Strawberry Pop Tart Sugar Cookies Recipe
Strawberry Pop Tart Sugar Cookies combine the nostalgic flavors of pop tarts with the delightful texture of sugar cookies. These homemade treats feature a buttery, fluffy cookie base filled with sweet strawberry jam, sealed into a sandwich cookie, and optionally decorated with icing and sprinkles for a fun, kid-friendly dessert perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies (12 sandwich cookies) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (Substitute with gluten-free blend if needed.)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened (Can be replaced with vegan butter.)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar (Swap for low-calorie alternatives if desired.)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 large Eggs (Use flaxseed meal as a vegan substitute.)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract (Optional; omit if nut allergies are a concern.)
Fillings and Decorations
- 1 cup Strawberry Jam or Preserves (Can be switched with other flavors.)
- 1 cup Sprinkles (Optional based on personal preference.)
- Optional: Icing made from powdered sugar and milk for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until fully combined. Set aside this dry mixture.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter together with granulated sugar and powdered sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light in color, approximately 3-4 minutes. This step is important for cookie texture.
- Add eggs and extracts: Mix in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next. Then stir in the vanilla extract and optional almond extract, blending well.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough which can toughen the cookies.
- Form cookie dough balls: Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough and slightly flatten them. For half of these cookies, create a small well in the center to hold the strawberry jam.
- Assemble cookies: Spoon strawberry jam into the wells on the flattened dough discs. Place another cookie disc on top of each filled one. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork to enclose the jam entirely.
- Bake: Place the assembled cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. This ensures they are cooked through but remain soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. This helps them set and prevents breakage.
- Optional finishing touches: Drizzle with icing made from powdered sugar mixed with a small amount of milk, and sprinkle with colorful sprinkles for a festive look.
Notes
- You can substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend to make these cookies gluten-free.
- For a vegan version, replace butter with vegan butter and eggs with flaxseed meal mixed with water (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water per egg).
- If you have nut allergies, omit the almond extract and consider using other flavor extracts like lemon or extra vanilla.
- Using room temperature butter and eggs helps in achieving the right dough consistency.
- Be careful not to overmix once combining dry and wet ingredients to keep cookies tender.
- If you prefer a different filling, swap strawberry jam for raspberry, apricot, or any fruit preserve of your choice.
Keywords: strawberry pop tart cookies, sugar cookies, jam-filled cookies, nostalgic treats, sandwich cookies, homemade desserts
