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Shopping at Dollar Tree isn't a bad way to shave off a few bucks when it comes to pantry staples. You can even snag a jar of chili crisp for a wildly cheap $1.50 (for a 3-ounce jar). That being said, just like with any store, you'll run into some things that taste good — and some that end up being a disappointment. In the case of these Pop-Tart pastry dupes, however, we're happy to report that we found Toast'em Pop-Ups Chocolate Fudge Toaster Pastries better than the name brand.
We compared Dollar Tree finds against their counterparts, and the Toast'em Pop-Ups were better for one key thing: the pastry shell, which always makes up the bulk of any toaster pastry. Our taste tester noted, "My Pop-Ups were noticeably bread-ier and less filled than my Pop-Tarts, but whereas the Pop-Tarts' breading was bland and cracker-like, the breading on the Pop-Ups tasted like a sort of fudge cookie. A good Pop-Tart bite, then, was dependent on a high filling-to-crust ratio, while every bite of my Pop-Ups was satisfying." And what's even better is that you can snag them for a lower price than Pop-Tarts at Dollar Tree.
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Toast'em Pop-Ups are actually a long-standing brand
The name Toast'em Pop-Ups might come off as a generic-sounding knockoff, but this brand was the first to come up with commercial toaster pastries back in 1963, as part of a partnership with General Foods. They were originally dubbed "Country Squares," but that name didn't stick and gave way to Toast'em Pop-Ups. Unfortunately for General Foods, it let the news of its innovative toaster pastry slip prior to coming to market, which is how Kellogg was able to sneak onto shelves the same year, with the much-easier-to-remember Pop-Tarts name. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld even came out with a satirical movie regarding Pop-Tarts' origin story.
In 1971, a Chicago-based company called Schulze & Burch Biscuit Co. purchased Toast'em Pop-Ups, and has been producing them ever since. So they're really not a knockoff, but rather the original concept whose competitor managed to outshine them in sales and in our memory. That being said, we're delighted to tell you that they have that key pastry part nailed down; an otherwise mealy bite of toaster pastry isn't a chore here, but rather a joy.
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