Homemade frosted cherry pop tart recipe is sweet, flaky, gooey, and so satisfying! These are so easy to make, and perfect for breakfast! The crunchiest, flakiest dough, gooey cherry filling, and sweet frosting on top! Don't forget the sprinkles! The perfect nostalgic recipe that the whole family will LOVE!

These cherry pop tarts are such a classic and literally perfect for any occasion! Pack these in a picnic, serve at a pot luck, serve for dessert, or enjoy as a quick sweet treat!
Homemade pop tarts are so much more delicious and flaky! These travel really well and are perfect to pack in a lunch box for a satisfying end to your lunch!
For another delicious, fruity dessert recipe, see my apple crumb hand pies and my chocolate pudding hand pies!
Jump to:
Cherry Pop Tart Ingredients
The following ingredients are inspired by cherry pop tarts in that silver wrapping! Also included below are substitutions to make your frosted cherry pop tart recipe allergen, gluten-free, or vegan friendly!

Cherry Filling
- Canned cherries with juice-using canned cherries makes this recipe so easy! No pitting and quicker.
- Sugar-I used organic sugar for this recipe but feel free to use your preferred sweetener.
- Cornstarch-I used cornstarch to make a slurry to thicken the sauce. Feel free to substitute with arrow root powder.
Pie Dough
- All-purpose flour-I used all-purpose flour for this recipe but you can also use Kind Arthur 1:1 gluten free flour as well!
- Sugar-I used organic sugar for this recipe but feel free to use your preferred sweetener.
- Salt-Sea salt is perfect for this recipe however if you are using salted butter, omit the salt.
- Unsalted butter-Ensure that your butter is ice cold. Keep it in the freezer until you are ready to make the dough.
Frosting
- Powdered sugar-Feel free to use your preferred powdered sweetener for this recipe.
- Whole Milk-You can use whole milk or your preferred milk as a substitute.
- Unsalted butter-Make sure that the butter is fully softened before adding.
- Cherry juice-Use the cherry juice reserved from the can. This also colors the frosting.
- Sprinkles (optional)- The sprinkles on top is the best part!
See recipe card for additional details and quantities.
Pop Tart Instructions
For the full instructions and measurements for how to make this delicious recipe, please skip down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Use the following step-by-step instructions for how to make this super easy, delicious cherry pop tart recipe:

Add canned cherries, with juice, and sugar into medium pot over medium heat. Mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes. Blend. Then add cornstarch slurry to thicken. Continue to simmer for a few more minutes. Then cool in the freezer.

Add flour, sugar, salt, and cold cubed butter to stand mixer. Pulse until pea-seized flour form. Then add ice cold water to stand mixer and pulse until the dough just comes together. Form into ball and then chill in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap.

Once chilled, roll out dough completely. Then cut out pop tart-shaped rectangles. Add cherry filling to the middle, brush edges with melted butter, add the top dough rectangle. Crimp the edges, brush with butter, and add a vent.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

Then make the frosting by adding the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and cherry juice to a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Now frost your pop tarts, add sprinkles, serve, and enjoy!
Hint: Ensure that you work fast when assembling your pop tarts before baking. If the dough warms too much then they can become hard to crimp with a fork. If this happens, place in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill. Then take out of freezer and continue assembling.
Pop Tart Substitutions
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Dairy-free-substitute regular milk in this recipe for your favorite milk of choice! I have found that oat milk and soy milk are the best milk substitutes for this recipe.
- Gluten-free - use all-purpose gluten free flour for this recipe! I have found that King Arthur's gluten-free all purpose flour has worked best in this recipe.
- Vegan - feel free to use vegan butter, arrowroot powder, and your preferred milk to make this recipe easily vegan. Tip: Ensure that your vegan butter is extremely cold when making your pie dough.
For another delicious cherry recipe, see my Homemade cherry cinnamon rolls!
Variations
There are so many lovely variations for this delicious frosted cherry pop tart recipe!
- Strawberry Pop Tart-for a strawberry pop tart, substitute the cherry filling for strawberry preserves/jam for an easy and delicious treat!
- Blueberry Pop Tart-you can substitute the cherries from the filling recipe, with blueberries, or use blueberry preserves/jam for a blueberry pop tart!
- Raspberry Pop Tart-raspberry jam/preserves would also be a perfect substitute to make raspberry pop tarts.
Tip: To make this recipe even easier, use cherry preserves or jam for the filling!
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need the following equipment:
- 1 medium pot
- 1 immersion blender (or regular blender)
- 1 stand mixer
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 bowl
For cutting out the pop tart rectangle shapes into pie dough, you can use a plastic lid as a guide, or you can use a rectangular pie dough cutter! Feel free to use different shapes and designs to make this recipe super fun!
Storage
This recipe can be stored in an air-tight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
This recipe can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! To defrost, leave on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Top tips
- Ensure that you work fast when assembling your pop tarts before baking. If the dough warms too much then they can become hard to crimp with a fork. If this happens, place in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill.
- Don't forget to add vents to the top of your pop tarts to ensure that they do not puff up in the oven.
- Allow the pop tarts to cool completely before frosting (I know this can be tempting but trust me!)
- If you have any left over cherry filling, store in a mason jar in the fridge for 5-7 days and use on toast, oatmeal, or sandwiches.
- To make this recipe even easier, use cherry preserves or jam for the filling!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The three main ingredients in pop tarts are: flour, sugar, and butter. Then you have the flavoring for the particular flavor of pop tart that you are preparing.
The three best things about pop tarts is: They make a delicious sweet treat that everyone loves, they travel well and hold up to storage, and lastly they make a quick and convenient sweet snack!
Make your pop tarts homemade properly and bake them in the oven! Making your pop tarts homemade allows you to control the ingredients in the recipe, you can create the best flavor combinations, and when making pop tarts at home you will have extra pop tarts to store for a quick snack!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Other Recipes
These are some more of my favorite recipes on my site:

Frosted Cherry Pop Tart Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer For making the pie dough
- 1 Medium pot For making the cherry filling
- 1 Baking sheet For baking the pop tarts
- 1 Bowl For mixing the glaze
- 1 Immersion blender or regular blender
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 2 Cups Canned cherries with juice (reserve 2 tablespoon for the frosting)
- β Cup Sugar or your preferred sweetener
- 1 Β½ tablespoon Cornstarch mixed with 1 Β½ tablespoon water to make a slurry
Pie Dough
- 2 Cups All-purpose flour or your preferred flour (plus more for rolling out the dough)
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cups Unsalted butter cold and cubed (plus 2 tablespoon to brush over the top of the pop tarts)
Frosting
- 2 Cups Powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter Softened
- 2 tablespoon Whole Milk or your preferred milk
- 2 tablespoon Cherry juice reserved from the can
- 1 tablespoon Sprinkles Optional
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- Add canned cherries with juice (remember to reserve 2 tablespoon for later), and sugar to medium pot.
- Heat medium pot to medium-high heat, and simmer cherry mixture for 10 minutes.
- Use immersion blender (or regular blender) to blend the cherries mixture until smooth. Add cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water mixed together until smooth) into cherry mixture while whisking.
- Continue cooking over medium heat for another 2-5 minutes or until thick.
- Cover and place in freezer to cool for 20-30 minutes.
Pie Dough
- Add flour, sugar, salt, and cubed cold butter to stand mixer.
- Pulse until combined completely until small pea-sized pieces of flour and butter are seen.
- Then slowly add ΒΌ-1/2 cup very cold water to the stand mixer while pulsing just until the dough comes together into a ball in the stand mixer.
- Then form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill.
Frosting
- Combine the powdered sugar, milk, and cherry juice until smooth and spreadable.
Pop Tart
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until thin.
- Then use a plastic lid, or a ruler, to cut out 12, 5 Β½ inch by 3 Β½ inch rectangles, to make 6 pop tarts.
- Add 3 tablespoons of cherry mixture into the center of your 6 pie dough rectangles. Brush the edges with melted butter.
- Add pie dough rectangles on top of each bottom pie dough rectangle, covering the cherry mixture. Then crimp all sides with a fork to seal. Then use a fork to add vent holes on the top. (work fast while the dough is still cold. If the dough becomes hard to work with, place back in the freezer for 5 minutes).
- Brush the tops with melted butter and then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Add frosting to the top of each pop tart with a spoon. Then add sprinkles. Enjoy!
May
This recipe turned out amazing! I subbed dairy ingredients for plant-based ones, worked perfectly. Very helpful step by step instructions too. Thank you for the recipe!
Covita
Delicious and fun to make! Will make them with the kids next time.
Mark
These are the best pop tarts ive ever had in my life π₯π―