Description
These guava and cream cheese pastelitos are extra flaky, rich, and offer a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Made with simple ingredients like puff pastry and block cream cheese, they are easy to assemble and perfect for parties.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package (2 sheets) thawed puff pastry
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces guava paste, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar (optional, for filling)
- Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
- Extra guava paste (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Thaw puff pastry sheets according to package directions until pliable but still cold.
- In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Mix in confectioners’ sugar if using.
- Chop guava paste into very small pieces or fine dice.
- Roll out puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sheet into 6 equal triangles (12 total).
- Place 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese near the wide base of each triangle, leaving a ½-inch border.
- Top the cream cheese with about 1 teaspoon of chopped guava paste.
- Fold the left corner of the wide base over the filling, then fold the right corner over it to create a half-moon shape.
- Press edges firmly with a fork to seal.
- Brush each pastelito with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown, rotating pan halfway through.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before dusting with confectioners’ sugar and serving.
Notes
Keep all ingredients cold until baking to ensure flaky layers. Do not use tub cream cheese as it has too much moisture. If using guava jam instead of paste, cook it down first to thicken. For make-ahead, assemble and freeze raw pastelitos, then bake from frozen adding 5-10 minutes to bake time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Latin
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pastelito
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: guava pastelitos, cream cheese pastelitos, puff pastry dessert, latin dessert, party treats, flaky pastry, guava paste recipe