Giant Strawberry Pop-Tart

It's strawberry season! The days are getting very warm here in the desert and we have been craving lighter dinners and fruity snacks! I've been wanting to make this giant strawberry pop-tart for a LONG TIME, and once I saw the beautiful red strawberries on sale at the store, I knew today was the day! I made this sweet treat on a Saturday afternoon and by Sunday morning it was gone! My husband loved it with his Sunday morning coffee. I can see this being cut and served at your next playground picnic or for a summer birthday party! I'm telling you there is nothing better than homemade strawberry jam! I find that most store-bought jams are so sweet that you lose the strawberry flavor entirely. But this one is complex and really showcase the strawberry as the star of the show!

While I was baking, my kids wandered into the kitchen and asked, “What are you making, Mom?” I said, “A giant strawberry pop-tart”. They looked at me with total confusion and replied, “What’s a pop-tart?” That stopped me in my tracks for a second. Apparently, all the nostalgia I was feeling was completely one-sided because I’ve never actually bought my kids pop-tarts before! They had no idea this oversized pastry was inspired by one of my favorite childhood treats. Honestly, that made the whole experience even sweeter. They got to experience it for the very first time, but homemade and filled with fresh strawberry jam. My daughter even got to do her favorite part, add the sprinkles which somehow resulted in more sprinkles in her mouth than on the actual pop-tart!

Giant Strawberry Pop-Tart

Serves 9-12

Ingredients:

For the strawberry jam

16oz fresh strawberries, sliced

200g (1 cup) white sugar

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pie dough

300g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

142g (10 tablespoons) cold butter, diced

8-10 tablespoons ice water

1 egg for washing

For the strawberry icing

240g (2 cups) powdered sugar

1 tablespoon ground freeze dried strawberries

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4-6 tablespoons milk

Fun sprinkles

Method

1. For the jam, add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt to a medium size pot and place on medium high heat.

2. Let this simmer for 20-30 minutes mixing occasionally until thick. You can blend the jam with a hand blender if you want it smoother, but it's not necessary.

3. Off the heat, add the vanilla extract, mix, and cool in the fridge.

1. For the pie dough, add the flour, salt, sugar, and butter to a food processor. Blend on low, add the water one tablespoon at a time while the blender is on.

2. Once the dough comes together, stop the blender and turn the dough out on a floured surface.

3. Bring the dough together and cut it in half. wrap each half in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minuets.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Roll each of the dough pieces into a rectangle approximately 11x14 inches.

3. Place the bottom sheet of pie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Add the jam and spread it out leaving a one-inch border. Egg wash the edges and add the top of the pie dough.

5. Use a fork to close the edges of the pop-tart and add a few slits at the top for air vents.

6. Egg wash the top of the strawberry pop-tart and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.

1. For the strawberry icing, in a bowl mix all the ingredients together. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired thickness.

2. Spread the icing over the strawberry pop tart, sprinkle over some cute sprinkles or more freeze-dried strawberries.

3. Cut and serve!

Introducing my kids to pop-tarts this way feels like a parenting win. Their first pop-tart experience involved homemade pastry and fresh strawberry jam, instead of a silver foil packet pulled from the pantry. I may have accidentally set the bar way too high for them, but I guess that’s a problem for future me. All I know is, if a giant strawberry pop-tart can make everyone hover around the kitchen asking for “one more tiny piece,” it’s definitely a recipe worth making again!

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I sure hope you give my giant strawberry pop tart a try this strawberry season! If you want to stay in the loop and never miss another blog post, subscribe to my monthly email list today!

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