Pop-tart cookie bars are all the chewy, strawberry-filled goodness of a pop-tart in sugar cookie form. Everyone will love this fun twist on a classic!
After making cookie dough bars and cookie monster bars, I knew another recipe needed to be in the works! Inspired by store-bought strawberry pop tarts, these pop tart cookie bars are an easier version with all of the same flavors and textures.
They are made with a soft and chewy sugar cookie base, filled with a layer of sweet strawberry preserves, and finished with a thin vanilla glaze and rainbow sprinkles. This recipe is inspired by Butternut Bakery’s Strawberry Pop Tart Shortbread!
For more rainbow sprinkle recipes, try birthday cake cookies, birthday cake brownies, and funfetti vanilla cake!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Pop Tart Bars
- These cookie bars look and taste like store-bought strawberry pop tarts!
- They are easy and fun to make with just 10 simple pantry ingredients. Try my Nutella bars, peanut butter bars, and brown butter bars for more easy cookie bar recipes!
- They have a soft and chewy texture, just like our Christmas sugar cookie bars!
- You can easily change up the jam flavor to cater to any occasion!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Strawberry preserves: You can also use strawberry jam if that’s all you have.
Rainbow sprinkles: Confetti sprinkles are the key to making the bars look like the top of a pop tart!
Butter: This recipe calls for unsalted butter at room temperature. Make sure it’s not cold or too warm before using it.
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
Recipe Instructions
Before you start, line a square 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper to hang over all four sides, then preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.
STEP ONE: Cream the butter and sugar together. In a stand mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together for 3 minutes.
STEP TWO: Mix in the wet ingredients. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between eggs.
STEP THREE: Mix in the dry ingredients. Mix in the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda until just combined and the dough starts to clump together.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will make it easier to press into the pan.
STEP FOUR: Make the first layer. In the prepared pan, press half of the cookie dough into the pan (about 385 grams). Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board or baking sheet. Chill the layer in the freezer for now.
STEP FIVE: Make the second layer. Replace the parchment paper in the pan so that all four sides are covered again.
Then press the rest of the cookie dough into the pan.
STEP SIX: Spread the jam. Spread the strawberry preserves over the dough with an offset spatula.
STEP SEVEN: Bake! Take the top cookie dough slab out of the freezer and remove the parchment paper. Place it on top of the jam and press it firmly down to secure it. It’s okay if some of the jam spills out of the side.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let the pan cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
STEP EIGHT: Chill and decorate. Once room temperature, lift it out of the pan and place it upside down on a cutting board. (The bottom should now be the top!)
Spread the vanilla glaze over the top and immediately cover it with rainbow sprinkles. Set it aside for the glaze to set, for about 1-2 hours. Then cut into 15 bars and enjoy!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the “metric” button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Let the glaze set before cutting. This can take some time, especially if it’s humid where you live. It will be tempting to put it in the freezer but don’t, or the glaze will absorb more moisture and wrinkle.
- Use different flavored preserves. Not a strawberry fan? You can replace the preserved flavor with grape, blackberry, blueberry, or whatever your heart desires!
- Work with clean hands. The cookie dough will be slightly sticky when you are pressing it into the pan. It’s best to work with clean hands which will keep the dough from sticking to you!
- Use a square pan. You MUST use a square metal 8×8 baking pan with square edges as shown. Glass or ceramic pans retain heat differently. A pan with rounded edges will need to bake longer than the bake time which can result in a cakier texture.
Recipe FAQs
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour but would love to hear how it turns out!
Absolutely! You can use any variety of preserves like grape, blackberry, blueberry, etc.
Sometimes the icing won’t set if you live somewhere where it’s very humid. Try making the glaze a bit thicker with more powdered sugar and let them set overnight.
Store the cut bars in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Yes! I recommend waiting until the icing is completely set, then cut them and transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. They will stay fresh for one month.
more recipes to try
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Poptart Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 ½ cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, *see notes below for measuring*
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 cup strawberry preserves
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½-2 tbsp whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Line a square metal 8×8 baking pan* (see notes below) with parchment paper to hang over all sides. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixing bowl for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape down the bowl.2 (106 g) large eggs, 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda until the dough starts to come together.2 ½ cups + 2 tbsp (296 g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. (it will make it easier to spread in the pan).
- Press half of the cookie dough into the pan. (348 g)
- Take the first layer out of the pan by lifting out one of the parchment papers and transferring it to a baking sheet. Keep it in the freezer for now.
- Replace the parchment strips, so that all of the sides of the pan are still covered. Then press the rest of the cookie dough evenly into the pan.
- Spread the strawberry preserves over the top.2/3 cup (200 g) strawberry preserves
- Then place the other half of the cookie dough on top of the jam. Peel off the parchment and press it firmly to secure it on top.
- Bake the cookie bars in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Let it cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Then pull the sides of the parchment to remove it from the pan and flip it upside down so the bottom is now the top.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar, 1 ½-2 tbsp whole milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pour over the top of the bars and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.Rainbow sprinkles
- Let the bars sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature until the icing is set, then cut into 15 bars and enjoy!
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
I made this in a 9×13″ pan. I took the metric ingredients x 2.5 to fit that pan size and it worked out beautifully! Thank you for the recipe.