I've loved eating Cuban pastelitos de guayaba ever since I first had them years ago from the Publix bakery! Making your own at home is so much tastier, and you can add as much guava and cream cheese as you want. Grab 5 simple ingredients, and let's bake a batch of these fragrant guava and cheese pastries!
If you love Cuban food, make sure to try our recipes for Cuban bread (pan de manteca) and café cubano, which would taste amazing with these pastries.
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About
Pastelitos de guayaba are very popular Cuban pastries made from puff pastry and filled with guava paste and cream cheese. Cubans love eating these flaky pastries at breakfast with a cup of Cuban coffee.
In bakeries, they're often shaped into triangles, but homemade ones are often square. There are a couple of slits or vent holes in the top to allow steam to escape as they bake. The tropical flavor of the guava paste is slightly floral and sweet, and blends perfectly with the cream cheese and pastry!
Why This Recipe Works
- It's made with simple, authentic ingredients. There's only 5 basic ingredients!
- It's super quick and easy to make. These pastries are out of the oven in about half an hour!
- These pastries freeze well so you can microwave it and enjoy one fresh anytime with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Curious what you need to make these tempting pastelitos de guayaba? Fortunately, you need only 5 simple ingredients to make this traditional Cuban dessert!
- Puff Pastry: Using store-bought, thawed puff pastry is not only easy, but it's also authentic. I've had great results with Pepperidge Farm puff pastry.
- Guava Paste: You'll need a big piece of guava paste (about 11 ounces) to be the star of the show in these pastelitos.
- Cream Cheese: Technically, you can make pastelitos de guayaba without the queso, but where's the fun in that? I love the creaminess that the cream cheese brings.
- Egg: You'll need a beaten egg to help hold the pastries together and to help them brown nicely as they bake.
- Demerara Sugar or Powdered Sugar: This is an optional decoration. Sprinkling some demerara sugar on the pastry before it bakes adds a little sparkle and crunch, or you can dust them with powdered sugar when they're cooling.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Can't find guava paste? Use guava jelly (affiliate) or quince paste (affiliate) instead.
- Vegan/Dairy Free: Make your own vegan puff pastry, and use vegan egg wash and vegan cream cheese.
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free puff pastry.
- Whipped Cream Cheese: This is an American twist that makes the cream cheese spreadable. Beat the cream cheese with a little powdered sugar, vanilla, sour cream, lemon juice, or other add-ins to add flavor if desired.
How to Make
- Cut 2 thawed puff pastry sheets into 9 squares each.
- Top 9 of the squares with slices of guava paste.
- Add a slice of cream cheese if desired.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg.
- Place the other 9 squares of pastry on top to cover the filling, then brush with egg.
- Cut a couple of vent holes in each pastelito and sprinkle with demerara sugar if desired.
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until well browned.
- Let them cool for at least 15 minutes before eating, as the filling is very hot. Enjoy the pastelitos hot and fresh with a cup of café!
Recipe FAQs
There's three basic ingredients in a traditional pastelito de guayaba: puff pastry, guava paste, and beaten egg. To make pastelitos de guayaba y queso (guava and cheese pastries), you'll also need cream cheese.
The origins of pastelitos de guayaba are debated, as no one really knows who first made them, but we do know they originated in Cuba. Their popularity has spread with Cuban immigration to the U.S., and now every Cuban bakery carries these popular dulces.
Guava has a tropical, floral flavor, which comes through beautifully in the paste form. This sticky, jellied mixture has a slightly grainy texture that disappears when it's heated in baked goods. Guava paste is usually sliced or cubed, and is used in desserts or served on cheese boards.
Serve
Serve the pastelitos hot and fresh, but make sure they've cooled down for a few minutes, as the guava paste gets especially hot in the oven. Cubans enjoy a pastelito at desayuno (breakfast) or anytime of day, and it's traditional to serve it along with a cup of Cuban coffee. Get more authentic Cuban breakfast recipes to round out your meal.
Store
Leftovers: Store leftover pastelitos in an airtight container. I'd recommend refrigerating them because of the cream cheese, but make sure to reheat them in the microwave or the oven before enjoying.
Freezing: These pastries freeze really well! Make sure they've cooled completely, then seal them inside of a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the microwave before eating.
Expert Tips
- Thaw the puff pastry by letting it sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or at room temperature for 1 ½ hours. Thaw it quickly by microwaving it on high for 15 seconds, or until it's easy to unfold.
- Keep the puff pastry cold while you're working with it to improve its flakiness when baked.
- Cut the guava paste with a sharp knife, and cut the cream cheese when it's cold to make it easier to handle.
- Goya and Ancel guava paste contains food coloring. Brands like Conchita, Iberia, La Fe, and La Costeña are good choices if you're avoiding dyes.
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Recipe
Pastelitos de Guayaba - Cuban Guava and Cheese Pastries
Ingredients
- 11 ounces guava paste, cut into 9 slices
- 6 ounces cream cheese, cut into 9 slices
- 1 package puff pastry, 2 sheets, thawed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar, for decoration
Equipment
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to cut the guava paste into slices. (It will be very sticky, so cutting it on a piece of plastic wrap can make it less messy.) Also, cut the cold cream cheese into slices.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets and cut the sheets in thirds down the fold lines. Cut each strip into thirds again to create 9 squares of pastry. Repeat with the other sheet.
- Place one thick slice of guava on each piece of pastry, then stack a slice of cream cheese on top of the guava.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg, then place a square of pastry on top. Brush the top with egg and cut a couple vent holes in each one. Sprinkle with demerara sugar if desired.
- Chill for 10-15 minutes to firm up the pastry.
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until well browned.
- Let the pastelitos cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving, as they will be very hot inside. If you didn't use the demerara sugar, garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
- Enjoy the pastelitos right away while they're fresh.
Video
Notes
- Need to thaw the puff pastry? Let it sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or at room temperature for 1 ½ hours. Thaw it quickly by microwaving it on high for 15 seconds, or until it's easy to unfold.
- Keep the puff pastry cold while you're working with it to improve its flakiness when baked.
- Cut the guava paste with a sharp knife, and cut the cream cheese when it's cold to make it easier to handle.
- Make sure you're using a guava paste that doesn't contain corn syrup or food coloring. Brands like Conchita, Iberia, La Fe, and La Costeña are good choices.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
These are scrumptious! The fruity guava paste and the cream cheese blend together beautifully, and the crunchy demerara sugar is lovely. A great way to use up leftover guava paste.
Emma Fajcz
Thank you, Beth! We're happy that you enjoyed the pastelitos so much.
Alex
I love the flavor combination of the warm guava paste and the cream cheese. The pastry and sugar on top are lovely complements!
Emma Fajcz
So glad you enjoyed these, Alex!