These cherry pie pop tarts are to die for! So much better then the store bought version. The cherry filling is perfectly sweet and has an amazing flavor, the crust is absolutely perfect (super flaky), and the glaze is the perfect finishing touch to make these pop tarts absolutely perfect! They are the perfect treat to have after a long day at school or work, and they are also great to take places because they are the perfect compact snack.
Origins
Every Thanksgiving, cherry pie is always the food I look forward to the most. I love, love, love cherry pie. I think that the combination of cherries and almond extract is one of the most beautiful flavor combinations ever. I also love pop tarts (but only toasted ones!). So, why not combine these things into one?
A couple weeks ago, I made the first trial batch of these pop tarts. They were delicious and I knew that I was on to something! After many other trials, I came up with a delicious recipe that is absolutely perfect. I made these in the afternoon and was planning to shoot some photos of them in the morning, but by the morning they had all been eaten so I had to make more!
Why You Need Make These Pop Tarts
- The crust is amazingly flaky and “butter”y
- The cherry filling is the perfect balance of sweetness to dark cherry flavor
- The glaze adds amazing flavor and the perfect touch of sweetness
- They are allergy friendly and safe for lots of people to eat!
- So many other reasons!
Final Tips
- Use cold water for the dough. This will ensure that it is the right consistency.
- Make sure you are mixing when you add in the cornstarch mixture to the cherries. If you are not, the cornstarch can clump up.
- Do not put too much cherry mixture in each pop tart. This will make sure they look like real pop tarts and not hand pies!
Thats it! Happy baking and I hope that you all enjoy these as much as my family and I do!
Delicious Homemade Cherry Pie Pop Tarts
Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Difficult5
pop tarts45
minutes20
minutes1
hour25
minutesIngredients
- Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup cold non-dairy butter, cut into cubes (I like to use Earth Balance’s “butter”)
1/4 cup cold water
- Cherry Filling
1 Lb fresh sweet dark cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
- Frosting
1/4 cup non-dairy butter (I like to use earth balance)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp of cherry juice (from previous step)
Directions
- Dough
- In a food processor, mix together the flour, salt and sugar for a couple seconds. Add in the butter cubes and mix until all flour is mixed with butter (small grains should form). Add in the water and pulse until the dough has formed a ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge while doing other steps (or overnight).
- Cherry Filling
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, add the cherries and sugar and cook for 12-15 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until the cherries are soft.
- Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the cherries in the saucepan just so that all the whole cherries are smashed, don’t overdo it. Add in the salt and almond extract and cook for an additional 5 minutes over low heat take out 1 Tbsp of the cherry juice and set aside for later.
- In a cup, mix together the cornstarch and water. Take the cherry mixture off the heat. While still stirring, add the cornstarch mixture to the cherry mixture and mix until the cherry mixture is an even consistency.
- Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place parchment paper on two cookie trays.
- On a clean and floured surface, roll out the dough until it reaches about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut 10 4x3in rectangles out of the dough and place 5 on the cookie trays. Scoop 2-3 Tbsp of the cherry mixture into the center of the dough rectangles and spread around, leaving about a 1/2 inch space on the sides.
- Carefully place the other five dough rectangles on top of the cherry mixture dough rectangles, making sure that is is placed squarely on top so that the edges meet up. Use the end of a fork to press into the edges to seal them together. Using the same fork, poke some holes into the dough to create a way for the air to escape.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Frosting
- In a small bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar for 2 minutes. Add in the almond extract, cherry juice from before, and salt and cream together for another 2 minutes.
- Once pies are completely cooled, scoop 1 Tbsp of frosting on top of them and spread evenly. If you want to, you can also sprinkle some sprinkles on top.
- Enjoy!
