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Flaky, festive and fast, Christmas tree pop tarts turn simple pantry staples into a holiday bake that looks custom. Puff pastry keeps the layers light while strawberry jam brings a bright, fruity center. A quick whisked frosting adds shine and a hint of vanilla. Simply cut tree shapes, seal the edges, bake until golden, and finish with a smooth sweep of fruit icing and a scatter of colorful sprinkles to make a delicious sweet treat that’s ideal for Christmas morning.
These Christmas tree pop tarts use puff pastry, strawberry jam and a quick fruit icing. They bake flaky and festive with bright sprinkles and simple preparation steps.
If you like these, you can also try 3D stacked Christmas tree cookies, mulled wine Fireball shots or perhaps some Christmas zuccotto cake.
Why You’ll Love It
Fast to make: Cut, fill, seal and bake with no tricky steps.
Flaky layers: Puff pastry delivers light, crispy edges.
Bold color: Strawberry jam and sprinkles bring instant holiday pop.
Kid friendly: The cut, crimp and decorate steps are fun to share.
Homemade Christmas Tree Pop Tart Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Puff pastry sheets: Buttery layers that rise light and crisp for a tidy tree shape.
Strawberry jam: Sweet, bright filling that sets the color and flavor.
Egg: Light egg wash that gives shine and helps edges seal.
Powdered sugar: Base for a smooth fruit icing that sets softly.
Milk: Loosens the frosting to an easily spreadable glaze.
Vanilla extract: Gentle bakery note that rounds the fruit.
Sprinkles: Cheery finish that reads holiday at a glance.
How to Make Christmas Morning Strawberry Poptarts
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cut the trees: Roll cold pastry and cut matching tree shapes, gathering and rerolling scraps.
Fill and seal: Add a small spoon of jam to half the trees, top with the rest and crimp edges with a fork.
Egg wash and bake: Brush tops, vent lightly and bake until puffed and golden.
Mix the icing: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, jam and vanilla until smooth.
Glaze and decorate: Spread icing on cooled pastries and add sprinkles.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten free option: Use gluten free puff pastry and confirm sprinkles are gluten free.
Different jam: Try raspberry jam, cherry jam or blueberry jam for a new hue and flavor. Or try something very different with strawberry jalapeno jam!
Citrus twist: Add lemon zest to the icing for a fresh edge.
Chocolate stripe: Drizzle melted white chocolate over the set icing for contrast.
Serving Suggestions
With breakfast: Enjoy these pop tarts on Christmas morning, perhaps paired with other breakfast items like whole egg-inside muffins, a shrimp omelette or a blue spirulina smoothie bowl.
With a drink: Enjoy a lavender matcha latte or pineapple mango smoothie with your pop tarts.
How to Store Pop Tarts
Store: Keep them wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, at room temperature, and eat within 2 days.
Freeze: You can freeze these either before or after baking, for up to a month.
Thaw: Thaw for an hour or so at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Top Tips
Keep pastry cold: Cold sheets cut clean and puff higher.
Thin jam layer: Too much filling leaks; use a light spoonful.
Seal well: Crimp all around so steam vents but jam stays put.
Cool before icing: Warm pastry melts glaze and dulls the finish.
Work in batches: Keep one sheet in the fridge while you cut the other.
Homemade Christmas Pop Tarts FAQs
I used a 5-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter for mine. This is similar to the dimensions store-bought pop-tarts and will fit in the toaster. This recipe will make 12 large pop tarts with that size of cookie cutter, if you make sure to re-roll the leftover dough from each sheet and cut more Christmas trees out.
Yes, you can prepare the Christmas trees and add the jam filling and then not bake them until the next day, if that fits in better with your plans.
Christmas Tree Pop Tarts Recipe
Christmas Tree Pop Tarts
Equipment
- Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter 5-Inch
- Baking Sheet 9 x 13-Inch
Ingredients
For the Pop Tarts
- 2 Sheets puff pastry
- 1 Cup strawberry jam
- 1 egg
For the Fruit Icing
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- ½ Cup strawberry jam
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ Cup sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400°F.
- Lay your cold puff pastry sheets flat on a lightly floured surface. If the sheets are warm or even at room temperature, they can be kinda tricky to handle so I like to pull the out of the fridge one at a time while working with them.
- Use your cookie cutter to cut Christmas trees out of the pastries, then knead the leftover dough back together, roll it out to about ¼ inch thick and continue cutting out Christmas trees. Space them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- To half of the Christmas trees, add about 1 tablespoon of jam and spread it out, leaving space around the perimeter of the entire tree.
- Top each of the jam filled pastries with a clean Christmas tree pastry and pinch the edges together slightly. Then use a fork to press the seams around the edges entirely.
- Crack your egg in a small bowl, whisk it until scrambled, then brush over the tops of each pop tart.
- Bake these for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown, then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
- While the pop tarts are cooling, whisk the jam, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl.
- Once the pop tarts have cooled a bit and aren’t piping hot, spread the icing on top of each pop tart and add sprinkles if you like. Make sure to allow the pop tarts to cool some or the icing will melt right off.
Notes
Thin jam layer: Too much filling leaks; use a light spoonful.
Seal well: Crimp all around so steam vents but jam stays put.
Cool before icing: Warm pastry melts glaze and dulls the finish.
Work in batches: Keep one sheet in the fridge while you cut the other.
Nutrition
Homemade Christmas poptarts are one of the best Christmas dessert tart recipes you can make. They’re better than store bought and have a sweet frosted crust on top of each pop tart. So treat everyone to homemade poptarts shaped like Christmas trees this festive season. They are a tasty after school snack
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I love this recipe, it’s so easy and it was so fantastic! My kids loved it too! 🙂
This was a total hit with our guests! Excited to make this again. 🙂
these are so cute! way better than package ones