Apple Cider Pop Tarts With Homemade Glaze
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Remember the satisfaction of biting into a hot Pop-Tart® right out of the toaster? You tried to hold it just right, so you wouldn’t burn your fingertips on the edges. But a little sting was a fair price to pay to get to the good stuff — the sweet filling — as fast as possible.
Get all that magic — and more — with a homemade version. Our apple cider pop tarts celebrate all the joys of the original but add on delicious, made-from-scratch flavor.
Growing up, everyone had a fan favorite Pop-Tart®. Whether you swore by brown sugar cinnamon, frosted cherry or chocolate fudge, you’ll love our grown-up take on this classic. A fall-spiced apple jam filling is encased in a buttery, flaky homemade pie dough, and topped with an apple cider glaze. Not your average childhood treat, right?
These apple cider pop tarts might take a little longer to make than the store-bought version, but the extra time is worth it.
Why make homemade pop tarts:
Feed a crowd.
These single-serving apple cider pop tarts are meant to be shared with a group. Bake up a batch for breakfast to feed the family or bring to a fall party or potluck.
Easy to serve.
Eat them warm, cold, with a fork or go hands-in. They’re delicious any way you enjoy them!
Perfect paired with a good beverage.
Enjoy these apple cider pop tarts with a tall glass of milk, a hot cup of coffee with cream, or a mug of rich, hot chocolate.
Decorate them for fall.
For a fun and festive twist, use an apple- or leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the pie dough instead of a circle.
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Apple Cider Pop Tarts with Homemade Glaze
Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes
Impresses: 8
Ingredients
For the apple jam filling:
2 cups apples (Honeycrisp, Fiji or gala), chopped
2 cups apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the pie dough:
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3–4 tablespoons cold water
For the egg wash:
1 egg, whisked
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons apple cider
Cinnamon, for dusting
Method
For the apple jam filling:
In a small pot, combine chopped apples, apple cider, cinnamon sticks, dark brown sugar, nutmeg and cloves, and mix to combine. Cook over medium heat 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples completely soften and can be mashed with a potato masher.
Keep cooking the jam another 15–20 minutes, or until it thickens. Mix water and cornstarch, and pour into the pot, stirring to combine. Cook the jam 1–2 minutes longer, until it looks very thick. Transfer to a bowl, remove cinnamon sticks and set it aside to cool completely before using.
For the pie dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, salt, sugar and cold, cubed butter on low with the paddle until it looks like cornmeal, about 2–3 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add ice-cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough starts to clump together. You may not need all the water. The dough should feel soft, but not sticky. Press the dough into a round slab and wrap it in plastic wrap. Roll a rolling pin over the dough a few times to evenly flatten it, and then place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
To assemble the pastries:
Lightly flour your work surface and the slab of pie dough. Let the dough sit 3–5 minutes to soften slightly and make it easier to roll out. Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness.
Use a 3-inch round cutter (or shaped cookie cutter of choice) to cut out 16 rounds of dough. You will need to rework the dough 1–2 times to get all the rounds. Place the cut dough rounds on a parchment paper-lined baking tray (with parchment paper between layers), and chill in the freezer 15 minutes. Then, brush half the rounds with egg wash.
Scoop a slightly heaping tablespoon of apple jam filling onto the center of ½ the dough rounds. Place the other ½ of the dough rounds on top of each filled ½, pressing around the edges of the filling to seal. Then, use a fork to press straight down into the dough along the border to seal everything together.
Place the assembled pastries on a parchment paper-lined baking tray in the freezer. While the pastries chill, heat oven to 400 F. Bake pastries 15–18 minutes, or until just the edges are starting to turn golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack.
For the glaze:
When pastries are completely cool, whisk powdered sugar and apple cider until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the top of each pastry and dust with cinnamon, if desired.
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