Enjoy these pink cherry Pop-Tart hearts made with crisp crust, filled with cherry pastry filling, and topped with cherry icing and red sprinkles.
Love is sweet - and so are these adorable cherry Pop-Tart hearts! Whether you’re whipping them up for Valentine’s Day, a sweet pink treat for a baby or bridal shower, or just to satisfy your own craving, these flaky, fruity pastries are delicious to make.
I used the dough recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipe’s homemade frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts, which I have made numerous times and they are so good!
I changed the refrigeration/chilled dough part of the instructions because I don’t feel it needs chilled. I’ve skipped it each time I’ve made them and never had issues.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- White Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Water
- Cherry Pastry Filling (I used Solo brand) not cherry pie filling with cherries; needs to be a smoother consistency that cherry pastry filling has
- Large Egg
- Water
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Maraschino Cherry Juice
- Red Sugar Sprinkles
Tools Needed
- 2 ½-inch Heart Cookie Cutter
- Rolling Pin
How to Make Cherry Pop-Tart Hearts
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use a fork or a pastry cutter to combine. The mixture will become granular. Slowly add water to the bowl and mix until you can form the dough into a ball with your hands.
- Divide the dough in two. Mine weighed 14 ounces each if you use a scale.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball of dough into ⅛″ thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts. Place the hearts on the baking sheet.
- Add cherry pie filling to the bottom hearts ¼″ from the edges.
- Roll out the other ball of dough to ⅛″ and cut hearts again. Place the hearts on top of the filled bottom hearts. Use a fork to crimp the edges closed.
- In a small dish, scramble an egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of each heart with egg wash.
- Bake the heart pop-tarts in the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown. Place on a cooling rack to fully cool.
- Meanwhile, make the icing by combining powdered sugar, maraschino cherry juice, and milk. If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar. It should not be thick frosting, but it should also not be so runny it runs down the sides of the pop-tarts.
- Once the pop-tarts have fully cooled, add a layer of cherry icing on top and red sugar sprinkles. The icing sets quickly, so be sure to sprinkle immediately.
Make-Ahead
These can be made ahead of time by following the directions up until you bake them. They can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours before baking.
Freezing
Assemble the pop-tarts, but don’t bake them. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours).
Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. They can be stored in the freezer for 3 months.
They can be baked from frozen. Add 3-5 minutes to the usual baking time.
Storing Leftovers
Store cherry pop-tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Recommended Recipes
- Candy Cane Cherry Strudel
- Cherry Cheesecake Bites
- Cherry Cheesecake Cookie Cups
- Cherry Cheesecake Drop Cookies
- Cherry Chip Cupcakes
- Cherry Puff Pastry Turnovers
- Strawberry Shortcake Drop Cookies
Cherry Pop-Tart Hearts
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons White Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Butter cubed
- ½ cup Water
- 12 ounces Cherry Pastry Filling (I used Solo brand) not cherry pie filling with cherries; needs to be a smoother consistency that cherry pastry filling has
Egg Wash
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tablespoon Water
Icing
- 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 4 teaspoons Milk
- 1 tablespoon Maraschino Cherry Juice
- Red Sugar Sprinkles
Tools
- 2 ½ inch Heart Cookie Cutter
- Rolling Pin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use a fork or a pastry cutter to combine. The mixture will become granular. Slowly add water to the bowl and mix until you can form the dough into a ball with your hands. Divide the dough in two. Mine weighed 14 ounces each if you use a scale.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball of dough into ⅛" thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts. Place the hearts on the baking sheet.
- Add cherry pie filling to the bottom hearts ¼" from the edges.
- Roll out the other ball of dough to ⅛" and cut hearts again. Place the hearts on top of the filled bottom hearts. Use a fork to crimp the edges closed.
- In a small dish, scramble an egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of each heart with egg wash.
- Bake the heart pop-tarts in the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown. Place on a cooling rack to fully cool.
- Meanwhile, make the icing by combining powdered sugar, maraschino cherry juice, and milk. If it's too thick, add more milk. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. It should not be thick frosting, but it should also not be so runny it runs down the sides of the pop-tarts.
- Once the pop-tarts have fully cooled, add a layer of cherry icing on top and red sugar sprinkles. The icing sets quickly, so be sure to sprinkle immediately.
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