Ghostly Pop Tarts are an absolute delight, combining spooky charm with irresistible sweetness! Perfect for your upcoming Halloween party, a fun surprise breakfast for the kids, or simply a festive snack, these treats are incredibly versatile. They are remarkably easy to create, requiring just a handful of common ingredients. Each tart is lovingly filled with vibrant cherry jam, generously frosted, and then brought to life with adorable or eerie facial expressions using black decorator icing. Children and adults alike will fall in love with these delicious homemade pop tarts!
Crafting Your Own Spooky Homemade Pop Tarts
Don’t let the idea of making your own homemade pop tarts send shivers down your spine! This process is surprisingly straightforward and incredibly rewarding. You’ll be amazed at how little time it takes, especially when you leverage clever shortcuts like refrigerated pie crusts and store-bought cherry jam. The delightful frosting is a simple mix of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk, creating a smooth, sweet glaze that perfectly complements the fruity filling. Imagine the excitement as the aroma fills your home, pulling the family out of bed faster than you can shout “Boo!” These Halloween pop tarts are sure to become a beloved spooky season tradition.
This recipe was developed as part of #HalloweenTreatsWeek, a fantastic celebration of all things deliciously spooky! Special thanks to Dixie Crystals Sugar for providing samples; however, all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
Welcome to #HalloweenTreatsWeek!
Get ready for the most thrilling time of the year! As Halloween draws near, it’s time for this year’s highly anticipated #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipe and giveaway event! This annual blogging extravaganza is graciously hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. It’s a truly creepy, haunting, and week-long celebration brimming with incredibly wicked Halloween treats, innovative recipes, and frightfully fun giveaways. Prepare yourself for a journey into a world where culinary creativity meets spooky charm, offering endless inspiration for your seasonal festivities. As the old saying goes, “When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ’tis near Halloween.” And what better way to embrace the spirit than with delightful, easy-to-make treats?
These homemade Pop Tart ghosts are not only easy to prepare but also notoriously quick to vanish! One moment they’re lined up on your cooling rack, their sweet, ghostly faces peering up at you; the next, they’ve disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the faint sounds of munching and crunching. Resistance is futile when it comes to these enchanting morsels. And trust me, those happy, frosting-smeared smiles from everyone who enjoys them? Those are the sweetest memories you won’t be able to get out of your head.
The Essential Ingredients for Simple Ghost Pop Tarts
The Essential Ingredients for Simple Ghost Pop TartsCreating these adorable Ghostly Pop Tarts requires only a few accessible ingredients, making them an ideal last-minute treat for any Halloween gathering or a fun baking project with the kids. Here’s a comprehensive list of what you’ll need, along with a few helpful notes:
- Refrigerated Pie Crust: This is your secret weapon for speed and simplicity. While homemade pie crust is wonderful, the pre-made option saves significant time and effort, allowing you to focus on the fun decorating part. You’ll typically need one package containing two crusts.
- Egg White & Water (for Egg Wash): A simple mix that acts as the “glue” to seal your pop tarts and gives them that beautiful golden-brown sheen when baked.
- Cherry Jam: The classic choice for that vibrant, “spooky” red burst of flavor inside your ghost. However, feel free to experiment with other red jams like raspberry or strawberry for a similar effect.
- Powdered Sugar: The foundation for your smooth, sweet vanilla frosting. Ensure it’s sifted to avoid lumps.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, comforting flavor to the frosting, a perfect contrast to the fruity jam.
- Milk: Used to adjust the consistency of your frosting, allowing you to achieve a thick glaze that coats the pop tarts beautifully.
- Black Decorator Icing: Essential for drawing those charming or menacing ghost faces. You can find this in tubes or small tubs at most grocery stores or craft shops.
You’ll also need some cookie cutters to achieve the perfect ghostly shape. These specialized cutters become readily available in stores like Target, Walmart, and dollar stores for a month or two leading up to Halloween. If you can’t find them locally, you can easily find various ghost-shaped cookie cutters on Amazon, ensuring you’re fully equipped for your spooky baking adventure. Don’t limit yourself to ghosts; bats, pumpkins, or even spooky cat shapes could work just as well!
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Halloween Ghost Poptarts
Preparing Your Pie Crust
Begin with your refrigerated pie crust. Unroll it gently onto a lightly floured surface. To ensure even baking and a consistent final product, roll it out slightly to achieve a thickness of about 1/6 of an inch. While you can certainly make your own homemade pie crust from scratch, using pre-made dough is a fantastic time-saver, especially when you’re caught in the Halloween hustle. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, or perhaps possessed by a supernatural baking spirit, feel free to go the extra mile! Once rolled, use your ghost-shaped cookie cutters to cut out your eerie little spirits. For best results, try to get as many cutouts as possible from each crust to minimize waste, re-rolling scraps if necessary.
While not strictly necessary, lining your baking sheet with Halloween-inspired parchment paper can add an extra layer of festive fun. Does it make them taste better? Perhaps it’s the secret ingredient, much like the “Eye of Newt” in a witch’s brew, but most likely, it simply adds a touch of visual magic. It definitely doesn’t contribute to flavor, but it certainly looks pretty cool and makes cleanup a breeze! I found this adorable Hocus Pocus parchment at Home Goods, proving that presentation can be just as important as taste for holiday treats.
Assembling Your Ghostly Creations
Once your ghostly shapes are cut, carefully arrange half of them on your prepared cookie sheet. These will form the bottom layer of your pop tarts. Ensure they are spaced adequately to prevent them from touching as they bake and expand.
Now for the delicious filling! Place about a teaspoonful of your chosen jam (cherry, raspberry, or strawberry work wonderfully) right in the center of each ghost cutout. It’s crucial to resist the temptation to add more jam than this. Overfilling can lead to messy leaks during baking, which might compromise the seal and overall appearance of your homemade pop tarts. A small, neat dollop is all you need for that perfect burst of fruity flavor.
To ensure a strong seal and prevent any jam from escaping, prepare an egg wash by whisking one egg white with a tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush this egg wash around the edges of each jam-filled ghost cutout. This creates a sticky surface for the top crust to adhere to.
Take another ghost cutout and lightly brush one side with egg wash. Carefully place this egg-washed side down on top of a jam-filled ghost. Once the top crust is in place, use the tines of a fork to firmly press and seal the edges all around the ghost. This classic technique not only creates a secure seal but also adds a charming, rustic edge to your pop tarts. After sealing, brush the tops of each assembled ghost pop tart with another layer of egg wash. This will help them achieve that beautiful golden-brown color and a slightly crisp finish.
Baking and Decorating Your Ghostly Delights
Bake your Ghostly Pop Tarts in a preheated oven until they turn a lovely golden brown, typically around 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-browning. Once baked, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. This is a crucial step: allow them to cool completely before even thinking about adding the frosting. Patience is key here, as warm pop tarts will cause your frosting to melt and run, ruining your ghostly masterpiece. After all, what is a truly authentic pop tart without its signature icing?
Once your Halloween pop tarts are thoroughly cooled, it’s time for the final touch: the frosting. Whisk together your powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until you achieve a smooth, pourable, yet thick consistency. You want it to coat the pop tarts nicely without being too thin. If you prefer a faster-setting glaze, you can briefly microwave the frosting for 10-20 seconds before applying it. Generously spread the frosting over each cooled pop tart, creating a perfectly white canvas for your ghostly faces.
The most fun part! Using black decorator icing, carefully draw on the faces for your ghosts. A small decorator tip works best for precision. If you need a little help perfecting those intricate eyes and mouths, a toothpick can be an excellent tool for shaping and adjusting the icing. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
Will your ghosts be happy, angry, spooky, or perhaps a little mischievous? The choice is entirely yours, allowing for endless personalized expressions. Once decorated, let the icing set completely before serving. But honestly, who can wait? I’m going with happy ghosts because it’s definitely time to eat! These homemade pop tarts are not just treats; they are edible works of Halloween art.
Love Them? Pin Them!
Don’t forget where you discovered these incredibly cute and easy homemade Halloween Pop Tarts! Make sure to save them to your favorite Halloween recipe board on Pinterest before you go, so you can easily find them again next year or whenever the spooky craving strikes!
Explore More #HalloweenTreatsWeek Recipes!
Looking for even more frightfully delicious ideas? Check out my other two #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes from 2021, perfect for round out your festive menu:
Enter Our Spooktacular Giveaway!
As part of the 4th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event, we’ve gathered 28 hauntingly talented bloggers who are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes all week long! To join in the fun and discover even more amazing Halloween creations, follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media. Be sure to check the bottom of each blog post to see all the incredible Halloween recipes being shared by our participants!
We’re also hosting some fantastic giveaways, including:
Prize #1 from Dixie Crystals:
– 41 Pieces Silicone Bakeware Set
– 3 Piece Halloween Silicone Spatula Set
– Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Cakelet Pan
To enter, please visit the official #HalloweenTreatsWeek event page for giveaway details and entry methods. Good luck to all participants!
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsor to winner, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 11th – October 15th at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There is a total of 1 (ONE) prize pack and therefore we will have a total of 1 (ONE) winner. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
More Spooktacular Halloween Snack Ideas
If you’re looking for more ways to make your Halloween celebrations memorable and delicious, explore these other fantastic snack ideas:
- Halloween Double Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies: A sweet, crunchy, and irresistible snack mix featuring both chocolate and peanut butter Chex cereal.
- Eye-Love Chocolate Sugar Cookies: These delightfully spooky cookies are perfect for adding a touch of creepy cuteness to your dessert table.
- Sweet And Savory Halloween Snack Board: An impressive spread of treats and nibbles, including a delectable peanut butter dip, perfect for entertaining.
- Cocoa Krispy Owls: Adorable and easy-to-make hooting treats that kids will love to help assemble.
- Halloween Trash Snack Mix: A fun, customizable, and addictive mix of pretzels, cereal, candy, and more, all coated in a sweet glaze.
Now that you have all the inspiration and guidance, let’s dive into the detailed recipe for these easy and delightful Ghostly Pop Tarts!
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Print Recipe
Ghostly Pop Tarts
Equipment
- Wilton Black Icing Tube
- Whisks for Cooking, 3 Pack Stainless Steel Whisk 8″+10″+12″
- WILTON 3 Piece Halloween Cookie Cutter Set
- Reynolds Kitchens Non-Stick Parchment Paper
- KitchenAid Gourmet Rolling Pin, One Size, Red
- Offset Spatula , SIMEEGO Icing Spatula Set with 6 8 10 Inch Stainless Steel Blades
- 13×18 Half Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1 package 2 crusts refrigerated pie crust (or your own homemade)
- 1 egg white + 1 Tablespoon water
- Cherry jam or other red jam, raspberry, strawberry
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- black decorator icing for eyes and mouth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg white and water together in a small bowl.
- Unroll pie crusts onto a lightly floured surface. Roll them out slightly thinner, to about 1/6 inch thick. Use ghost cookie cutters (or other Halloween shapes) to cut out shapes. Place half of the cutouts onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Place about 1 teaspoon of cherry jam in the center of each ghost cutout on the baking sheet, being careful to keep it away from the edges. Brush the edges of these cutouts with the egg wash.
- Brush one side of another ghost cutout with egg wash. Place this egg-washed side down on top of a jam-filled cutout, creating a sandwich. Using the tines of a fork, press firmly around the edges to seal the two crusts together and keep the filling in.
- Lightly brush the tops of each assembled pop tart with egg wash.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are a light golden brown and the crust is flaky. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and the desired consistency is reached. For a glaze that sets quicker, you can microwave it for 10-20 seconds before applying.
- Decorate: Once the pop tarts are cooled and glazed, use the black decorator icing to draw eyes and mouths on your ghost shapes. A small decorator tip will provide precision, and a toothpick can be used to refine details or adjust the icing as desired.
- After the icing has set, serve your adorable Ghostly Pop Tarts. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out all of these great #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes for today:
- Jack-O-Lantern Apple Slice Popsfrom Big Bear’s Wife
- Monster Eyeball Cupcakes from Semi-Homemade Recipes
- Ghost Meringue Cookies from Jen Around the World
- Apple Cider Donut Whoopie Pies from Pint Sized Baker
- Graveyard Pudding Cups from Fresh April Flours
- Churro Cookies from Devour Dinner
- Halloween Monster Donuts from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Witches’ Brew Whiskey Sour from The Redhead Baker
- Witches Hat Cheese Ball from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
- Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Eat Move Make
- Layered Halloween Jello from House of Nash Eats
- Mummy Wrapped Brie from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Mummy Cupcakes from The Flour Handprint
- Halloween Candy Cracker Toffee from Sweet ReciPEAs
- Old Fashioned Apple Fritters from It’s Shanaka
- Pumpkin Mint Patties from Sweet Beginnings
- Butterfinger Ice Cream (No-Churn) from Pastry Chef Online
- Chocolate Frogs from The Spiffy Cookie
- Halloween Cupcake Treat Board from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Skull Cake from Lemon Blossoms
- Halloween Brownie Pizza from Back To My Southern Roots
- Halloween Mini Bat Taco Cheeseballs from Savory Moments
- Ghostly Poptarts from An Affair from the Heart
- Deadly Dark Chocolate Layer Cake from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to thank our amazing brand sponsors: Dixie Crystals that provided a prize pack for our giveaways and also sent some samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.