Homemade Sourdough Pop Tarts with Jam Filling
These sourdough discard pop tarts have a flaky, buttery crust and a fruity strawberry jam filling. They’re topped with a strawberry glaze (and sprinkles, because of course!) that makes these homemade sourdough pop tarts far better than the store-bought version.

These homemade sourdough pop tarts are insanely delicious! I used my sourdough pie crust recipe to make them and they turned out just lovely. They were devoured in no time.
I love making sourdough bread, but at the beginning of my journey, I was throwing out the extra sourdough discard. It’s such a shame because the possibilities are endless when it comes to sourdough discard recipes.
So, *don’t* throw it out! Save it to make sourdough pretzels with beer cheese dip, sourdough cake pops, or baked sourdough chocolate frosted doughnuts.

Ingredients

- All-Purpose Flour – I love King Arthur brand, but anything works!
- Granulated Sugar – Just a little is needed here.
- Salt
- Butter – I use salted butter. If you’re using unsalted, just add 1/4 teaspoon extra of salt to the dough.
- Sourdough Discard – I use inactive sourdough discard. You can also use active, bubbly sourdough if you wish.
- Cold Water – The colder the better! We are using just enough water to get the dough together. In the winter, I tend to use more water. In the summer, I use less, so it really can vary depending on the humidity in your home.
- Egg – This will be mixed with the heavy cream for the egg wash, which you’ll brush over the top of the pop tarts.
- Heavy Cream – This will be used for the egg wash. You’ll also use some to mix with the powdered sugar and jam to make the strawberry glaze.
- Strawberry Jam – The jam is used as the filling for these pop tarts and also goes in to the glaze to give it some color and flavor!
- Powdered Sugar – This is used as the sweetener for the glaze.
- Sprinkles – Optional, but really adds some beauty to these sourdough pop tarts!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Grate the butter and set aside (seriously, it’s a game changer for a buttery, flaky crust). A cheese grater works perfectly. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a big bowl.

Add grated butter. Mix until it looks like crumbly sand. Then, stir in your sourdough discard and cold water until a dough forms.
Use your hands to work the dough together. If you find that the dough is still too crumbly, add up to an extra 1/4 cup of water (just add a little at a time).

Once the dough is formed into a ball, divide it into two disks, wrap them up in plastic wrap, and pop them in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 3 days.
This gives the dough time to chill. *Do not* skip this step!

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Grab one dough disk and roll it out on a floured surface. Aim for about 1/8-inch thickness.
I like actually to measure out the rectangles (3×5 inches). You can do this for one rectangle and then use that one to measure out the rest. Or you can eyeball it!

Cut it into rectangles—3×5 inches is perfect. Repeat with the second disk.

Place half the rectangles on your baking sheet. Spoon 1 tablespoon of jam onto the center of each one. Spread it out just a bit but leave the edges clean.

Place a second rectangle on top, and press the edges with a fork to seal. Pop the baking sheets in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill (this helps prevent them from puffing up too much).
After the pop tarts chill, whisk an egg with a splash of cream, then brush it over the tops of your pop tarts. This gives them that gorgeous golden glow. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of the pop tarts.

Pop the baking sheets in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pop tarts are golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through so the top one goes on the bottom and vice versa. Let them cool completely—this is the hardest part, but trust me, it’s worth it.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, jam, and heavy cream. Spread over the top of the cooled pop tarts and add some sprinkles if you wish. Enjoy!

Fun Tip For These Sourdough Pop Tarts
Instead of using the traditional rectangle pop tart shape, you can use cookie cutters to make fun shapes like hearts! Perfect for Valentine’s Day! Christmas trees for Christmas? Shamrocks for St. Patty’s Day? I mean, the possibilities are truly endless.
Tips for the Best Sourdough Pop Tarts
- Use Cold Ingredients! Keep the butter in the fridge until you’re just about to use it. Cold butter helps create the buttery, flaky pastry crust we’re looking for.
- Make the Crust the Day Before. Save yourself some time by making the crust the day before you want to make the pop tarts. It saves time instead of waiting for the crust to complete its chill time.
- Play with the Flavor! If you don’t have strawberry jam or you want to use other flavors, feel free! Other flavored jams or curds would make great fillings for these pop tarts.

Homemade Sourdough Pop Tarts with Jam Filling
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons salted butter 2 sticks of cold butter
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 1/4 cup cold water plus an extra 1/4 cup if necessary
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Strawberry Jam Filling
- 8 tablespoons strawberry jam 1 tablespoon per pop tart
Strawberry Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Grate the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the grated butter and mix until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sourdough discard and cold water.
- Mix the dough with your hands until it all comes together. (Add up to 1/4 cup extra water if necessary to get the dough together).
- Divide dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out one disk on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Keep the other disk in the fridge until you're ready to roll it out.
- Cut into 3×5-inch rectangles. Place half the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon of jam to the center of each, allowing about 1/2 inch of space around the sides. Top with remaining rectangles, pressing down around the edges with your fingers and then a fork to seal.
- Pop the baking sheets in the fridge (or freezer) to chill for 20 minutes. This helps prevent them from spreading too much.
- Once they're done chilling, whisk the egg and heavy cream together for the egg wash, then brush over the tops of the pop tarts.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before you top with the glaze.
- For the glaze, mix powdered sugar, jam, and heavy cream. Spread over cooled pop tarts and decorate with sprinkles.
These pop-tarts (more like toaster strudels, because they have such an incredible pastry crust) are SO good! If you make them, I’d love it if you left a review letting me know what you thought of them!