Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
Homemade pumpkin pie pop tarts are a breeze to make with pre-made pie dough. Imagine buttery flaky pastry, packed with pumpkin pie filling, baked until golden brown. A wonderful vanilla glaze and cinnamon sugar are the perfect finishing touches.
Pop tarts have always been a childhood favorite, but making them yourself is so much better! If your inner child loves these, you’re going to want to check out froot loop pancakes, cinnamon toast crunch pancakes, and s’mores cereal too!
About these pumpkin pop tarts
Whether they were your morning staple, an after-school snack, or a once in a while after-dinner treat, opening a package of pop tarts and popping one in the toaster was super satisfying. Remember breaking open one of those bad boys and revealing that sweet filling in the middle?
This homemade version is filled with a creamy pumpkin spice filling and baked until golden brown. After baking, these pop tarts are topped with vanilla icing and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. These melt-in-your-mouth pastries taste as though they’ve come from a bakery, not a box!
They’re so easy to make, especially since store-bought dough is on the ingredient list. Making it completely from scratch is great, but a bit more time-consuming, so this is a welcome shortcut. It’s much the same way we make our pumpkin monkey bread. Straight to the point! Homemade pastries ready in time for breakfast is a no-brainer!
Once you get the hang of making this pumpkin pie pop tart recipe, you can use the same technique with whatever filling you want.
Don’t forget to complete your breakfast with a side of perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a pumpkin pie smoothie or a pumpkin spice latte to wash it down!
What you need
For the pop tarts
- Pre-made Pie Crusts – You’ll need 2 pie crusts to make about 6-7 pop tarts. If you have a homemade pie crust prepped and ready to go, by all means use it.
- Pure Pumpkin Puree – Make sure you buy pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pure pumpkin purée allows you to control the sugar and spice in the filling.
- Light Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar – Packed brown sugar, as well as granulated sugar, is added to the pumpkin puree to give it lots of sweetness.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – The signature pumpkin pie spice is a delicious blend of seasonings (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves) that is very recognizable to pumpkin pie lovers. Trying making homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Ground Cinnamon – Although there is cinnamon in pumpkin pie spice, we’ve added just a touch more for flavor.
- Salt – Salt brings out the flavors of the pumpkin pie filling and balances the sugars.
- Egg – Brushing the top of the pop tarts with a beaten egg will give them a golden brown color once they’re baked.
For the icing
This icing is quick and easy to make, all you need is powdered sugar, milk, and pure vanilla extract.
For the cinnamon sugar topping
Only two ingredients are needed for the topping, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. If you keep cinnamon sugar already mixed in your pantry, you can use that. If you’re grooving on the pumpkin spice vibe, try mixing sugar with pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
How to make them
Roll out the pie dough and cut 6-7 rectangular pieces using a pizza cutter. They’ll be about 3 ¼ by 4 ½ inches each.
Mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
Lay one of the pieces of dough on a flat surface. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture to the middle of the dough and brush the edges with the beaten egg.
Place another piece on top of the dough directly on top of the filling and use a fork to seal the edges. Brush some more egg wash on top and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling, then bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.
TIP: To get crisp lines around your pop tarts, use a pizza cutter to trim the edges just before placing them in the oven.
While they are in the oven, make the icing by whisking the ingredients together in a small bowl.
You’ll also want to quickly prepare the cinnamon and sugar – it will take you about five seconds!
Once out of the oven, drizzle the tops of each pop tart with the icing followed by a sprinkling of the cinnamon sugar and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
FAQs
Pumpkin pie filling is filled with sugar and spices and tastes like pumpkin pie! Pumpkin puree is only part of that. It’s the pure pumpkin flesh that has been pureed until smooth without anything added to it. Using pumpkin puree allows you to control the amount of sugar and the type of spices that get added to it.
You bet! Just be sure to use a gluten-free pie crust, or gluten-free ingredients if you’re making your own dough.
How to make these pop tarts your own
- Switch the flavor of the icing from vanilla to cinnamon, maple, or a combination of either one with vanilla.
- Add some cream cheese to the pumpkin pie filling for a pumpkin pie cheesecake flavor. Kind of like these pumpkin cheesecake muffins.
- Use just cinnamon and nutmeg instead of pumpkin pie spice.
- To make these a little healthier, use a whole wheat crust.
- For added fun, make festive shapes out of them, rather than just the rectangles. Use cookie cutters to create a pumpkin shape and assemble them the same way.
Make Ahead
To prep these ahead of time, assemble the pop tarts up to the point just before baking. Freeze unbaked pop tarts for an hour before transferring them to a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag or airtight container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months and when you’re ready, bake them at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
Storage Suggestions
Keep leftover pop tarts stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Reheating Tips
Reheat leftover pop tarts (not frozen) in the oven at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Or, you could use the tried and true method of the toaster. Pop those tarts in to warm up and enjoy! Make sure they are sealed well so that the filling doesn’t leak into your toaster.
More pumpkin recipes
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch pre-made pie crusts
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg beaten
For the icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla flavor
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a countertop and cut 6-7 even rectangles from the dough using a pizza cutter (about 3 ¼ by 4 ½ inches each).
- Mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
- Lay one of the pieces of dough on a counter or plate then add 2-3 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture to the middle of a piece of the dough. Brush the edges with the beaten egg.
- Place another sheet of the dough on top and press the edges together using a fork to seal. Optional: trim off the edges to get crisp lines.
- Brush the top with the egg and place it on a prepared baking pan. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they turn a light, golden color.
- In the meantime, mix the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the milk and vanilla in a small bowl until combined. Add more milk (a tiny bit at a time!) if you want it thinner. (You don’t want it to be too thin or the icing won’t harden.)
- To make the sugar topping, whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a separate small bowl and set aside.
- Once the pop tarts are cooled completely, pour 2-3 teaspoons of the icing on top of them and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.
- Let the icing set up for at least 10 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
- Pop tarts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.