Who says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast? If I could, I would scream to the world that chocolate can be included in any meal. At least I think so anyway. I’m a big fan of chocolate for breakfast. Now I’m not talking about a chocolate bar, but a regular breakfast just tweaked to have some chocolate in it. I’m a heavy-duty traveler and I find myself eating pop tarts a lot. We all know there is nothing good for you with a pop tart. So I started looking on line to see what are the options out there for a chocolate pop tart that I could make at home and take with me. I saw a few out there and basically they all were quite similar. A chocolate puff pastry with a bit of fudge filling and topped with a chocolate royal icing.
The oldest recipe that I saw was from Half Baked Harvest. And it looked like a lot of minor modifications from her base recipe over the years. So we made a couple of our own tweaks and came up with another version.
Now these are pretty good. They only last for about a day, but what’s so bad about having to make a new batch of pop tarts for later in the week? Actually both the dough and the fudge filling can be made and refrigerated for three days ahead. So if you find yourself making these, go ahead and double the recipe. Then you are good for later in the week also.
A couple of things about this recipe. Sealing the dough is super important. We used an egg wash and pressed edges together so there was a tight seal before baking them. You don’t want all your fudge filling oozing out of the pop tarts while you bake them. And, I do want to warn you that you can not put these pop tarts in the toaster to heat up. That royal icing will melt all over your toaster.
And there you have it! Chocolate for breakfast!
Chocolate Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups Flour 402 grams
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 18 grams
- 1 Tbsp sugar 13 grams
- 1/2 tsp salt 3 grams
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup butter) (170 grams) Chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 cup ice cold water 121 grams
Fudge Filling:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 29 grams
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 81 grams
- 2/3 cup whole milk 174 grams
- 1/4 tsp salt 2 grams
- 6 oz milk chocolate chopped (170 grams)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small cubes (28 grams)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 8 grams
Frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar 215 grams
- 2 Tbsp meringue powder 25 grams
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 12 grams
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder 18 grams
- 5 Tbsp water 75 grams
- 2 oz dark chocolate 57 grams
Instructions
- Start with making the fudge filling so it has time to cool and thicken. Stir together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, milk, salt and half of the chopped chocolate. Cook the mixture at a low boil, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. Set aside and let it cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Add the chunks of butter and keep mixing until it is crumbly. Slowly add the water until mixture is moistened and dough forms. Remove from mixer and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 4 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ rectangles. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto one half of the rectangle. Fold the other half over the filling and seal the edges. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
- Refrigerate the pop tarts for 10 – 15 minutes to let the dough cool. Then bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- While the pop tarts cool, make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla, cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of water for 10 minutes on medium speed until peaks begin to form. Stir in the melted chocolate. If the frosting seems too thick, add the other 2 tablespoons of water to thin it.
- Spoon a layer of the frosting on top of the cooled pop tarts. Let the frosting harden for about 10 minutes. You can then sprinkle sea salt or sugar on top to finish the look.
I love making homemade poptarts! My daughter has food allergies and can’t have the store bought kind, unless they are a particular organic brand. However, homemade is always better!
Homemade is always so much better 🙂
Oh my gosh YUMMMM!!!!! Pop tarts are my absolute favorite! Thank you for this!
Thanks so much! I love them also 🙂
Those chocolate tarts are great for breakfast but I would have them as a dessert for company. I am not a baker but if I get in the mood I would love to make these.
We definitely had them throughout the day. They were a great snack with coffee or tea
I know of no such law that says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast! I think these would be fun to make!
I totally agree! Chocolate for breakfast!
I always see people making their own version of homemade poptarts and I am so amazed by them! Your chocolate rendition seems delicious and I should finally go ahead and make some of my own!
Thanks so much! They are pretty simple and quite tasty.
My husband loves poptarts but I refuse to by them because they are so fill of crap. But I have never thought to make them myself! What a fantastic idea and chocolate is definitely best present at every meal!
The same for me, I’m such a poptart lover. But those commercially produced ones have so much crap in them. These are so much better for you
Talk about a lovely breakfast! I think this is awesome and it would be nice to make as a treat for yourself in the morning when you need the extra motivation.
Thanks so much 🙂
I love this chocolate pop tarts! Any time I am craving chocolate, this is the first thing I grab! So good!
They are definitely a go to for me also
I want to have this chocolate for breakfast and sing about it. The pop tarts look delicious, I would like to bake these myself.
Thanks! They are pretty easy to make. Enjoy 🙂
I don’t typically have a lot of time to make breakfast, but I would try this and make it ahead of time.
I love that you can make these ahead of time. Makes morning breakfast much easier on weekdays.
I would never have thought ti make my own pop tarts! My daughter loves pop tarts, and I would feel better making them than using the boxed ones for sure!
These are definitely so much better than the boxed ones. Enjoy 🙂
My little boy always wants pop tarts at the store but I say no because of the chemical crap inside them… Your recipe looks so awesome and delicious! I will absolutely make your recipe with him.
Enjoy!
now this is a pop tart! I can’t imagine anyone not just gobbling these right up!
Enjoy 🙂
I didn’t know you could make fudge chocolate pop tarts !! This is so clever, my boys would love it.
I have never had a homemade Pop-Tart, but have always wanted to try making them. I think this recipe is the one that’s pushing me to action!
Give it a go! They are quite tasty!
Pop Tarts were one of my favorite snacks as a kid. I love to see how I can make them at home now 🙂
Thanks! Enjoy 🙂
OMG! I didn’t even know I could make Poptarts at home! Now I almost wish I still didn’t know, because I am gonna be eating a LOT more Poptarts in the future!!
LOL! The same happens to me now!
my kids love poptarts but I have never made it. This is great. I know they will be happy if we give homemade one’s a try. will pin for later. thanks
Thanks! Enjoy!