Easy Homemade Sourdough Discard Pop Tarts Recipe

Homemade sourdough poptarts are the perfect solution for busy school mornings, last-minute snacks before bed, or anytime you need an easy grab-and-go treat! My kids are obsessed with the crispy, flaky, and slightly tangy flavor of the sourdough pie crust but let’s be honest- the filling is where it’s at! The best part is that these are a much more wholesome version of pop tarts. With fermented grains that are easy to digest and low sugar to help little brains learn all day long, the health benefits are a no-brainer!

Pop Tarts: The Homemade Version

I have a strange hobby of taking classically “unhealthy” snack food and figuring out a way to make it healthier… and better. Pop-tarts got me through college early mornings… Before I cared about how much sugar and non-fermented grain they contained… the good news is you can still have ALL the delicious pop-tart flavor without all that processed sugar!

My mom was slightly ahead of her time and what we all refer to now as “crunchy”. That meant that I grew up on soaked oats, and sourdough discard pancakes before it was cool. BUT, when we stayed at our Nana’s house it was all about lucky charms, and last but not least smores flavored pop tarts!

Pop tarts have the power of nostalgia. Even though in all honesty, store-bought pop tarts aren’t anything to write home about… But let me tell you, THESE sourdough poptarts are incredible! With simple ingredients, no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, these pop tarts are the best option for breakfast!

The best thing about these delicious pop tarts is the filling is customizable… The options are endless. There’s something for everyone here and your kids will be obsessed!

Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Poptarts:

• Extra flaky: I don’t know what it is about this pie crust recipe. I use it for my famous French Quiche Lorraine and people rave about it every time. The flaky layers are unbelievable. You have to try it to understand.
• Fast and easy: This pop tart dough freezes wonderfully. Consider doubling the recipe and throwing some in the freezer for fast breakfasts! In addition, you can cook up some preserves but in a pinch, I love using THESE organic fruit preserves for an easy, yummy filling!
• Crowd pleaser: There is very little to dislike here. Your kids are gonna love these, promise! For more kid-friendly recipes check out our favorite sourdough discard granola bars

Sourdough Discard Versus Active Sourdough Starter 

If you are thinking “What’s the difference between sourdough discard and active sourdough starter?” – You aren’t alone! This is one of the confusing things about sourdough that TRULY isn’t all that complicated.

Discard starter is the sourdough starter in its NONACTIVE state- This means, no bubbles. Not yet fed. How my starter is when I’ve just pulled it out off the fridge or when it’s on the counter but I haven’t fed it in 8 hours or so. 

Active sourdough is bubbly and doubled in size. Typically 4-8 hours after it’s been fed is the most active phase. Active starter acts as a leaven and will make bread, rolls or cakes rise! Discard adds some fermentation properties (specifically if it’s been left to ferment for a longer time) but most of the time will not cause anything to rise. It adds a little bit of tang to your recipes which my kids (and I) absolutley love! 

Tips + Tricks for Making Homemade Sourdough Poptarts:

• Make sure your butter is super cold! I throw mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes before I need it.
• A pastry cutter is a MUST, otherwise, you have to use your hands which melt the butter which as I mentioned before needs to be COLD.
• Make sure to brush egg wash on all the edges of the pop tart. This makes it stick so much better and not pop open in the oven!
• Make sure you let the sourdough poptarts completely cool before adding icing. Then let them dry again before storing otherwise you’ll end up with a mess.

Supplies:

• rolling pin
• baking sheet
• plastic wrap or parchment paper
• small bowl
• cheese grater
• pizza cutter
• bench scraper
• large bowl
• cooling rack
• sharp knife
• Large mixing bowl
• pastry brush

Ingredients to Make Homemade Sourdough Poptarts:

Pie Dough:

• Sourdough discard
• Cold butter
• All purpose flour
• Sugar
• White vinegar
• Cold water

Filling:

You can opt for homemade strawberry jam or jelly but in a pinch, I like to buy THIS brand of organic strawberry preserves.

• Your favorite flavors of fruit preserves, jelly or jam. (I use organic, low sugar).

Glaze:

• Powdered sugar
• Milk
• Sprinkles, or whatever toppings you prefer.

Let’s Get Started: Making Homemade Sourdough Poptarts!

Dough:

Step 1:

Begin by removing butter from the fridge. Using a cheese grater, grate butter into a bowl and place grated butter into the freezer. This is the best method to avoid having too-warm butter which will ruin the consistency of your pie crust. Leave the butter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

Step 2:

In the meantime, mix AP flour and sugar in a large bowl and set aside. You can omit the sugar if you are making this crust for savory pies or just want to avoid sugar but I like the sweet flavor it adds and it’s a very small amount.

Step 3:

After the butter has been chilled, remove from the freezer and mix with the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or two forks cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mix is grainy and the butter is the size of small peas. Don’t overwork the mixture.

Step 4:

Next, add sourdough discard and vinegar to the bowl. Using your hands, knead the mixture to bring it into a shaggy dough. This mixture will be extremely dry so I prefer to turn it out onto the counter to better knead it together. If the mix is too dry and not turning into dough, add about 1-2 teaspoons of ice water at a time until the dough comes together. Just be very cautious not to overdo it with the water or it will ruin the consistency of the dough.

Bring the dough into a ball and then flatten the ball into a disc. Wrap the disc in a piece of plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill.

TIP: This recipe makes enough for a top and bottom of pie dough. I like to store 1 crust in the freezer for quiche or pie and use the other half for these pop tarts!

Step 5:

Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours to fully hydrate the dough.

Long Ferment Option:

I prefer to leave this pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 24-48 hours. This gives the dough more time to ferment and become more digestible so you reap the true benefits of sourdough! But in a pinch, 2 hours is all you need! It will turn out great either way.

While the dough is chilling, create an egg wash. I like to use one egg yolk and add a splash of water. Mix well.

Assembly:

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust your counter space and rolling pin with flour and turn the dough out onto the lightly floured surface. It will be stiff at this point and take a little effort to roll out. I like to break the dough into 2-3 sections and work with it that way. Using a rolling pin, create a large rectangle of pie crust that is about 1/8th inch thick.

Step 2:

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into long strips about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. You will be folding the dough in half over on itself so make sure the strips are long enough. After strips are cut, using a pastry brush, lightly brush egg wash along all the sides of your rectangles.

I like to transfer the strips to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet at this point. It’s hard to handle the pop tarts once they are assembled without making a mess!

Step 3:

It’s time to fill your pop tarts. I’m not usually motivated enough to cook jam but if that’s you- go for it! I like to use an organic, sugar-free fruit jam/spread to fill these bad boys. It tastes just as good as the super sugary poptart fillings but SO much healthier. Use a spoon to place about 1 TBS of jam on one side of the rectangle.

Flavor Ideas:

We’ve done so many different options with these but here are some of our favorites:

• Blueberry Explosion: Organic blueberry jam + vanilla glaze and blue sprinkles
• Peaches & Cream: Peach preserves plus a super creamy glaze and a large granule sugar such as turbinado on top
• Frosted Strawberry: The classic. Strawberry jam + vanilla glaze and FUN sprinkles. (HERE is organic if you’re interested)
• Brown Sugar Filling: Mix ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ tablespoon flour in a bowl, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Place 1 TBS of the mixture per pop tart. Top with vanilla glaze and cinnamon on top.
• Smores: Add 1 TBS of Nutella per pop tart. Add a few mini marshmallows in before sealing. Top with more warm Nutella drizzles.

You don’t want to overload these… But you also don’t want them to be all dough. I’ve found the sweet spot to be about 1 TBS. Also, ensure that you’ve rolled your dough out thin enough or these will be super bready and less “tart-y”.

Fold the top half of the rectangle dough strip over on itself and crimp the edges with a fork. Make sure you crimp the edges well so the pop-tarts don’t open in the oven. You can also add a small slash on the top of the pop tart to vent if you are having issues with them popping open.

Step 4:

Grab the egg wash from step 5 and lightly brush the tops. If you don’t plan to add a glaze, I like to sprinkle the tops with turbinado or another large granule sugar for a little pizzazz.

Step 5:

Place pop tarts in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Glaze:

Step 1:

Mix powdered sugar, milk/cream, and vanilla until a thin glaze forms.

Tip: Here’s where you can be creative. Add some strawberry extract, or other natural flavoring you love. Add sprinkles, cocoa nibs, mini chocolate chips, etc… The options are endless!

Step 2:

After pop tarts are at room temperature, drizzle glaze over the top of each pop tart until they are evenly coated. Top with colorful sprinkles or toppings of your choice for a fun treat!

Storage:

Store pop tarts in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These pop-tarts can also be frozen for up to 1 month. I recommend waiting to glaze if you plan to freeze. Pull pop tarts out of the freezer when you are ready to eat them, thaw them out, and then apply glaze.

Share These Sourdough Poptarts With a Friend!

If you love this recipe, please share it with your friends and family! These sourdough pop tarts are SO yummy, easy to make, store, freeze, and perfect for sharing. Happy Baking!

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