Valentine Strawberry Pop Tarts

Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

Looking for something different than the “usual” Valentine’s Day treats? These Queen of Hearts pop tarts are just the thing!

My daughter and I created these Queen of Hearts pastries for a recent Valentine’s Day get-together. Our inspiration: the scene in Alice in Wonderland with the playing card soldiers and the Queen of Hearts.

These homemade strawberry pop tarts take less than an hour between pulling out the ingredients and setting them on your party tables cape. So much easier than expected!

Picture this: a tender, flaky pastry that tastes like it came from a bakery, with a bright, jammy strawberry filling, topped with creamy white chocolate icing that ties every layer together into one irresistible bite.

My daughter helped me make this batch — so this is absolutely a recipe you can make with kids! They'll love to bake 'em almost as much as they'll love to eat them!

Ingredients

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For the pop tarts:

1. 2 cups flour
2. 1 teaspoon salt
3. 1 table spoon sugar
4. 6 tables spoon butter
5. 6 Tablespoon lard or shortening
6. 6-8 tablespoons of ice water
7. 1/2 cup strawberry jam

For the frosting:

1. 1/2 cup white candy melts
2. 1 Tablespoon shortening
3. Large heart sprinkles

Helpful Kitchen Supplies:

1. Large baking sheets
2. Rolling pin
3. Mixing bowls
4. Parchment paper or silicone baking mat

Instructions

To Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

1. Make the Dough – Mix the flour, salt, sugar, butter and 6 tablespoons shortening together with a fork or your hands. Add the water in increments until a smooth dough results. Roll the dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut into 4×6″ rectangles.
2. Fill and Form the Pop Tarts – Spread strawberry jam onto a rectangle of dough, avoiding the edges by 1/2″. Place another rectangle overtop and press the edges together with your fingers or crimp with a fork.
3. Bake – Place the pop tarts onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Allow the pop tarts to cool completely before frosting.
4. Frost – Combine the candy melts and a table spoon of shortening in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well in between each heating, until smooth. Spread the candy melts onto the pop tarts and add the hearts in a card pattern while the candy melts are still wet.

Prep Tips

1. Variations – Save this base recipe to make any form of pop tart you’d like! Maybe you want rainbow pop tarts or have other fun sprinkles to bring a new theme to the mix. Swap out the fillings with your favorites! Maybe instead of strawberry jam you’d prefer Nutella? OR dulce de leche? Whatever your flavor, these cute homemade pop tarts will be a hit with your crew!
2. Themes – These playing card pop tarts are perfect for a grown-up casino themed party or poker night!
3. Short on time? Opt for frozen butter puff pastry or pie pastry for a quick version!
4. Storage – Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. They also freeze well.

Valentine Strawberry Pop Tarts

These homemade strawberry pop tarts are filled with jam and finished with white chocolate icing and heart sprinkles — perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Prep time

10 minutes mins

Cook time

20 minutes mins

Total time

30 minutes mins

Course: Desser

Cuisine: American Valentine’s Day

Servings: 6 pastries

Calories: 512kcal

Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Cost: $12

Equipment

1. Baking sheets
2. Mixing bowls

Ingredients

For the pop tarts

1. 2 cups flour
2. 1 teaspoon salt
3. 1 table spoon sugar
4. 6 tablespoons butter
5. 6 Tablespoons lard or shortening
6. 6-8 tablespoons of ice water
7. 1/2 cup strawberry jam

For the frosting

1. 1/2 cup white candy melts
2. 1 Tablespoon shortening
3. large heart sprinkles

Instructions

To make the homemade pop tarts:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Mix the flour, salt, sugar, butter and 6 tablespoons shortening together with a fork or your hands. Add the water in increments until a smooth dough results.
3. Roll the dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut into 4×6″ rectangles.
4. Spread strawberry jam onto a rectangle of dough, avoiding the edges by 1/2″. Place another rectangle overtop and press the edges together with your fingers or a fork.
5. Place the pop tarts onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
6. Allow the pop tarts to cool completely before frosting.

To make the homemade pop tart frosting:

1. Combine the candy melts and 1 TB shortening together in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well in between each heating, until smooth.
2. Spread the candy melts onto the pop tarts and add the hearts in a card pattern while the candy melts are still wet.
3. Allow the candy melts to dry completely before storing or serving. Makes 4-6 pastries.

Notes

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values ​​will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.

Variations

1. Use this base recipe with any filling (strawberry, Nutella, dulce de leche, etc.).
2. Change sprinkles or icing to match any theme or holiday.

Shortcut

1. Use frozen puff pastry or refrigerated pie crust to save time.

Storage

1. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or freeze for later.

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 2mg