Flaky pastry and warm cinnamon-spiced apples come together in these cinnamon apple pop tarts—a perfect fall treat. A quick homemade pastry creates a tender, flaky shell while a stovetop apple filling of fresh apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter becomes lusciously gooey. Each pop tart is finished with a simple vanilla glaze and a dusting of cinnamon for extra warmth and aroma.
Cinnamon, apples and flaky pie crust—ingredients that instantly evoke cozy autumn mornings. These homemade pop tarts capture that nostalgia with an easy pastry dough and a quick stovetop apple filling. If you’re short on time, store-bought pie crust will work, but the homemade dough yields a flakier, more satisfying result.
Easy pastry crust
This pastry is straightforward and faster with a food processor, though it can be made by hand with a pastry cutter or two forks. Combine flour, sugar and salt, then cut in cold, cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter. Add ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to come together.
Keeping the butter and water cold is the key: cold butter creates pockets of steam during baking that make the crust flaky. Once the dough holds together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two equal discs, wrap them, and chill. That’s your pastry ready to roll.
Tips for making the dough
- Cold butter and water: Cold ingredients keep the butter from melting, preserving those flaky layers. Chill cut pastry while you work to prevent warming.
- Avoid over-mixing: Leave small, pea-sized pieces of butter in the dough. Those bits melt in the oven and create steam, which makes the crust tender and flaky.
How to shape the pop tart dough
Roll one chilled disc into a rough rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, roughly 13 x 11 inches. Trim about an inch from each edge to create a clean 12 x 10 rectangle. Cut this into eight 3 x 5-inch rectangles by slicing once lengthwise and four times across. A pizza cutter gives straight, smooth edges.
Place the rectangles on a parchment-lined sheet pan and chill while you roll and cut the second disc. You can layer the second set on parchment and place it on top of the first set in the refrigerator to save space.
How to fill the pop tarts
Let the apple filling cool slightly before assembling. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each bottom rectangle, spreading it to within about 1/2 inch of the edges so it won’t overflow while baking. Top each filled rectangle with a second piece of dough, press the edges lightly with your fingers to seal, then crimp all around with the back of a fork. Pierce the tops a few times to allow steam to escape.
Brush the tops with an egg wash (one beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon of water) for a golden finish. Chill the assembled pop tarts in the freezer for 15 minutes or the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking—this firms the butter and prevents excessive spreading.
Freezing or refrigerating the assembled pop tarts helps the butter firm up so the dough won’t spread as much in the oven, preserving a flaky texture.
You can warm an unglazed pop tart in a toaster, but avoid toasting glazed pop tarts to prevent a mess. A toaster oven works well for reheating, though the glaze may soften slightly.
Easy vanilla (or cinnamon) glaze
The glaze is a simple mix of powdered sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt and milk. Start with about 2 tablespoons of milk and add by the teaspoon until the glaze reaches a pourable consistency. For a cinnamon-forward glaze and a pale brown color, stir in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Spoon roughly 1 tablespoon of glaze on each cooled pop tart and use the back of the spoon to spread it. If you prefer a lighter coating, halve the glaze recipe and drizzle instead of spreading.
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Cinnamon Apple Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (224 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 6–8 tbsp (90–120 grams) ice cold water
Cinnamon Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples (about 360 grams), peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (≈2 cups)
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water (for cornstarch slurry)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (any kind)
Instructions
Dough
- In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
- With the processor running, add 6 tablespoons ice-cold water and process until the dough begins to form a ball. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface, shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Apple Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, lemon juice and salt.
- Cook, stirring, until the butter and sugar melt and the apples soften, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water, add to the apples, and simmer for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool at least 15 minutes.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Roll one chilled dough disc into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick and 13 x 11 inches. Trim to 12 x 10 inches, then cut into eight 3 x 5-inch rectangles.
- Place rectangles on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you roll the second disc.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cooled apple filling onto each bottom rectangle, keeping filling about 1/2 inch from the edges.
- Top with the remaining rectangles, seal edges with your fingers and crimp with a fork. Pierce the tops a few times to vent.
- Freeze assembled pop tarts for 15 minutes or refrigerate 30 minutes. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and brush tops with the egg wash.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely before glazing.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of glaze onto each cooled pop tart and spread with the back of a spoon. Let glaze set before serving.
Glaze
- Whisk powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth and pourable. Adjust with additional milk or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. If desired, add 1/2–1 teaspoon cinnamon for a brown cinnamon glaze.
Notes
- Freezing or refrigerating the assembled, unbaked pop tarts helps prevent excessive spreading and maintains a flaky crust.
- For a lighter glaze, halve the glaze recipe and drizzle instead of spreading.
- Store baked pop tarts in a covered container at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Any apple variety works: Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady or even Granny Smith, depending on your preferred balance of sweet and tart.