Pop tarts are so fun and nostalgic. However, nothing beats when they are homemade. The crust is more tender, they have larger amounts of filling, and the glaze is full of flavor. These heart-shaped sweetheart poptarts are the perfect pastry to add to a Valentines breakfast or treat board. Filled with strawberry jam, topped with a light vanilla glaze, they are so simple and delicious. They store well for several days and even freeze well!
They seriously could not be more simple! A quick assembly, bake them, and ice them. It is a great recipe for kids to help with as well! Some of our other favorite valentines day treats are white chocolate raspberry scones and strawberry vanilla muffins.
Ingredients
Pie dough – I love making these with sourdough pie dough. The flavor is better and then I know the ingredients that are in it, not to mention the gut benefits. But any store-bought pie dough will work just as well!
Strawberry jam – I do love the pink color that comes from strawberries, especially if it is for Valentines Day. I used organic strawberry jam. You can easily use homemade if preferred!
Flour – This is just to keep the pie dough from sticking to the counter and rolling pin and make it easier to handle.
Egg – I like to whisk it with a pinch of salt and a little water for the perfect egg wash that isn’t too clumpy.
Powdered sugar – This is the base for the glaze.
Milk – I like to use whole milk but any milk or even water can be substituted.
Vanilla extract – This adds an extra layer of flavor to the glaze, enhancing the sweetness of the jam.
Tools
Rolling pin
Heart shaped cookie cutter– The one I used was3 1/2 inches across and 3 inches tall. You can use whatever size or shape that works best for you!
Pastry brush – This helps to create an even layer of egg wash across the top. A clean finger or cloth can also be used in a pinch, but trust me, the brush is easier.
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Bowl – I love this set because the little ones are perfect for small amounts of things like egg wash or jam.
Let’s bake some sweetheart poptarts!
Prep
Make egg wash by mixing an egg with a pinch of salt and a tsp of water until combined. Set aside.
Dust a clean work surface with flour.
Remove pie dough from the fridge and allow it to warm up for five minutes.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until it is smooth. Set aside.
Assembly
Turn the dough out onto the counter and dust both sides with flour.
Roll out the dough thinly and evenly. No thicker than 1/4 inch and no thinner than 1/8 inch thick. Too thick and the flavor will overwhelm the jam. Too thin and the dough will tear, or the bubbling jelly will leak out.
Dip the cookie cutter in flour and cut out the hearts as close together as possible.
Ensure you have an even number of hearts. Half will be the tops, and the other half will be the bases of the pop tarts.
Brush half of the hearts with a thin layer of egg wash. I like to work with six pop tarts at a time and bake them six to a sheet tray.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of jam onto the center of each egg washed heart. Keep the jam in the middle and keep it off the boarder of the heart. The top will stick better if there isn’t any jam in the way when it is sealed. The jam can be spread into a heart shape if desired.
Place the other heart on top and press the edges together with your fingers. Once they are all sealed, take a fork and press it along the outside to add lines for the boarder. This also ensures they are sealed.
Transfer them to a parchment lined sheet tray and egg wash.
Baking
Bake for ten minutes.
Rotate the pan and bake for another five minutes.
If they leak at all that is ok. There will be less jam inside, but it happens sometimes and that is nothing to worry about.
The tops should be a beautiful golden brown and the pie dough should have puffed up.
Decorating
Once the sweetheart poptarts have fully cooled they can be iced. If they are still warm, the icing will run off them which changes the appearance.
Take one teaspoon of icing and place it in the center of the heart. With a clean spoon or a knife, smooth the icing over the top.
Before the icing dries it can be sprinkled with sprinkles, edible gold glitter, or drizzled with other colored icing.
To make them even cuter and more valentine themed, write little conversation heart messages on them. “Be mine”, “love you”, “cutie”, and so on. Have fun with the decorations and get creative! A drop of natural red food coloring or beet juice can also be added to get a romantic light pink icing!
Tips for success
Pie dough
If working with kiddos or distractions, take only one part of the dough out at a time. When the dough is a little bit cold and stiff, it is easier to work with. When the dough gets really soft it stretches easier which can make the heart shapes a bit wonky.
Sealing them
Once the poptarts are cut out and filled, and the top piece of pie dough placed on, make sure to seal them very well with the tips of your fingers. This is what really seals them shut and keeps the jam from leaking out. The lines made with the fork are more for decoration and a backup just in case.
Icing
Make sure the sweetheart poptarts are completely cooled before adding icing. The warmth will cause the glaze to melt and drip off the pastry.
Substitutions
Jam
Any flavor of Jam can be used. Raspberry is another family favorite! I do recommend a jam though and not a jelly. Jam is when there is still fruit in the mixture, jelly is usually made from juice. Jelly tends to leak out more than the jam since it is thinner when warm.
Pie dough
Puff pastry can be used but this will be a lot less like a poptart and be more similar to a Danish or toaster strudel. Pie dough is what has worked best for me.
Storing
Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days.
Can you freeze sweetheart poptarts?
These can be frozen! After baking and cooling, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place into a freezer bag or place into a glass freezer container. Freeze for up to six months. To thaw, unwrap and plate on a plate to come to room temperature or bake at 350 for 5 minutes.
It is best to ice them after thawing since the icing can get runny after being frozen.
Sweetheart Poptarts
These are simple to make, stunning, and delicious. Combine a sweet strawberry jam, light vanilla glaze, and flakey pie dough and you get the perfect treat. They freeze well too!
Ingredients
Pastry
- Pie dough (enough for two pie crusts)
- 1 C. - 1 1/2 C. Strawberry jam
- 1/2 C. Flour for dusting
- 1 Egg
Icing
- 1 1/2 C. Powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Milk
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Take the pie dough from the fridge and allow it to soften for five minutes at room temperature.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Dust both sides of the dough with flour.
- Roll out the dough to about 1/6 of an inch. No thicker than 1/4 inch and no thinner than 1/8.
- Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts as close together as possible. Repeat with the other part of the pie dough.
- Combine all the scraps and reroll them, cutting out more hearts. Repeat this until the dough is all used up.
- Working twelve hearts at a time, brush six of them with egg wash. These will form the bottom of the poptart.
- Place 1 Tbsp. of jam into the center of each egg washed heart, leaving a small boarder free of jam to seal them.
- Place heart over the top and gently seal the edges, keeping the jam inside and not squishing it down. The top dough can be stretched before placing if desired.
- With a fork, crimp the edges to add decoration and seal them again.
- Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and egg wash the tops.
- Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 5.
- Allow to completely cool before icing.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and a few drops of vanilla together until smooth.
- Scoop 1 tsp. of icing onto a heart and spread it with a spoon or a knife. Add sprinkles if desired.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days. See notes for freezing instructions.
- Enjoy!
Notes
To freeze bake them as normal, but do not ice them. Allow them to cool completely then wrap them in plastic wrap and place them into a freezer bag, or a glass freezer contianer. Store them for up to six motnhs in the freezer. When ready to thaw unwrap them and place on a plate at room temperature or bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes. Ice after they have cooled.
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