Homemade Lemon Cream Pop Tarts

These homemade lemon cream pop tarts are prepared with flaky, crispy crust, a lemon cream cheese filling, and a thin lemon glaze. Each rectangle is shaped like a familiar toaster pastry, but the interior tastes like lemon cheesecake and the edges bake up buttery and golden.

This short-cut-friendly recipe yields eight pastries and concentrates on the minutiae that keep the filling where it belongs: use a thick chilled middle, keep a clean border, seal before crimping, vent the tops, and chill the tray before baking. Depending on the time you have, you can use ready-made lemon curd or create your own.

Why These Lemon Cream Pop Tarts Work

A store-bought pie crust provides a dependable flaky bottom without making this an all-day culinary endeavor. The secret is temperature: cold dough maintains its layers and a short chill after shaping hardens the butter before baking. For a from-scratch crust, use strong pie dough instead of puff pastry, which gives the hand pie a soft, crisp bite instead of a highly airy lift. This crust is strong and easy to work with and is used to make these flaky lemon pop tarts.

The filling is intentionally thicker than lemon curd alone. Cream cheese adds body and a mellow dairy note, cornstarch absorbs extra moisture, and powdered sugar sweetens without adding liquid. Chilled lemon curd supplies the sharp citrus flavor. Together, they make a smooth center that is easy to portion and less likely to rush toward the seams. For safe storage of dairy-filled leftovers, follow the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart.

Homemade Lemon Cream Pop Tarts

Eight flaky hand pies filled with thick lemon cream cheese and finished with a fresh lemon glaze.

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Additional time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 52 minutes mins

Servings: 8 pop tarts

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 360

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Pastry

• 2 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts

Lemon Cream Filling

• 6 ounces full-fat block cream cheese softened
• 1/3 cup lemon curd thick and chilled
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Equipment

• large rimmed baking sheet
• parchment paper
• Rolling Pin
• pastry wheel or sharp knife
• mixing bowls
• small saucepan
• Fork
• pastry brush
• cooling rack

Method

 

1. Beat cream cheese, lemon curd, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes so the filling is firm enough to scoop.
2. Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Roll the crusts just enough to smooth them, then cut sixteen 3-by-5-inch rectangles, rerolling scraps once.
3. Place eight rectangles on the sheet. Add one level tablespoon of chilled filling to each, keeping a clean 1/2-inch border. Beat the egg with water and brush only the border.
4. Top with the remaining rectangles, press out large air pockets, and seal the edges with your fingertips. Crimp all four sides with a fork, then cut four small vents in each top.
5. Brush the tops lightly with egg wash and refrigerate the tray for 15 minutes. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating once, until the edges are golden and the bottoms are firm.
6. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest into a thick glaze. Spread over the cooled pastries and let it set for 15 minutes.

Notes

• Refrigerate completely cooled glazed pop tarts in an airtight container within two hours and use within 4 days.
• Freeze baked, unglazed pop tarts in a single layer for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before glazing.
• Warm unglazed pastries in a 300 F oven for 6 to 8 minutes or microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Do not use a vertical slot toaster.

Ingredient Notes

• Refrigerated pie crust: Use two standard 9-inch crusts and keep them cold until you are ready to roll and cut. Homemade pie dough also works, but avoid an especially delicate crust that cracks when folded.
• Lemon curd: Store-bought lemon curd works well if it is thick and chilled. If yours is loose, simmer it briefly in a small saucepan until it coats a spoon, then cool it completely before mixing. That gives these lemon curd toaster pastries a stable center.
• Block cream cheese: Choose full-fat block cream cheese, not whipped spread. The firmer texture makes a more stable lemon cream cheese filling.
• Cornstarch and powdered sugar: Cornstarch helps the filling set; powdered sugar dissolves quickly and keeps it smooth. Do not replace the cornstarch with extra sugar.
• Fresh lemon: Fresh juice and zest make the glaze taste lively. Zest the lemon before juicing so the peel stays dry and easy to handle.

How to Make Homemade Lemon Cream Pop Tarts

Work with one crust at a time and keep the second chilled. Similar-sized rectangles pair more neatly and give the filling room to sit in the center.

If a border gets smeared with lemon filling, scrape it clean before adding the top crust. A clean seam is much stronger than a seam coated in filling.

The glaze should be thick enough to stay on the pastry. Add lemon juice a few drops at a time; it is easy to thin but harder to rescue once it becomes runny.

Serve these lemon cream cheese pastries once the glaze has set, with coffee, tea, or a glass of cold milk. The edges stay crisp, the lemon center remains creamy, and the fresh glaze adds just enough tang to keep the pastry from feeling heavy. These glazed lemon pop tarts make a cheerful brunch bake or afternoon treat.

Save This Lemon Pop Tart Recipe

Save this recipe for a sunny weekend baking project or pin it when you are planning a lemon dessert spread.