Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies are a delightful homemade twist on a classic favorite. Imagine soft, tender brown sugar cookies, generously filled with a warm, gooey cinnamon-sugar core, and finished with a dreamy, sweet cinnamon glaze. This recipe elevates the nostalgic Pop-Tart experience into an irresistible cookie format that’s perfect for any occasion.

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The Pop-Tart Cookie Mashup You Didn’t Know You Needed!

My eldest child has always had an intense fascination with brown sugar Pop-Tarts. If given the chance, he would happily start every morning with one. Honestly, I never quite understood the hype; I rarely found myself craving one. But then, an exciting idea sparked: what if I could transform his favorite store-bought breakfast pastry into a homemade treat that would captivate everyone?

And so, these incredible Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies were born. They feature a tender, soft brown sugar cookie dough, encasing a deliciously gooey cinnamon filling, all crowned with a sweet glaze that perfectly mimics the iconic Pop-Tart flavor. These cookies quickly became an instant family favorite, vanishing from the cooling rack almost as soon as they’re baked. If you appreciate the simplicity and comforting flavors of cookies without chocolate chips, much like classic Brown Sugar Cookies or beloved Snickerdoodles, then this recipe is tailor-made for your taste buds.

Key Ingredients for the Perfect Pop-Tart Cookies

Creating these sensational Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies requires a thoughtful selection of ingredients, many of which are shared across the cookie dough, the luscious filling, and the sweet glaze. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each component is crucial:

• Butter (Unsalted): Melted butter is key for the cookie dough, contributing to a wonderfully soft and rich texture. For the filling, it helps create that desirable gooey consistency. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of the recipe.
• Granulated Sugar: Essential for adding sweetness to the cookies and contributing to their delightful chewy texture. A portion is also used for rolling the cookie dough, providing a sparkling finish and a slight crunch.
• Light Brown Sugar (Packed): This is the star ingredient for the cookie dough, imparting moisture and a deep, caramel-like flavor that is characteristic of brown sugar baked goods. It’s also crucial for the filling, giving it its signature taste and sticky texture.
• Egg + Egg Yolk: The large egg provides structure and richness, while the extra egg yolk enhances the cookies’ richness and chewiness, making them incredibly tender.
• All-Purpose Flour: The foundational ingredient that provides the necessary structure for the cookies. Accurate measurement is paramount here; using a food scale is highly recommended to prevent dry or overly spread cookies.
• Salt (Fine Sea Salt): A small amount of salt is added to both the cookies and the filling to balance the sweetness and dramatically enhance all the other flavors.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leavening agents work in harmony to give the cookies their perfect rise and maintain a wonderfully soft and tender crumb.
• Ground Cinnamon: The quintessential spice that infuses both the filling and the glaze with warm, inviting aroma and flavor, directly evoking the classic brown sugar Pop-Tart.
• Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): Forms the base of the smooth, sweet, and thick glaze, ensuring a delicate and melt-in-your-mouth finish.
• Milk (Whole Preferred): Used in the glaze to achieve a creamy, rich consistency. Whole milk yields the best texture and flavor.
• Light Corn Syrup: A secret ingredient for the glaze! It contributes to a beautiful glossy finish and adds just a touch more sweetness and a smooth mouthfeel, making the glaze truly professional.
• Vanilla Extract (Pure): Enhances and rounds out the flavors in the glaze, adding a layer of aromatic depth.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies

Follow these detailed instructions to create your own batch of irresistible Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies. Precision and patience are your best allies in baking!

1. Prepare the Cookie Dough: Begin by melting the unsalted butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Allow the melted butter to cool completely to room temperature. This step is crucial to prevent the cookies from becoming greasy. Once cooled, whisk in the granulated and light brown sugars until well combined. Incorporate the large egg and the extra egg yolk, whisking vigorously until the mixture is beautifully emulsified and creamy. Gradually add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Mix until no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour to allow it to firm up and flavors to meld.
2. Craft the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling: While the cookie dough chills, prepare the rich cinnamon-sugar filling. Line a small sheet pan or baking tray with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of flour, a pinch of salt, and the melted butter. Whisk all the ingredients together until you achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. Transfer this delicious filling mixture into a piping bag or a sturdy zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe small dollops, approximately 1 teaspoon in size, onto the prepared parchment paper. Aim for about 25 dollops. Place the sheet pan into the freezer and freeze the filling dollops until they are completely firm, which usually takes about 20-30 minutes. If the filling becomes too stiff to pipe, gently warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften slightly.
3. Assemble the Cookies: Once the dough and filling are sufficiently chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour 1/2 cup of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl for rolling. Measure out portions of the chilled cookie dough, using about 2 packed tablespoons or approximately 40 grams for each cookie. Flatten a dough ball slightly in your palm, place one of the frozen cinnamon-sugar filling pucks in the center, and carefully wrap the cookie dough around the filling, ensuring it is fully enclosed with no gaps. Gently roll the sealed dough ball between your hands to create a smooth sphere. Then, roll each dough ball generously in the granulated sugar, coating it completely.
4. Bake to Perfection: Arrange 8 prepared cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, leaving enough space between them for spreading. Before baking, refrigerate the formed cookie balls again for another 15-20 minutes until they are firm. This crucial step helps prevent excessive spreading in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking. It’s best to slightly underbake these cookies; they should appear lightly golden at the edges and still look a bit soft in the center. This ensures a perfectly soft and chewy final texture.
5. Cool and Shape: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, if any have spread unevenly or lost their round shape, use the back of a metal spatula or a large round cookie cutter to gently press their edges inward, reshaping them while they are still warm and pliable. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to set up before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Ensure they are entirely cool before moving on to the glazing step.
6. Prepare and Apply the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon until you achieve a smooth, pourable glaze. If the glaze appears too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired thick, opaque consistency. Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon the cinnamon glaze generously over the top of each cookie. You can spread it evenly or let it drip artistically down the sides. If any air bubbles form in the glaze, gently pop them with a toothpick. Allow the glaze to set for approximately 20 minutes at room temperature before serving to ensure a beautiful, firm finish.

Expert Tips for Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookie Success

Achieving bakery-quality Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies is easier with these expert tips:

• Don’t Skip the Chill Time: Chilling the cookie dough is non-negotiable. It solidifies the butter, preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and ensuring a thicker, chewier texture with enhanced flavor.
• Precision in Measuring Flour: Over-measuring flour is a common baking mistake that leads to dry, dense cookies. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy (405 grams for flour is ideal), or use the spoon-and-level method if using measuring cups.
• Room Temperature Butter (for cookies): Ensure your melted butter is cooled to room temperature before combining with sugars. Hot butter can partially cook the eggs and lead to a greasy, less desirable cookie texture.
• Slightly Underbake for Chewiness: Always err on the side of underbaking. Remove cookies from the oven when their edges are just set and lightly golden, but the centers still look slightly soft and puffy. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet, resulting in a perfectly soft and chewy cookie.
• Avoid Overmixing the Dough: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients only until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, making the cookies tough instead of tender.
• Freeze the Filling Firmly: The cinnamon-sugar filling must be completely frozen before encasing it in the dough. This prevents it from melting out during the baking process and keeps it neatly contained within the cookie.
• Re-chill Formed Cookie Dough Balls: After shaping the cookies with their filling, another brief chill in the refrigerator helps them maintain their shape beautifully during baking, ensuring perfectly round and thick cookies.
• Achieve a Smooth Glaze: Sift your powdered sugar before mixing it into the glaze ingredients to avoid lumps. If the glaze is too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.

A Crucial Baking Tip: For consistently perfect results, a reliable food scale is your best friend in the kitchen. Measuring ingredients, especially flour and sugar, by weight rather than volume ensures unparalleled accuracy. This precision helps you avoid common baking pitfalls like cookies that are too dry, spread too much, or have an inconsistent texture. Embrace precision in your baking for truly magnificent outcomes every time!

Homemade Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies

By Chelsea Lords

Forget store-bought pastries—these Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Cookies are on another level! Soft, chewy brown sugar cookies are loaded with a cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with a sweet cinnamon glaze.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Chilling Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Servings: 24 cookies

Equipment

• Sheet pan (15″ x 10″) plus silicone liner or parchment paper
• Large mixing bowls
• Whisk and/or electric hand mixer
• Piping bag or zip-top bag
• Wire cooling rack
• Food scale (recommended for accuracy)

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling cookies
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk (discard or save whites for another recipe)
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (approximately 405 grams)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted if clumpy
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Filling:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Glaze:

• 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk (whole preferred)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

Making the Cookie Dough:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsalted butter. Set aside and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. It’s crucial the butter isn’t hot, as this can lead to greasy cookies.
2. Once the butter has cooled, add the granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar. Whisk thoroughly until well combined.
3. Add the large egg and the extra egg yolk to the sugar-butter mixture, whisking until the mixture is beautifully emulsified, smooth, and creamy.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until there are no dry streaks of flour remaining. If necessary, you can switch to an electric hand mixer on low speed, but be careful not to overmix the dough, as this can result in tough cookies.
5. Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. This chilling process is essential for the dough to firm up and for the flavors to develop.

Preparing the Filling:

1. Line a standard sheet pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients: 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon flour, a pinch of salt, and 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
2. Transfer the cinnamon-sugar filling to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off (creating a small opening).
3. Pipe small dollops of the filling onto the prepared parchment-lined sheet pan, aiming for dollops approximately 1 teaspoon in size. You should yield around 25 dollops.
4. Place the sheet pan with the filling dollops into the freezer and freeze until they are completely firm, which will take about 20-30 minutes. If the filling becomes too stiff to pipe, you may need to briefly warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

Assembly and Baking:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Place the reserved 1/2 cup of granulated sugar for rolling into a shallow bowl.
3. Measure out portions of the chilled cookie dough, using about 2 packed tablespoons or approximately 40 grams for each cookie. Flatten a dough ball slightly in your hand. Carefully press one of the frozen filling pucks into the center of the flattened dough. Gently wrap the cookie dough around the filling, ensuring that it is completely enclosed and sealed without any exposed filling. Roll the dough gently between your palms to form a smooth sphere.
4. Roll each formed cookie dough ball generously in the bowl of granulated sugar, coating it completely for a beautiful sparkle and a delightful textural contrast.
5. Arrange 8 cookie balls on the silicone-lined baking sheet, leaving ample space between them to allow for spreading during baking. Refrigerate the formed cookies on the baking sheet for another 15-20 minutes until they are firm. This secondary chill is very important for maintaining their shape.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Watch them carefully; it’s best to slightly underbake these cookies. They should appear lightly golden at the edges, but the centers should still look soft and slightly puffed.
7. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, if any have spread unevenly, use the back of a metal spatula or a large round cookie cutter to gently push the edges inward, reshaping them into perfect circles while they are still warm and pliable.
8. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. They must be entirely cool before glazing.

Preparing and Applying the Glaze:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all the glaze ingredients: powdered sugar, milk, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and lump-free.
2. If the glaze appears too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired thick, opaque consistency. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable.
3. Once the cookies are thoroughly cooled, spoon the cinnamon glaze over the top of each cookie. You can spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or let it casually drizzle over the sides.
4. If any small air bubbles form in the glaze, gently pop them with a toothpick for a smoother finish.
5. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. This will create a firm, shiny top that perfectly complements the soft cookie beneath.

Recipe Notes and Pro Tips

• Brown Sugar Softness: Always ensure your brown sugar is super soft and free of hard clumps. If it’s hard, you can soften it by placing it in a microwave-safe bowl with a damp paper towel over it and microwaving for 10-20 seconds.
• Flour Measurement Accuracy: This cannot be stressed enough. Too much flour will result in dry, crumbly cookies, while too little can make them spread excessively. For optimal results, use a kitchen scale and aim for 405 grams of all-purpose flour. If using measuring cups, gently spoon flour into the cup and level it off with a straight edge, without packing.
• Preventing Greasy Cookies: Ensure the melted butter for the cookie dough is cooled to room temperature before combining it with the sugars and eggs. Hot butter can partially cook the eggs and cause the dough to separate, leading to a greasy texture.
• Cooling Rack Importance: Always transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack after the initial few minutes on the baking sheet. This allows air to circulate around the cookies, preventing them from becoming soggy on the bottom and ensuring even cooling.
• Filling Consistency: If your filling seems too stiff to pipe after mixing, a quick 10-second zap in the microwave can help it reach a more pliable consistency. Be careful not to overheat it.

Nutrition Information (Approximate per serving)

• Serving: 1 cookie
• Calories: 253 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Protein: 2.2g
• Fat: 10.2g
• Cholesterol: 41.2mg
• Sodium: 134.8mg
• Fiber: 0.7g
• Sugar: 25.6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.