Homemade Christmas Pop-Tarts are a cheerful holiday dessert made with buttery pastry, thick raspberry, strawberry, or cherry jam, and colorful Christmas icing. This recipe makes 8 rectangular pastries in about 1½ hours, including 35 minutes of preparation, 30–60 minutes of chilling, and 15–18 minutes of baking.
Each pastry has crisp, flaky edges, a tender buttery center, and a bright pocket of fruity jam inside. Finish them with red, green, or white icing, holiday nonpareils, sprinkles, crushed peppermint, or a few mini candy pieces for a festive treat that looks right at home on a cookie tray, Christmas brunch table, or dessert buffet.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
These Christmas Pop-Tarts bring the nostalgic charm of a packaged breakfast pastry to the holiday kitchen, but the homemade version has a richer butter flavor and a tender, flaky bite. You can make every pastry look a little different while using one simple dough and one favorite jar of jam.
The recipe is also friendly for holiday baking schedules. Prepare the dough ahead, chill it while you arrange decorations, and let children or guests help with the icing once the pastries have cooled.
- Festive appearance: Red, green, and white icing instantly gives the pastries a Christmas look.
- Flexible filling: Raspberry, strawberry, and cherry preserves all work beautifully.
- Make-ahead friendly: The baked pastries keep well in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Great for sharing: Eight pastries are just right for a small dessert table or brunch spread.
For another colorful appetizer to serve before dessert, pair these pastries with our festive cream cheese pinwheels.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The pastry starts with 2 cups (241 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup (227 g) cold unsalted butter, 1 large egg, and 2 tablespoons (28 g) milk. Cold butter is essential because small pieces remain in the dough and create flaky layers as the pastries bake.
Choose a thick jam or preserve for the center. You need ¾ cup, or about 240–255 g, and approximately 1½ tablespoons goes into each pastry. If your jam is loose or syrupy, stir in the optional 1 tablespoon cornstarch so the filling is less likely to run out.
The egg wash uses 1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon milk or water. For the icing, combine 1 cup (113 g) confectioners’ sugar with 1½–2 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, then tint portions red or green if you wish.
Set out red, green, or white sprinkles, holiday nonpareils, crushed peppermint, and a few mini candy pieces. Use candy sparingly so the decorations remain pretty and do not overpower the buttery pastry.
If you enjoy fruit-forward desserts, our blueberry almond cream tart is another lovely option for a Christmas dessert table.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined. Add the cold butter cubes and cut them in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Step 2: Add the large egg and 2 tablespoons milk, then mix just until the dough comes together. Do not knead or overmix, because working the dough too much can make the pastry firm instead of tender.
Step 3: Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a disk. Wrap both disks and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes, giving the butter time to firm and the dough time to relax.
Step 4: Lightly flour the work surface and roll the chilled dough to approximately ⅛-inch thickness. Cut sixteen matching rectangles, roughly 3 by 4 inches, aiming for straight sides so the pastries stack neatly.
Step 5: Place eight pastry rectangles on a parchment-lined surface or baking sheet. Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of thick jam into the center of each, keeping a clear border around all four sides and resisting the urge to add extra filling.
Step 6: Whisk the egg wash egg with 1 tablespoon milk or water. Brush the exposed edges of the filled rectangles, place the remaining pastry rectangles on top, and press around the filling to seal.
Step 7: Crimp the edges firmly with a fork, making a decorative pattern while closing any gaps. Transfer the pastries to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes before baking.
Step 8: Pierce the tops several times with a fork or small skewer to vent steam. Brush lightly with egg wash, avoiding puddles around the edges, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15–18 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
Step 9: Move the baked pastries to a cooling rack and wait until they are completely cool. Stir together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla, divide the icing if desired, and tint portions red or green.
Step 10: Spread icing over each pastry and decorate immediately with sprinkles or nonpareils so they stick. Add crushed peppermint or a few mini candy pieces while the icing is still wet, then let the topping set before serving.
Christmas Decorating Ideas
A simple white icing base looks like fresh snow and makes colorful decorations stand out. Pipe thin red and green stripes across the top, then add white nonpareils for a classic candy-cane effect.
For a wreath-inspired design, spread green icing in a ring and dot it with tiny red sprinkles. A white iced pastry with red and green sugar around the border resembles a decorated Christmas cookie without requiring complicated piping.
Crushed peppermint gives the pastries a cool, wintry finish, but a light sprinkle is best. Mini candy pieces can add color and texture, though they should be used sparingly to keep the pastries easy to cut and eat.
For a dessert platter with several textures, serve these pastries beside Christmas cookie fudge. The creamy fudge and crisp pastry make a particularly inviting combination.
Pro Tips for Flaky, Sealed Pastries
Cold ingredients are the most important detail. If the butter begins to soften while you roll or assemble the pastries, return the dough to the refrigerator for a few minutes before continuing.
Keep the jam away from the edges. About 1 to 1½ tablespoons per pastry is sufficient, and a generous border gives you room to seal the pastry securely.
Dock the tops thoroughly with a fork or small skewer. The holes allow steam to escape and help prevent the pastry tops from puffing or splitting around the filling.
Do not skip the second chill after assembly. The 15–20 minute rest helps the pastries hold their shape, reduces shrinking, and keeps the butter firm when the baking sheet goes into the oven.
Wait until the pastries are completely cool before icing. Warm pastry will melt the glaze and cause the colors to run, while a cool surface keeps the decoration smooth and bright.
If you want to experiment with a tangy filling, a small amount of thick lemon curd can be used in place of some of the jam. Our lemon curd recipe offers a sunny option for a winter dessert variation.
Serving, Storage, and Make-Ahead Ideas
Serve Christmas Pop-Tarts at room temperature with coffee, hot chocolate, or spiced tea. They make a sweet addition to a Christmas morning breakfast, but their colorful icing also makes them suitable for an afternoon cookie exchange.
Once the icing has set, place the pastries in an airtight container with parchment between layers if needed. Keep them at room temperature and enjoy them within 2 days for the best pastry texture.
To plan ahead, prepare the pastry disks and refrigerate them before rolling. You can also assemble the pastries, chill them on the baking sheet, and bake them according to the recipe when you are ready.
For a richer holiday spread, add a chocolate treat beside the fruit-filled pastries, such as this chocolate Nutter Butter crispy treat. The contrast between chocolate, peanut butter, berry jam, and buttery pastry gives guests plenty of variety.
Christmas Pop-Tarts
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the cold cubed butter until coarse crumbs form, keeping some pea-sized butter pieces visible for a flaky pastry.
- Add the egg and milk, mixing only until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll the chilled dough to approximately ⅛-inch thickness. Cut sixteen matching rectangles, roughly 3 by 4 inches, rerolling scraps only as needed.
- Place about 1½ tablespoons of thick jam in the center of eight pastry rectangles, leaving a clear border around each one. If the jam is thin, mix it with 1 tablespoon cornstarch before filling.
- Whisk the egg wash egg with 1 tablespoon milk or water. Brush the exposed pastry borders, cover each filled piece with a remaining rectangle, press the edges together, and crimp firmly with a fork.
- Move the pastries to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes. Pierce the tops several times with a fork or small skewer to vent steam.
- Brush the pastries lightly with egg wash. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15–18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool the pastries completely before decorating. Stir together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla, tint portions red or green if desired, then spread the icing over the pastries and add decorations.
Notes
Final Thoughts
Christmas Pop-Tarts are a festive homemade dessert that combines flaky buttery pastry, bright fruit filling, and playful holiday decoration. The method is straightforward, but keeping the butter cold, using thick jam, sealing the edges well, and chilling the assembled pastries makes a noticeable difference.
Choose one icing color for a polished look or decorate each pastry with a different Christmas pattern. Whether you serve them at brunch, package them for a cookie exchange, or arrange them on a holiday dessert tray, these jam-filled pastries are sure to bring a little extra joy to the season.