through it step by step!
Make the Apple Cinnamon Filling
The filling is essentially a thick, concentrated apple pie filling. Cooking the apples before assembling the pop tarts ensures they’re tender and flavorful without releasing too much moisture inside the pastry.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
Cook the Filling
Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples have softened and begun releasing their juices.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with cold water until completely smooth. Pour the slurry into the apples and continue cooking until the liquid thickens and coats the fruit.
The filling should be thick enough that it won’t run out of the pastry. If it’s too thick, add a small splash of water. If it’s still too loose, add a little more cornstarch mixed with cold water.
Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool completely before assembling the pop tarts. Warm apple filling will soften the butter in the pastry and make the dough much harder to work with.
If a big, creamy fall dessert is more your style, my Apple Crumble Cheesecake is another favorite way to pair cinnamon-spiced apples with a buttery crumble.
Roll & Cut the Pastry
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of chilled dough to approximately â…›-inch thick.
Trim the dough into a large rectangle, then cut it into approximately 3×4-inch rectangles. Repeat with the remaining pastry.
Arrange half of the rectangles on your prepared baking sheet.
Fill the Pop Tarts
Lightly brush the edges of each bottom rectangle with egg wash. Spoon approximately 1½ to 2 tablespoons of cooled apple filling into the center, leaving a border around the edges.
Be careful not to overfill them. As tempting as it is to squeeze in more apples, too much filling makes the pastries difficult to seal and increases the chance they’ll leak in the oven.
Place another pastry rectangle over each filled piece. Gently press around the filling to remove large pockets of air, then press the edges together. Use the tines of a fork to crimp around the perimeter and create a tight seal.
Prick the tops of the pastries with a fork to create small steam vents and brush each pop tart lightly with egg wash.
If the dough has become noticeably soft or warm during assembly, refrigerate the entire baking sheet for about 10 minutes before baking. Keeping the butter cold is one of the secrets to flaky pastry.
Bake
Bake the Apple Pop Tarts for 22 to 28 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and beautifully golden brown.
Transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before adding the glaze.
Make the Cinnamon Glaze
The cinnamon glaze is simple, but it really completes the nostalgic pop tart experience.
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk or cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until smooth.
The glaze should be thick enough to stay on top of the pastry but thin enough to spread easily. Add additional milk a tiny amount at a time, if necessary.
Drizzle and Serve!
Spread or drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled pop tarts. Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon before the glaze sets.
You could also skip the cinnamon glaze and use my Cream Cheese Frosting instead. The tangy cream cheese is especially delicious with the sweet apple filling.
Expert Tips for the Best Apple Pop Tarts
Homemade pop tarts aren’t difficult, but treating the pastry correctly will give you much flakier, neater results. Here are a few things to keep in mind while making them.
- Cool the apple filling completely. Warm filling will soften the pastry and make assembly difficult.
- Keep your dough cold. If it starts feeling soft or sticky, refrigerate it for about 10 minutes before continuing.
- Don’t overfill the pastries. About 1½ to 2 tablespoons of filling is plenty for each pop tart.
- Seal the edges thoroughly. Egg wash and a good crimp with a fork help prevent the filling from escaping.
- Vent the tops. A few small holes allow steam to escape as the apples heat up.
- Glaze only after cooling. If the pastries are still warm, the glaze will melt and run off.
- Trim for extra-neat edges. After sealing, use a pastry wheel or sharp knife to straighten the edges before baking.
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
I especially like Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples for this recipe because they hold their shape well during cooking and provide enough tartness to balance the brown sugar and glaze.
Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or another firm baking apple would also work beautifully. You can even combine a tart apple with a sweeter variety to create a more complex apple flavor.
The most important thing is choosing an apple that won’t completely break down as it cooks.
Variations
Once you’ve made the classic cinnamon-apple version, there are plenty of easy ways to put your own spin on these homemade pop tarts.
- Add cardamom, allspice, or cloves to the filling for even more warm spice.
- Replace half of the apples with pears.
- Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the apple filling.
- Swap the cinnamon glaze for a maple glaze.
- Use cream cheese frosting for a richer finish.
- Sprinkle coarse sugar over the egg wash and skip the glaze entirely for a simpler pastry.
Storage and Freezing
These Apple Pop Tarts are at their absolute best fresh, but they store well enough that you can easily make a batch ahead of time.
Keep the baked pop tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 1 month. Place parchment paper between the pastries and store them in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
For the best texture, warm leftover pop tarts in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 300°F for about 5 minutes. I don’t recommend microwaving them because it tends to make the pastry soft rather than crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If using homemade easy pie crust, make it the day before and keep it wrapped in the fridge. It will roll out beautifully when chilled.
Absolutely. Store-bought pie dough works very well, and puff pastry gives an extra flaky texture, though it won’t have the same pop tart look.
Granny smith or pink lady work beautifully for this recipe, but really any will do the trick!
Yes, cooking the apples first ensures they’re soft, spiced, and thickened so they don’t release excess liquid into the pastry.
Most often it’s because they were overfilled or the edges of the dough weren’t sealed properly. Be sure to press firmly with a fork around the edges.
Pop them in a toaster oven or warm them in the oven at 300°F for about 5 minutes. Avoid microwaving, which makes the pastry soft instead of crisp.
More Cozy Recipes to Try
If you loved these cinnamon-apple pop tarts, you’ll also enjoy some of my other cozy bakes. Try my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread for another fall favorite, or whip up a batch of my flaky Strawberry Puff Pastry Braid for a fruity twist. And of course, if you want to stick to more apple recipes try out Apple Pie Cookies and Apple Crumble Cheesecake.
I can’t wait for you to try these cozy cinnamon-apple pop tarts! If you bake a batch, be sure to snap a photo and share it on Instagram — tag me so I can see your beautiful creations and cheer you on in the kitchen.
Apple Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Pastry
- tart dough makes a more cookie-like pop-tart
- or pie crust makes a flaky pop tart
- or puff pastry makes a very flaky & delicate pop tart
Apple-Cinnamon Filling
- 1½ cups finely chopped apples about 2 apples, 300g
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed 110g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- â…› tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ tbsp water
Egg Wash
- 1 egg beaten
Glaze
- 1½ cup powdered sugar 187 g
- 2-3 tbsp milk or cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon plus more for dusting
Instructions
Pastry
- Use storebought puff pastry/pie crust or prepare the pastry as needed. If making any of the homemade recipes, you will want to prepare it a few hours, or the day before you plan to assemble the pop tarts.
Prepare the Apple-Cinnamon Filling
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter, apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and salt. Cook and stir until the apples soften and release juices (about 8–10 minutes).
- Mix the cornstarch with the water and add to the pan. It should become a thick mixture. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out, and if it’s not thick enough, dissolve another ½ to 1 tsp of cornstarch in just 1 tsp of water and add it back to the pan.
- Remove from heat and cool completely before using. You can also make this the day before. Don’t use it while warm.
Assembling the Pop Tarts
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Roll out one disc of dough to about ⅛-inch thick. Trim to a rectangle, then cut into 3×4-inch rectangles.
- Place half of the rectangles on the baking sheet. Brush edges gently with egg wash.
- Spoon 1 ½–2 tbsp apple filling into the center of each.
- Top the filling with the remaining pastry rectangles. Press edges with a fork to seal. Prick tops with a fork for steam vents.
- Brush tops lightly with egg wash.
- Bake 22–28 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Glaze
- Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth and pourable.
- Spread or drizzle over cooled pop tarts. Dust with a little cinnamon before the glaze sets.