Kellogg's launched Pop Tarts in the US in 1964, and for the first year they weren't frosted at all — the icing came later, once the recipe could survive a toaster.
Why the first Pop Tarts had no frosting
The original 1964 line-up launched completely unfrosted, in strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon and apple-currant. The reason was practical: the frosting technology of the time couldn't handle the heat of a toaster without melting into a mess. Kellogg's worked out a frosting formulated to hold up under toasting and rolled it out roughly a year later, and frosted has been the default ever since.
From four flavours to dozens
- 1964 — four unfrosted flavours: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, apple-currant
- ~1965 — toaster-safe frosting introduced
- Today — more than 30 flavours across the range, including seasonal editions like Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae and Frosted S'mores
Straight from the toaster or straight from the pack
Pop Tarts are designed to go in a toaster, but the filling is fully cooked already, so they're just as commonly eaten cold, straight from the foil pouch — a detail that surprises a lot of first-time buyers outside the US.
Catching on in the UK
Pop Tarts have historically been a specialist-import item in the UK rather than a supermarket staple, found mainly through American candy and snack retailers. That's been changing gradually as demand for US snack brands grows, but stocking a wide flavour range is still mostly down to specialist sellers rather than the big UK supermarkets. Browse the wider American candy range for more imported US staples.
Frequently asked questions
Were Pop Tarts always frosted?
No. The original 1964 Pop Tarts launched unfrosted, because the icing available at the time couldn't survive being toasted without melting. A toaster-safe frosting was developed and added around a year later.
What were the original Pop Tart flavours?
The four launch flavours in 1964 were strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon and apple-currant, all unfrosted.
Are Pop Tarts easy to find in the UK?
They've historically been a specialist-import item in the UK, stocked by American candy retailers rather than mainstream supermarkets, though availability has been slowly growing as demand for US snack brands increases.