Homemade Pumpkin PopTarts Recipe

It goes without saying that fall is certainly the season for all things pumpkin. Once Starbucks brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte, all bets are off. Everything from breads to donuts to cookies revolves around the star of the season: pumpkin!

Another great way to use pumpkin? As a filling for the ultimate breakfast treat, snack, or dessert. Let's face it — PopTarts can serve as a great option for all of those categories. And now, you can skip all of the hard-to-pronounce ingredients on that classic bright blue box and make your own at home.

Making homemade PopTarts requires just a few ingredients and is easier than you might think. You can use this simple dough recipe to make fruity PopTarts, replicating your favorite flavors such as cherry or strawberry. But for fall? We're making homemade pumpkin PopTarts, complete with a brown sugar icing, and we're definitely not sorry about it.

To get started on making these incredibly festive pumpkin PopTarts, you'll need to grab the ingredients ahead of time. For these fall treats, you'll need to round up flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, one stick of unsalted cold butter, powdered sugar, cold milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. To do a quick egg wash before you bake these PopTarts, you'll also need one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. With all your ingredients in front of you, you're ready to begin.

First up, you'll want to prep the dough. It needs time to chill, so doing this step first is best. Using a food processor makes the process much simpler. Or, you can make it by hand in a mixing bowl with a pastry blender.

Add the flour, 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor. Cut the stick of cold butter into small chunks, and then put it into the food processor as well. Pulse the dough ingredients until the mixture forms a soft crumb. To finish it, gradually add in 8 tablespoons of cold milk, pulsing in between, and mix until a soft dough forms.

Once your dough is ready, knead it in your hands to form a ball, and then wrap it in plastic wrap. Put the dough in the fridge to chill for one hour.

While the dough is chilling, use the time to prepare the pumpkin filling for your PopTarts. In a mixing bowl, add in half of a can of pumpkin puree. Next up, add in the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. There's no need for a mixer for this recipe. Simply stir the mixture until combined. If you'd like a spicier filling, add in additional cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

Once the dough has chilled, it's time to form and fill the PopTarts. Preheat your oven to 350 F and prepare a flat surface such as a countertop with plenty of flour to prevent the dough from sticking while rolling it out. Flour a rolling pin as well, and then roll out the chilled dough until it's about ¼-inch thick.

Once the dough is rolled out, use a pastry cutter, a pizza cutter, or a knife to cut eight even rectangles out of the dough. You may need to re-roll the dough in order to get the number of rectangles needed. Once cut, transfer four of the rectangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.

With the rectangles of dough prepped, scoop the pumpkin filling into the middle of each rectangle. Be sure not to get the filling too close to the edge of the dough. Once each rectangle has filling, top each with the remaining cut dough pieces. Use your thumbs to pinch the outer edges of each PopTart, and use the prongs at the end of a fork to finish pinching.

Before placing the baking sheet in the oven, give the PopTarts a quick egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of each piece of dough with the egg wash. Bake the PopTarts for 20 minutes until the tops are lightly golden, and then remove them from the oven to cool.

To make the brown sugar glaze, add 3 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar into a bowl, and whisk. Add in 3 tablespoons of milk, and continue whisking until a thick glaze forms. Whisk the glaze well to avoid any clumps in the icing. Once the pumpkin PopTarts are fully cooled, spread the glaze on top of each. Decorate the PopTarts with sprinkles, if desired, and allow the icing to finish setting before digging in.