Who needs store-bought pop tarts when you can make them at home? These flaky pop tarts are filled with rich Nutella, coated in a sweet vanilla glaze, and decorated to charm even the pickiest goblins and ghouls. They’re perfect for a Halloween breakfast, a seasonal treat, or any time you want a nostalgic, homemade pastry with a fun twist.
This year I’ve been on a ghost kick—after making ghost marshmallows, I couldn’t resist turning classic pop tarts into little ghost pastries. Cute, seasonal, and chocolatey? Yes, please. The dough is essentially a basic pie crust, which results in a tender, flaky exterior that contrasts beautifully with the creamy filling. If you’re short on time, store-bought pie dough will work fine, but homemade dough gives the best texture.
Prefer to watch the process?
(Video removed.)
How to make ghost pop tarts
First, prepare your dough. This is a standard pie dough made of flour, cold butter, a bit of sugar and salt, and ice water. Chill it so the butter firms up and the gluten relaxes.
Second, roll the dough and cut out ghost shapes with a large cookie cutter. Add a small spoonful of Nutella (or another filling) to each ghost. A little goes a long way—about two teaspoons per tart is enough.
Third, wet the edges with a little water, top with a matching ghost cutout, and press the edges together. Use a fork to crimp and seal the pastries.
Fourth, poke a few vents in the tops and bake until golden brown.
Finally, dip each pop tart in the warm glaze so it forms a thin shell, press on two nonpareils for eyes, and once the glaze is set, add a dusting of pink powdered coloring for cheeks.
How to make perfect pop tart ghosts
Never made pop tarts before? No problem. These tips will help you get great results on the first try:
- Always chill your dough for at least 30 minutes. Chilling relaxes gluten and firms the fat, which yields flakier layers.
- You can make the dough up to two days ahead and keep it refrigerated.
- Don’t overfill. Nutella is tempting, but too much filling will leak and prevent a proper seal.
- Cook the glaze gently. A little heat helps the glaze set into a crisp shell, which is handy for packing or gifting. If the glaze thickens too much, stir in ½ teaspoon water at a time until it’s spreadable.
- Store finished pop tarts at room temperature in an airtight container. Reheat in short bursts in the microwave—10 seconds at a time—if desired. Do not use a toaster for reheating these filled pastries.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out. Share a photo on Instagram with the handle @thesimplesweetlifeblog and tag it #thesimplesweetlife so I can see your creations.
Recipe
Pop Tart Ghosts
Rating: 4.8 from 4 reviews
Who wants store-bought pop tarts when you can make your own? These flaky pastries are filled with Nutella, glazed with a vanilla shell, and decorated as friendly ghosts.
- Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the pop tarts:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
- ¼ cup Nutella (or another filling)
For the glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp milk (or as needed to reach desired consistency)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Black nonpareils for eyes
- Pink powdered food coloring for cheeks
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and work it in until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together; you may not need all the water.
- Divide the dough in two, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Roll the first disc on a lightly floured surface to about 9″ × 12″. Use a large ghost cookie cutter to cut 8 shapes.
- Place about two teaspoons of Nutella in the center of each ghost, leaving roughly ⅓” of space around the edges.
- Roll the remaining dough and cut 8 more ghosts to top the filled ones.
- Moisten the edges of the filled pastries with water, cover with a top ghost, and press the edges together. Seal with a fork.
- Poke a few small vents in the top of each pop tart with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat, stirring, until it is warm and just beginning to form a thin crust on the surface. Remove from heat.
- Dip each cooled pop tart into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Stir the glaze between dips to prevent crusting.
- Press two black nonpareils into each tart for eyes while the glaze is still wet.
- After the glaze has set (about 30 minutes), use a tiny brush and pink powdered coloring to add rosy cheeks.
Notes
- Chill the dough to improve flakiness. Refrigerating for at least 30 minutes helps the butter firm up and the gluten relax.
- You can prepare the dough up to two days ahead and keep it refrigerated.
- Avoid overfilling to prevent leaks and broken seals.
- Cook the glaze gently so it forms a crisp shell. If it thickens too much, add small amounts of water to loosen it.
- Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container. Reheat briefly in the microwave if desired; do not use a toaster.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pop tart
- Calories: 554
- Sugar: 52.2 g
- Sodium: 316 mg
- Fat: 26.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 17.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 77.4 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
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- Ghost marshmallows
- Ghastly candy bark
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