Pop-Tarts just had to make an appearance in my Gilmore Girls–inspired recipe series. They’re such a fun part of the show, and this homemade brown sugar cinnamon version has all that nostalgic toaster-pastry goodness with an easy homemade twist.

I’m keeping these simple with refrigerated pie crust, so there’s no need to make pastry dough from scratch. They’re filled with buttery brown sugar and cinnamon, baked until golden then finished with a sweet cinnamon glaze. Grab one with a big cup of coffee and you’ve got a breakfast that would fit right in at Stars Hollow.

Ingredients

Pop-Tarts

• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Cinnamon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Unroll the pie crusts and gently roll each one slightly thinner. Trim the rounded edges and cut into 16 roughly equal rectangles.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour.
4. Place 8 pastry rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush each with melted butter, leaving a small border around the edges.
5. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar cinnamon filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping the edges clear.
6. Whisk together the egg and water. Lightly brush the exposed edges of the pastry with the egg wash.
7. Place the remaining pastry rectangles on top. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork to seal. Poke the tops a few times with a fork to allow steam to escape.
8. Lightly brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the Pop-Tarts to cool completely.
10. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Spread the glaze over the cooled Pop-Tarts and let it set before serving.

Makes: 8 Pop-Tarts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 15–18 minutes

Easy Tip

Try not to overfill the Pop-Tarts. Leaving a border around the brown sugar filling makes the edges much easier to seal and helps keep all that cinnamon goodness inside while they bake.

This is an unofficial fan-inspired recipe and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the creators, producers or rights holders of Gilmore Girls.