Pop-Tarts' New Pastries Pump Up The Protein But Deflate The Flavor

If there's one food trend that defines snacking in the 2020s, it's the protein craze. The modern health and fitness hype paved the way for many of us to gloss over sugary sweets and carb-heavy dishes in favor of foods that help us meet our gym goals. Lately, big food brands have been bringing something new to the market: high-protein snacks that double as dessert. Now, Pot-Tarts are scratching that itch for a hearty treat.

Pop-Tarts, one of the nation's beloved snack brands, is putting a new, protein-centric spin on the snack that was a staple in our childhoods (and let's be real — our adulthoods, too). The brand just unveiled Pop-Tarts Protein, available in Slammin' Strawberry, Boostin' Brown Sugar Cinnamon, and Bumpin' Blueberry, revisions of the iconic flavors that put Pop-Tarts on the snack map. This time, there are 10 grams of protein packed per serving — a significant boost from regular Pop-Tarts' mere 4 grams per serving.

I got my hands on the new powerhouse pastries to see if the hype is all it's chalked up to be. I'll dive into their flavor, texture, and crave-quenching power to determine where they stand solo and compared to the O.G. versions. So, let's throw on some old cartoons, break out the toaster, and get in the nostalgia zone — our favorite 90s snack is all grown up.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

If you're looking to get your hands on the new Pop-Tarts Protein, you won't have to wait long. Slammin' Strawberry, Boostin' Brown Sugar, and Bumpin' Blueberry are available for purchase starting in November 2025. You can find them at major retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and other grocery stores and supermarket chains nationwide. Each box comes with four packages of two pastries per package for a total of eight Pop-Tarts in each box. Expect to pay around $3.99 for a box, but prices may vary by location.

Slammin' Strawberry and Bumpin' Blueberry Protein Pop-Tarts have identical nutritional values. One serving (two pastries) in either flavor contains 7 grams of fat (2 grams of which is saturated fat), 270 milligrams of sodium, 69 grams of carbs, 31 grams of sugar, and 380 calories, plus their boast-worthy 10 grams of protein. 

Boostin' Brown Sugar Cinnamon's nutritional content is similar. One serving totals 11 grams of fat (3.5 grams of which is saturated fat), 280 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of carbs, 31 grams of sugar, 400 calories, and 10 grams of protein. To infuse these Pop-Tarts with a protein boost, the company added milk and wheat protein in the recipe, but otherwise, they're made up of the same stuff as regular Pop-Tarts.

When I think of Pop-Tarts, I always picture the strawberry variety despite Pop-Tarts' myriad of different flavors. It's the quintessential flavor, and as such, the folks at Pop-Tarts had big shoes to fill when they went about recreating it as a gym-friendly treat. Since this was the first Protein Pop-Tart I tried against its original counterpart, my first impression was how similar the two looked. The only slight difference between the original Strawberry Pop-Tart and the Pop-Tarts Protein Slammin' Strawberry was in the color of the pastry itself (not the frosting). The protein-packed pastry appeared slightly darker, like it had been kept in the oven just a handful of seconds longer than the original.

The strawberry filling and sugary icing on top of each tasted identical. In general, both pastries tasted almost indistinguishable from one another, except when the aftertaste kicked in. The Slammin' Strawberry had a slightly artificial, odd yet sweet flavor, similar to that of Stevia (although there is no Stevia in either product). 

I could look past the slight difference in flavor, but the texture difference was significantly more egregious. The protein-packed pastry didn't have that chewy, delicate bite regular Pop-Tarts are known for; Slammin' Strawberry was tougher and crumblier, and far less melt-in-your-mouth.

Like the Slammin' Strawberry flavor, the Boostin' Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tart wasn't much different flavor-wise than the original Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tart. The funky aftertaste was a little more apparent in this flavor compared to the strawberry, but it wasn't so bad that it was inedible — just noticeable. The filling inside tasted the same from Pop-Tart to Pop-Tart, although it appeared slightly runnier in the Pop-Tarts Protein version.

Again, the biggest let-down in Boostin' Brown Sugar was the texture. I was hoping for that sticky filling and subtle crumble when I broke the Pop-Tart in half, but it split with force, making a snapping sound like a shortbread cookie. The original Brown Sugar, on the other hand, tore apart with the slightest nudge, the way a proper Pop-Tart should.

I tested the original Brown Sugar Pop-Tart and the Pop-Tarts Protein Boostin' Brown Sugar against one another in the toaster (assuming the other flavors have similar results). Boostin' Brown Sugar toasted significantly faster than the original brown sugar flavor. By the time the original Brown Sugar Pop-Tart was perfectly golden, Boostin' Brown Sugar was burnt to a crisp. This wasn't surprising, since the Pop-Tarts Protein pastries look more well-done than the originals to begin with.

Bumpin' Blueberry is the protein counterpart to Frosted Blueberry, which happens to be the absolute best Pop-Tart flavor, in our humble opinion. It also ended up being the most impressive out of all three flavors in the new Protein line. There were way fewer sprinkles on the Bumpin' Blueberry Pop-Tart than on the original Frosted Blueberry, but it didn't end up making a huge difference in flavor. The consistency and taste of the frostings and fillings were identical. In fact, these blueberry Pop-Tarts were the hardest for me to tell apart during a blind taste-test.

The aftertaste that plagued the previous Pop-Tarts Protein flavors was much less apparent in Bumpin' Blueberry. I was able to detect it when I searched for it, but it could easily go unnoticed. The blueberry flavor was either bold enough to mask it, or it blended well with whatever caused that flavor. Either way, that lack of aftertaste made this protein-forward Pop-Tart the most similar to the original. However, the texture difference between the regular blueberry and Bumpin' Blueberry toaster pastries was as evident as it was in the aforementioned versions.

The difference in flavor between the original Pop-Tart flavors and the protein versions was marginal, but the texture discrepancy was blatant. If I were handed a Pop-Tarts Protein and told it was a regular Pop-Tart, I'd probably think I was being pranked with a Trader Joe's Toaster Pastry or one of the many, many other Pop-Tarts dupes out there. The distinct, chewy texture is something that separates Pop-Tarts from all those lesser toaster pastries (more like toaster impostors) out there. And Pop-Tarts Protein just didn't have it.

Of all the bizarre food trends that came and went in recent years, I think the protein craze was a welcome one because it gave us grab-and-go snacks with more nutritional value. Pop-Tarts Protein doesn't pack quite as much of a protein punch as I would've liked, and other protein-conscious consumers may feel the same. Compared to Legendary Foods' toaster pastries (an obvious Pop-Tarts dupe with a nutritional twist), Pop-Tarts Protein has half the amount of the coveted nutrient per package. Whether the few added grams of protein are worth a flavor and texture sacrifice is completely up to the consumer. Six extra grams of protein in a quick snack could make a big difference for those missing their nutrition goals by a slim margin every day. As for those who aim for as much protein as possible in every meal and treat, Pop-Tarts Protein likely won't earn a spot in their pantries.