Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos (Printable)

Flaky puff pastry filled with sweet guava paste and cream cheese. Classic Cuban treats ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 14 oz puff pastry sheets, thawed

→ Filling

02 - 5.3 oz guava paste, sliced thin
03 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, softened

→ Topping

04 - 1 large egg, beaten
05 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Roll out puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sheet into 8 equal rectangles, yielding 16 total pieces.
03 - Place 8 pastry rectangles on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - On each base rectangle, layer 1 thin slice of guava paste and approximately 1 tablespoon of softened cream cheese, maintaining a border around edges.
05 - Brush edges with water. Place remaining pastry rectangles on top and press edges firmly to seal.
06 - Use a fork to crimp the sealed edges. Gently score the tops with a knife to allow steam release during baking.
07 - Brush beaten egg over the tops of each pastelito. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
08 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
09 - Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake in under twenty minutes, so you can have homemade Cuban pastries on your table before anyone's finished their coffee.
  • The contrast between flaky pastry, sweet guava, and creamy cheese is addictive in a way that feels almost like cheating for dessert.
  • One batch makes eight, which means you'll have leftovers to steal bites from throughout the day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the egg wash—it's the difference between pastries that look homemade and ones that look like they came from a bakery, and it takes literally thirty seconds.
  • If you overstuff them, the filling will try to escape during baking and you'll have a mess on your hands; restraint with the filling is actually generosity because everything stays where it should.
03 -
  • Always use softened cream cheese because cold cream cheese will tear your pastry, and that frustration isn't worth it when five minutes on the counter fixes everything.
  • If you're doubling this recipe, don't double the filling—use just slightly more than half again, because overstuffed pastelitos are a common mistake that changes the entire texture.
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