Store-Bought Pie Crust Is The Easy Way To Hack Your Homemade Pop-Tarts Recipe

Pop-Tarts were one of our favorite childhood breakfasts. We have fond memories of grabbing silver packets from the box, popping the pastries in the microwave or the toaster, and diving into a warm pastry filled with a decadent, often far-too-sweet filling. The good news is that you can still enjoy Pop-Tarts in adulthood, and even try to whip up a homemade batch for yourself. 

The filling and the glaze are the easier parts of constructing DIY Pop-Tarts; it's the crust that gives us a headache. But, luckily, you can pick up a store-bought pie crust at the grocery store and have all of the work done for you. You'll want to grab the sheets of pie crust from the refrigerated section of the store; avoid anything that's pre-shaped into a pie tin. From there, you can easily slice small rectangles using a sharp knife or pizza wheel before adding your fillings and sealing the top and the bottom of the crust together with a fork. Just be sure to poke a couple of steam holes on the top piece of crust; this will prevent your Pop-Tarts from coming out too puffy or misshapen. 

This handy way to hack your Pop-Tarts will likely leave you with an excess of pie crust lying around. You might have a ton of scraps from the dough, or an extra sheet of pie crust crammed into the box. Lucky for you, you can use up your leftover pie crust for other things. If you don't have a lot left, you can always slice the dough into small squares, add a wash and a sprinkle of seasoning, and toss them in the oven for quick, savory crackers. Or, you can channel what the crust was actually intended for and make small apple hand pies. While these tiny pastries are excellent fried, you could also opt to bake them in the oven or the air-fryer for a less oil-laden snack. 

For larger amounts of leftover crust, you may consider repurposing it for a breakfast quiche or a fruit pie. Using the store-bought version of this product will not only save you the aggravation of getting the perfect consistency for your dough, but it will also allow you to channel your efforts and energy into making delectable fillings.