Who needs store bought pop tarts when you can make your own right at home? These flaky pop tarts stuffed with your filling of choice are the perfect way to get your Valentine's Day off to a sweet start.
We're just 2 ½ weeks away from Valentine's Day, which means it's time to make sure your valentine dessert and breakfast game are strong.
And if you're like me and not much of a morning person, these make-ahead conversation pop tarts are the perfect treat to get your bae's day started on a sweet note! (adorable cat optional)
How to make conversation heart pop tarts
First, whip up your pop tart dough. This is really just a basic pie dough recipe, so feel free to substitute with store-bought dough if you’re short on time. If you're using store-bought you'll need two crusts.
Second, cut out your dough using a large, heart-shaped cookie cutter. Fill with about a teaspoon of your filling of choice. Jams work well as does nutella.
Third, seal your pop tarts by running a little water along the edge and pressing together with a fork. Use your fork to poke a couple of vents in the top so the pop tarts don't explode while they're baking.
Fourth, bake the pop tarts at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. If a little filling oozes out of the sides during baking, just wipe that away with a paper towel while it's still warm.
Finally, color all but 2 tablespoons of your frosting, warm each one until it has a thick, glaze consistency and then dip your pop tarts. Tint the remaining couple of tablespoons of frosting and use it to write a message on top of the pop tarts.
How to make perfect conversation heart pop tarts
Never made pop tarts before? No sweat! Here are some tips and tricks to help you make them perfectly from the very first batch.
- If you’re making your pie dough from scratch, don’t skip the refrigeration step. Fun fact: refrigerating your dough for at least 30 minutes allows the gluten to relax and the fat to firm up resulting in an extra-flaky texture.
- Want to make your pie dough ahead of time? You can make it and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
- Be sure not to overfill your pop tarts; Overfilling will lead to your filling oozing out the sides and potentially ruining your seal. A teaspoon or two is more than enough.
- Consistency of the frosting is key to a smooth finish. The easiest way to reach the right consistency is to microwave the frosting for no more than 5 seconds at a time. Once it reaches a thick, glaze-like consistency, it's ready to go!
- To get a smooth finish: The final trick to getting a smooth finish on the icing is to gently tap the pop tart until it settles into a smooth finish. The easiest way to do this is to hold the pop tart by the sides and gently tap the bottom against your counter.
- Leftovers: Leftover pop tarts can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container. To reheat, simply microwave them using 10 second increments until warm. DO NOT put these in a toaster.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!
PrintRecipe
Conversation Heart Pop Tarts
Who needs store bought pop tarts when you can make your own right at home? These flaky pop tarts stuffed with your filling of choice are the perfect way to get your Valentine's Day off to a sweet start.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the pop tarts:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3-4 tablespoon ice water
- ¼ cup of filling
For the glaze:
- 1 lb vanilla frosting
- Food gel coloring
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and beat until the mixture resembles course sand.
- Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. You may not need all four tablespoons.
- Divide your dough in two, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to chill for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Roll the first ball of dough out onto a light floured surface until it’s approximately 9″x12″. Using a large cookie cutter, cut out 9 hearts.
- Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto your heart cutouts and gently spread it out. Make sure there’s about ⅓″ of open space around the edge of your pastries.
- Roll out the remaining dough and cut out 9 more hearts.
- Using your finger, wet the edge of the filled pastries with some water, cover with another heart cutout and gently press the edges together. Use a fork to seal.
- Poke a few air holes into the top of your pop tarts with a fork.
- Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until the pop tarts are a light, golden brown.
- Divide the frosting evenly by the number of colors you plan to use, leaving about 2 tablespoon for the lettering.
- Tint the frosting to the desired shades.
- Microwave each bowl of frosting in 5 second increments until the frosting reaches a thick, glaze-like consistency.
- Dip the pop tarts into the warm frosting and gently shake off any excess before turning them right-side-up.
- Tint the remaining 2 tablespoon of frosting to the desired color, spoon it into a piping back with a small, round tip (I used a Wilton #2) and pipe whatever sayings you'd like onto the pop tarts.
Notes
- If you’re making your pie dough from scratch, don’t skip the refrigeration step. Fun fact: refrigerating your dough for at least 30 minutes allows the gluten to relax and the fat to firm up resulting in an extra-flaky texture.
- Want to make your pie dough ahead of time? You can make it and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
- Be sure not to overfill your pop tarts; Overfilling will lead to your filling oozing out the sides and potentially ruining your seal. A teaspoon or two is more than enough.
- Consistency of the frosting is key to a smooth finish. The easiest way to reach the right consistency is to microwave the frosting for no more than 5 seconds at a time. Once it reaches a thick, glaze-like consistency, it's ready to go!
- To get a smooth finish: The final trick to getting a smooth finish on the icing is to gently tap the pop tart until it settles into a smooth finish. The easiest way to do this is to hold the pop tart by the sides and gently tap the bottom against your counter.
- Leftovers: Leftover pop tarts can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container. To reheat, simply microwave them using 10 second increments until warm. DO NOT put these in a toaster.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pop tart
- Calories: 532
- Sugar: 39.4g
- Sodium: 345mg
- Fat: 28.5g
- Saturated Fat: 15.3g
- Carbohydrates: 63.9g
- Fiber: .8g
- Protein: 3.1g
- Cholesterol: 54mg
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
These are too freakin' cute! Love how you could customize them with colours and phrases! My niece would love these too!
Corina Blum says
What a brilliant idea! I love how you can customise them and make them suit the people you're making them for. My kids would definitely love them.
Gloria says
What a fun and delicious idea. I would be the BEST GRAMMA if I made these for the kids. Fun and delicious for everyone to enjoy. I would love writing the messages for sure.
Analida Braeger says
These are absolutely adorable. I think a definite upgrade from the chalky candy. I love the pastel colors and how they have some modern sayings on them. Cute! Thanks for sharing.
Kiki Johnson says
These would be awesome for a bachelorette's party/hen night! It does not always have to be cupcakes, right? These look like a lot of fun!
karrie / Tasty Ever After says
These are adorable! So clever and much cuter than valentine day cookies.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
These are adorable! So clever and much cuter than valentine day cookies.
Kelly Anthony says
Ummmmm...these are the most adorable treats EVER! I SO want to make these for Valentine's this year. Love them so much!
Michelle says
These are so gorgeous! Such a great idea too. Love all the tips you have given as well. Pinned x
Monica says
Whoa, these are too cute! And I love the cute funny sayings! Normally I would look at these and think, I could never do that, but the step by step tutorial and pics makes me feel like I could piece it together, haha! Perfect for a happy Valentine! 🙂
lauren says
I completely heart these!! So much fun, these are the perfect for breakfast on Valentines Day. My daughter is going to love them.
Eileen Kelly says
I absolutely lOVE these homemade Valentine pop tarts! Too darn cute!!! The process is really easy, your directions rock! I have to make these with my niece, who is 6. She will love to make these for all my family.
Jyothi (Jo) says
Awww such an adorable heart pop! I bet these are super fun to make and absolutely delicious too. With Valentines Day around the corner, these are so perfect!
Jagruti Dhanecha says
OMG, these conversation heart pops look so adorable, they are so pretty! Such a beautiful recipe for V day.
Julie says
These are SO ADORABLE. I'm going to make them for my son's preschool class - they will all love it!