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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!

overhead photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

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.

overhead prep photo of assembling Pop Tarts

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.

overhead prep photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts on baking sheet before baking

pop tarts before baking (above), pop tarts after baking (below)

overhead photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts after baking but without frosting

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!

overhead close up photo of 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.

overhead close up photo of Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts

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?

overhead photo of broken in half Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other homemade versions of childhood favorites? Try some of these.

Healthier Homemade Somoas Cookies

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts

Homemade Vegan Twix Bars

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

Dough

Frosting

US Customary - Metric

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. 
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Oh my gosh! Soo good. Didn’t take long at all & the end result is sooo good. Definitely a keeper! Thank you

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much Jenna!! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xT

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Omg…these are sooo good! Definitely a labor of love, so plan ahead. I don’t have a big enough food processor, so I used my Ninja blender too make the dough, and it came together quickly. When I rolled these out, I accidentally only made 9, but they were full size pop tarts. Teenagers and husband loved them! I’m looking forward to trying some of the other pop tart recipes. Another winner Tieghan!

    Reply

    1. Yay!! Love to hear this, Angela! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment! Have a great Sunday! xT

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I made them round (with a cookie cutter) so I could have a little different look. They are so yummy! I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. Love love love.

    Reply

  4. 4 stars
    I’m still in the process of baking these but I only got about 10 pop-tarts and I cut them even smaller that the 3×4! I rolled the dough out pretty thin but maybe even thinner next time? We will see when they are done but they smell wonderful! And they are very cute too.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jennifer! Hope you loved these pop tarts! Yes, I would say maybe roll the dough out so they’re a little more thin next time and you can get more out of the dough!

      Reply

  5. Can I roll them out, put the filling in and the top layer on then stick in fridge until the next day? Then I would bake and put the frosting on

    Reply

    1. Hi Blake,
      Sure, that should be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xT

      Reply

  6. Love this recipe! Would the dough be okay if I made a day or 2 before rolling out and kept in a ball in the fridge?

    Reply

    1. Hi Jessica,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe!! Yes, the dough will be just fine for a couple days in the fridge:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT

      Reply

  7. Is all purpose flour a 1:1 sub for the whole wheat flour? I wasn’t sure what “or additional all purpose flour” meant. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Kelsey,
      Yes, you can use the whole wheat flour or all purpose flour. I hope this helps, please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

      Reply

    1. Hi Mary Jane,
      Thanks so much!! I love to hear that this recipe was delish and I appreciate you making it! xT

      Reply

  9. I think I may have done something wrong haha. My dough came out way too sticky to handle and use and the ones I did manage to bake came out super crumbly, burnt on the outside, and almost raw. I am gf but I used the gluten free flour that she recommended.

    Reply

    1. Hi Joye,
      Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, so sorry to hear you had some issues! Unfortunately, gf flour isn’t going to give the same results as all purpose flour. It sounds like your dough needed a little more flour, so I would try that next time and then watch them in the oven and reduce the bake time if needed. I hope this helps! xx

      Reply