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(Better than store-bought) Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts. Easy homemade brown sugar cinnamon filling, stuffed between two layers of cinnamon dough, baked until toasted, and finished with a sweet vanilla and cinnamon frosting. These brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts are flaky, perfectly sweet, and heavy on the cinnamon. Finish each mini tart with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar or pretzel salt for an added layer of deliciousness. Every bite is roll your eyes back good!
After sharing my homemade chocolate fudge pop tarts a couple of weeks ago, we received so many messages and comments. so many of them were requests for a homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. I had no idea that the cinnamon flavor is apparently everyone’s favorite. Growing up, I always ate the chocolate flavor. It just never occurred to me that you all might actually LOVE the brown sugar pop tarts more.
Well, I heard your requests loud and clear. Today we have homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. And honestly? These really are SO GOOD. Yes, I will forever love the chocolate fudge pop tarts, but I have to admit, I think I missed out on these cinnamon tarts as a kid. The crust is flaky and buttery, the filling is sweet and heavy on the cinnamon…with just a hint of butter, and the frosting is that final layer that completes these little mini tarts.
Admittedly I hesitated to share this recipe so soon after the chocolate tarts. But with everyone baking up a storm right now I figured, why not? These are fun to bake if you’re home with your kids or just need a random Tuesday afternoon project. And most importantly? They’re delicious.
Here are the steps…
These pop tarts are simple. Even simpler than the chocolate fudge pop tarts because the filling is quicker to mix up. This filling doesn’t require any cooking or any time in the fridge to chill. It’s a very simple mix of brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter, and vanilla. That’s it, just mix and done.
Once the filling has been mixed, make the dough. I really wanted these pop tarts to be as authentic as possible to the ones from the box…but taste better (of course). But I also didn’t want to use just plain old dough. The boxed tarts have a crust that’s similar to a graham cracker, so I wanted to mimic that look and flavor. To do this use, I use a mix of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon. The whole wheat flour adds a little more crumb and a little more color to the dough. The cinnamon adds flavor.
pop tarts before baking (above), pop tarts after baking (below)
The result? It took a few trials, but I think I got them pretty darn close to the classic look…but with a better taste, thanks to using real ingredients.
I like using the food processor to easily mix the dough, but you can simply use your hands as well.
Roll the dough out and cut into rectangles. Use the back of a spoon to spread the filling over half of the rectangles, leaving a small border around the edge of the dough. At this point, you’ll want to brush the borders of the rectangles with the egg. Using the beaten egg ensures that all of the filling stays inside of the pop tarts while they bake. Add the top piece of dough to enclose the filling. Then use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges around the tarts. This seals all that yummy filling inside.
Bake the pop tarts up, and twenty minutes later you’ll have the smell of warm cinnamon wafting in the air. You’ll also have the most delicious homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts!
While the pop tarts cool…
Make the frosting, which is key. It’s a pretty quick mix up of powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Nothing fancy, but it’s a mix of very delicious (sweet) things.
Spread the frosting over each tart. Then let the pop tarts hang out for a bit to give the frosting some time to harden. And that’s pretty much it. Could not be simpler, and the end result is roll your eyes back good.
The real question? Do they taste like the original Pop Tarts?
Well, I don’t know for sure. It’s been a while since I had my last pop tart, but they do taste really, really good. You can really taste the real brown sugar and cinnamon with undertone flavors of vanilla and sweet butter. The crust is flaky and the center filling is soft and gooey.
And everyone’s second question…can you put these in the toaster? I wish I could say yes, but no, I would not recommend it. If you leave the frosting off of the pop tarts, then yes, you can easily toast these in the toaster and enjoy them warm, which I’m sure would be delicious.
And guys? That’s all I have for you. If you take away one thing from the blog post, let it be that these pop tarts are DELISH. So much better than the boxed stuff from the store.
Added bonus? Every single ingredient is a pantry staple. Meaning you have zero excuses to not bake these up today. Tuesday pop tarts anyone?
Looking for other homemade versions of childhood favorites? Try some of these.
Healthier Homemade Somoas Cookies
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make these homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!x
Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Servings: 16 pop tarts
Calories Per Serving: 310 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 sticks (1 cup) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 egg beaten, for brushing
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling could also use coarse salt - both are optional
Instructions
- 1. To make the filling. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. 2. To make the dough. In a food processor, combine the flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to form pea-size balls. Add 1/2 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together and forms a ball. If the dough feels dry, add 1-2 tablespoons additional water.3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll out into a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangles, about 4 x 3 inches. Place a rounded tablespoon of the brown sugar filling on one half of the rectangles, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Lay the other half of the dough over the filling and seal the edges by crimping with the back of a fork. Repeat until you've used all the dough.4. Place the pop tarts on parchment-lined baking sheets. Poke a few holes on top of the tarts with a fork. Cover the baking sheets and place in the fridge for 1 hour or the freezer for 20 minutes.5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the pop tarts for 15-20 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before frosting.6. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. If your frosting is too thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons additional water.7. Spoon a thin layer of the frosting on top of the cooled pop-tarts. Place on a baking sheet and allow the pop tarts to harden, uncovered for about 2 hours. Sprinkle with salt or sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
If you don't have a Food Processor: You can use use you fingers to mix the butter with the flour until the butter is pea sized. Slowly drizzle in the cold water as directed.
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Delightful! I swapped spelt flour for whole wheat. Dough was flaky and the filling is divine!
Thank you Jill!! xTieghan
These were a huge hit. But i did have a couple issues. Do not try to make them if your house runs warm. I had to keep putting dough in the freezer. I will definitely make them again once the weather cools off. Second, we hated the glaze. I am not sure why but I tasted it and my daughter tasted it and we both decided it was best not to use it. A huge bonus is that these are delicious without the glaze. Everyone agreed no need for glaze.
Hi Jamie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Hey! I baked these and I love it, but I was wondering if you needed to bake them for say a party, could you refrigerate them before baking overnight and then just bake and frost them in the morning? If so,how would you do that?
Hi Emma,
So glad you have enjoyed this recipe! Yes, I would just assemble and prepare the day before, refrigerate, and then bake in the morning. I hope this helps! xTieghan
These are amazing!! I was thinking about making “mini” ones (say 2 by 1.5 inch) for a bridal shower I have coming up. Do you think I would need to adjust baking time or temperature?
Hi Abigail,
Love this idea! I would reduce the baking time by 10-15 minutes. Enjoy! xTieghan
These are to die for!! I made them with blueberry jam and they turned out perfectly. Thanks a bunch!!
Thank you May! xTieghan
These are absolutely delicious!!! I made them earlier today for my family and they couldn’t stop raving about how delicious they were!! My dad was blown away by them and said not to change a thing, they were perfect! And that’s saying something because he’s hardly ever ‘wowed’ by a recipe. Tieghan, you’ve truly outdone yourself. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! I’m going to make these again for my dad as a Father’s Day treat 🙂
Thank you so much Kels! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Sorry first post was not complete!!!
I love this recipe, very good! I did follow others and double to feeling.
One thing I did change was to the glaze. Powdered sugar glaze is so sweet to my taste so I added about a tablespoon of salted butter to cream it up and give it a little bit of saltiness
Very good! I followed others and doubled the filling. One thing I didn’t change was to the frosting… powder sugar glaze is so sweet to me so I added 1 tablespoon “ish”. It helps cream it up and tone down the sweetness.
Thank you Raelynn! I am really glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
This recipe is awesome and they turned out perfect!
Thank you so much Emma! xTieghan
Hi! What Food processor do you use? Interested in buying one for awhile but want to get a good one! Thanks!
Hi Molly,
Here is the link to my food processor! https://rstyle.me/+3vXL3hYgnoOUhSsI7tuEmg
xTieghan
I CANNOT WAIT to make these Tieghan! Completely one of the top nostalgic childhood foods for me. I even remember not wanting to wait to get home with my dad from the grocery store with the brand ones in one of our bags, so would rambunctiously dig through each grocery bag in the back seat to tear a pack open and devour them just as they were! Thank you so much for these kind of posts- I’ve definitely been reminiscing so much lately and have been wanting to make a lot of old school treats!! Be safe & well!❤️❤️
haha aw what a cute memory! I hope these turn out amazing for you, Gia!! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi!! Soooo excited to try this recipe. I was curious if you had any suggestions for an alternative to using the egg to seal the edges?
Hi Kendra,
You can use some melted butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just made these. Absolutely delicious. My only comment would be that the pop tarts were so flaky, that when I bit into one, it pretty much fell apart. That didn’t affect the taste! Just hard to hold onto. I’m wondering if my butter wasn’t cold enough. But thanks for a delicious recipe!!
Hi Peter! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
So good! I’ve only recently discovered your recipes, and our family loves them! Cute idea: I used a large mason jar lid to cut circles, and they made adorable little pop tart pies. Thank you, I can’t wait to give these to the kids when they get home!
Aw that is so cute!! I bet they will be so excited! Thank you Julie! xTieghan
If you were going to freeze these would you do it before or after baking them?
Hi Emily,
I would do it before baking them. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan