This Pop Tart Gingerbread House is made with homemade pie crust, a delicious cinnamon brown sugar filling, and a simple icing. This giant pop tart is fun to decorate and perfect for the holidays!
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There’s so much to love about this recipe! It’s a giant pop tart. It’s also a pop tart gingerbread house that you can eat! This pop tart makes a fun treat for any holiday breakfast or brunch!
This pop tart was inspired by my Giant Easter Egg Pop Tart. It’s a fun activity to decorate with kids. It is also a special treat for Christmas breakfast or brunch.
For more pop tart recipes, try my Giant Strawberry Pop Tart and my Chocolate Pop Tarts.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s the perfect fun treat for a holiday brunch.
- The buttery, flaky dough will have you looking forward to the next bite!
- The dough comes together in minutes thanks to the food processor. You can also use store-bought pie crust or puff pastry.
- This giant pop tart is easier than individual pop tarts.
- The filling and icing is perfectly sweet and warmly spiced.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some useful notes on the ingredients for this special Christmas pop tart.
- Flour: I recommend all purpose flour. It makes for a nice tender, flaky crust.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the dough.
- Salt: Salt brings out the overall flavor of the dough.
- Light brown sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness and a warm flavor to the filling.
- Cinnamon: We are using cinnamon in the dough, the filling and the icing. I love the warm, sweet flavor cinnamon adds.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter since the amount of salt in salted butter can vary depending on the brand. It is important to use cold butter. Cold butter helps make the crust nice and flaky.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of making your own pie crust from scratch, use store bought pie crust or puff pastry.
- Use your favorite sprinkles to decorate.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are the directions on how to make and bake this pop tart house.
Step One: Make the dough. In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water one tablespoon at a time. Mix until just combined.
Turn dough out of the food processor. Divide it in half. Form each half into a flat oval disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Place dough in the refrigerator to chill and rest for 30 minutes.
Step Two: Roll out the dough. Flour your counter. Leave one disk in the refrigerator. Roll the other disk out to a 9 by 12 inch rectangle. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the rectangle and cut out the shape of the house.
Step Three: Carefully transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the fridge. Roll out second disk the same size as the first one. Place it on a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step Four: Make the filling and prepare the egg wash. Make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, salt and vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, whisk to combine the egg and water.
Step Five: Assemble the pop tart. Brush the edges of the bottom layer with the egg wash. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving about a one inch border. Place the top crust over the bottom crust. Press the edges of the dough to seal the crusts together. Use a fork to crimp all the edges. Use a fork or a toothpick to poke holes throughout the dough and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step Five: Bake. Remove dough from fridge and brush allover with the egg wash. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown.
Step Six: Make the icing. While the pop tart cools, mix together the icing.
Cinnamon icing: powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk or cream.
Simple powdered sugar icing: Make the simple powdered sugar icing, if desired. Mix together the powdered sugar and milk or heavy cream.
Step Seven: Decorate: Spoon or spread the cinnamon icing over the cooled pop tart. Use a piping bag or a zip lock sandwich bag with a corner snipped off to decorate with the powdered sugar icing. While icing is still wet, sprinkle with sprinkles or sanding sugar, if you like!
Allow icing to set for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Hint: Roll out scraps and cut them into other pop tart shapes. Fill with extra filling.
Expert Tips
Make sure your pie dough ingredients are cold. Use cold butter and cold water. Place the butter in the fridge for a few minutes after cubing it.
Don’t add too much water to the dough. Add just enough water to bind the dough together.
Don’t worry about it being perfect. Imperfections in the dough or icing add to the charm of this homemade gingerbread house.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can make these into small gingerbread house pop tarts or just regular sized pop tarts. Roll the dough out to a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Cut the dough into 3 x 4 inch rectangles. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle. Leave about a 1/4 inch border.
This pop tart is delicious frosted or unfrosted. I like to frost mine but leave the sides unfrosted. This helps people to see that it’s actually a pop tart. 🙂
Store this pop tart gingerbread house in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Freeze the unglazed pop tart in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature. Reheat in oven, if desired. Allow to cool then ice and decorate as desired.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Gingerbread Pop Tart House
Ingredients
Pop Tart Crust
- 2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) salt
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 3-4 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) water cold
Egg Wash
- 1 (1) egg
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) water
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Cinnamon Icing
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) whole milk, heavy cream or water
Powdered Sugar Icing
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Pop Tart Dough
- Fill a small bowl with some cold water and an ice cube. Set aside. Chop butter into cubes and place in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes while you assemble the dry ingredients.
- In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the dough resembles wet sand. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time while continuing to pulse mixture until it is just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Divide dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Loosely wrap each ball in plastic wrap and gently press each dough ball into a flat oval disk. Place each disk in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to two days.*
- Make the cinnamon brown sugar filling and prepare the egg wash while the dough chills. See recipes below. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- I recommend cutting out a gingerbread house template** out of parchment paper. This will help make sure both sheets of dough are the same size.
- Generously flour your counter. When ready to assemble the pop tart, remove one disk from the fridge. Gently roll the first disk out on your floured counter into a rectangle 9″ x 12″ in size. Use a pizza cutter or knife to trim the edges.
- Carefully transfer dough to the baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the fridge. Roll out second disk the same size as the first one.
- Brush the edge of the first crust with a 1-inch border of egg wash. Spoon and spread a thick layer of the cinnamon brown sugar filling over the dough. Leave a 1 inch border.
- Carefully place the top crust over the bottom crust. Gently press the edges of the dough with your finger tips to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Use a fork or a toothpick to poke holes throughout the dough and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove dough from fridge and brush allover with the egg wash. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Remove from heat and allow to cool before icing.
Egg Wash
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling
- Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, vanilla and salt. Spread over the pop tart.
Cinnamon Icing
- Stir together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, heavy cream or milk, and vanilla.
Powdered Sugar Icing
- Stir together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, milk, and vanilla.
Decorating the Pop Tart
- Use the back of a spoon, an offset spatula or a spatula to spread the cinnamon icing over the gingerbread house.
- To add the look of snow, pipe some powdered sugar icing over the roof and windows of the house. Use a piping bag with a small round tip or spoon or pour icing to a sandwich bag and snip off the corner.
- While icing is still wet, sprinkle some sprinkles or sanding sugar on the icing, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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