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A Cuban bakery staple, these Pastelitos de Guayaba (Guava Pastelitos) con Queso are so flaky sweet and delicious. This quick dessert/breakfast food can be made in under 1 hour with store-bought puff pastry!
If you’re Latino, South Florida can also be a really magical place. It’s a place where a lot of us feel like “home.” It’s one of the only places in the entire country where literally everyone looks like you. I really only appreciated it when I finally left. And whenever I go back, it still makes me happy all over again.
If you’ve never had pastelitos de guayaba con queso (guava pastelitos), I think it’s time!
Latin breakfast is some of my favorite to make. I love everything from conchas, chilaquiles to arepas.
The best part about this recipe is that it’s so quick. We’re not making our own puff pastry with these; if you wanted to, you absolutely could but I figure why go through the hassle when the convenience of store-bought works wonderfully.
What Are Pastelitos Guayaba (Guava Pastelitos)?
Like most Latin American cuisines, baked goods are a critical part of the Cuban food experience. Cuban bakeries usually have cases filled with sweet things like arroz con leche, turrones, flan, torticas de moron and of course, pastelitos con guayaba.
Pastelitos de guayaba con queso are super popular in Miami. Give me one of these and a cordadito and it’s feels like heaven! Pastelitos are a stuffed puff pastry filled with guava paste and some sort of cheese, usually a cream cheese-like texture.
How to Make Pastelitos Guayaba (Guava Pastelitos)!
This recipe could not be more simple. It leans HEAVILY on store-bought puff pastry, though if you’re in a mood, you could make rough puff, which is a much easier to make than traditional puff pastry.
- Slice up the store-bought guava paste.
- Beating the cream cheese with some sugar, vanilla paste (because I’m fancy) and a pinch of salt. I added it to a piping bag and piped it onto the squares of puff pastry. Add small slices of guava on top and that’s it!
- Cut up the puff pastry into rectangles.
- Pipe the cream cheese filling onto half of the squares.
- Top with slices of guava, top them, seal them with egg wash and that’s it!
- Bake ’em up!
Recipe Tip
- My favorite puff pastry brand for this particular recipe is definitely Pepperidge farm.
- If you can’t find guava paste in the cube like what you see pictured, feel free to use guava jam.
- If you don’t have demarara sugar for the top, simply skip it! No biggie.
- Cutting the top is optional. I think it let’s out some steam and is good for the overall shape, but if you forget, don’t worry about it.
Recipe FAQs
All over the caribbean, there are versions of pastelitos. Jamaica has patties, Haiti has paté, and Puerto Rico and Domincan Republic have their versions of pastelitos. Some are filled with fish, beef, and ground chicken.
These are definitely best the same day as to when they’re baked but will technically last up to three days when stored in an airtight container.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment or you could alternatively do this in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer), add the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt. Beat until whipped and smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag. This is entirely optional. You could use a spoon to add it to the dough.
Dust your work surface with a small handful of flour. Unfold the first rectangle of dough and using your rolling pin, flatten it out a bit. You don’t want it too thin! Cut the dough into 9 equal rectangles. The rectangles don’t have to be a perfect shape! Repeat this process with the other sheet of puff pastry dough.
Transfer half (about 9) of the rectangles to the baking sheet. Pipe about a tablespoon or two of the cream cheese onto the rectangles and top them with a slice of guava paste. Brush the edges of the rectangles with egg wash. And then place the tops of the puff pastry on the rectangles. Press the edges of the pastelitos so seams are sealed together. Transfer the puff pastry to the freezer for about 10 minutes until very chilled.
When the pastelitos are cold, brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle a pinch or two of turbinado sugar (entirely optional). Transfer to the oven to bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly (the guava will be SO hot) for about 10 minutes before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- If you can’t find guava paste in the cube like what you see pictured, feel free to use guava jam.
- If you don’t have demarara sugar for the top, simply skip it! No biggie.
- Cutting the top is optional. I think it let’s out some steam and is good for the overall shape, but if you forget, don’t worry about it.
Serving: 9g | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
