Pastelillos de Guayaba is a delicious dessert that is made from guava. They’re flaky, fruity, and sweet. It is effortless to make and only needs 4 ingredients!
Pastelillos de Guayaba are the Puerto Rican Version of hand pies made with puff pastry. A pastelillo is a puff pastry filled generously with guava paste. Finish by dusting the cake with powdered sugar until it’s completely covered.
In Puerto Rico, they are sold almost everywhere. From supermarkets to gas stations. The best is sold at panaderias (bakery) where you can find a lot of sweets like the sweet Mallorca bread, sugared donuts, or the Puerto Rican bizcocho mojadito.
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Why This Recipe Works
- You can easily make at home!
- They’re the perfect party food to serve in a tray full of cheeses, cured meats, spam and cheese party sandwiches, and many other finger foods.
Recipe Ingredients
- Guava paste- For this recipe, I used 12 ounces of guava paste, and trust me, that is more than enough. If you put more, it is just going to ooze out. if you’re not able to find guava paste, the best substitute would be guava marmalade.
- Water- I used water to dilute the guava paste. Some people use the paste just as it comes. But when the guava paste is not diluted and the pastelillos cool down, the guava paste turns into the same block it was.
- Puff pastry- You can make your own puff pastry, but I always use store-bought because it is very convenient.
- Powder sugar- The powdered sugar is the topping that completes this dessert. You can opt not to add I,t but I really suggest you put it on.
How To Make Pastelillos de Guayaba
- Photo 1: Heat the guava in the microwave to soften it. Mash it until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix.
- Photo 2: To make regular-size pastelillos, cut each pastry sheet into 9 pieces. If you feel your puff pastry is sticking to the surface, use half of a teaspoon to flour the area you’re working in. If the dough is too soft, it probably means it got too hot. Stick it in your fridge for 10 minutes so it can get cold again.
- Photo 3: Add a tablespoon of guava paste to half of the squares. Trust me, you don’t need to add too much guava.
- Photo 4: Wet the borders with water and place a piece of puff pastry on top. Seal by lightly pushing down.
- Photo 5: Place them on a lined baking tray and make sure they have space to grow. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Photo 6: Sprinkle powder sugar on top. Be very generous!
Recipe Tips
- You can shape the pastelillos differently by making them bigger or smaller or giving them a triangular shape. But the original shape will always be square.
- The best way to store a pastelillo is in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep for no more than 5 days. After that, the puff pastry starts losing its crispiness and freshness.
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Pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava Pastries)
Easy Guava Pastries that are flaky, sweet, and full of delicious guava.
Ingredients
- 1 pound puff pastry (490g)
- 8 ounces guava paste (225g)
- 2 tablespoon water (30ml)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (30g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat the guava paste for 30 seconds in the microwave. Mash the paste until smooth. Add the water, mix, and set aside.
- Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 9 equal squares. Place 1 tablespoon of guava paste in the center of 9 of the squares. Lightly dip your fingers in water and run your wet finger through the border of each filled square. Top them all with the rest of the puff pastry. Lightly press on all the borders to seal each pastry.
- Place the pastries in the baking tray leaving half of an inch of space between each one. Bake for 25 minutes. Dust powdered sugar over the guava pastries with a sifter. Wait for the pastries to cool down before enjoying them.
Recipe Notes
- Cold Dough- Your dough should always be cold. Before baking, if your dough is warm, just pop it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This is because cold puff pastry rises better.
- Puff pastry- You need to thaw the puff pastry before using it. You can thaw it in your fridge the night before making this recipe. You can also take it out of your freezer 1 hour before using it and thaw it at room temperature. But it can thaw very quickly on a hot summer day. It’s best to keep an eye on it. I used the frozen puff pastry from the Peperridge Farms store. This comes in 2 sheets that usually measure about 10×15 inches each.
- Substitutions—If you can’t find guava paste, you can also use guava marmalade. It doesn’t have the same thickness, but it’s the best substitute.
- Storage- To store the pastelillitos de guayaba, use an airtight container and leave it at room temperature. I always like to keep my pastelillos in the oven or microwave. They will be good to eat for up to 5 days.
- Yield- The recipe yields 9 guava pastries, but you can get more or less depending on what size you cut the dough. If you want to make mini pastelillos, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 16 pieces and add only half a tablespoon of guava paste. Cook, sprinkle with some powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
*The nutrition information is automatically calculated, so this is only an approximation.
Tried this Recipe? Leave A Comment Below!
Millie M. says
This recipe is simple and it comes out like from the bakery. My friends love the pastelillos. Now they want me to make them at least once a month.
Stephenie says
They’re really good! Let me know how it went.
Sasha says
Gracias! I can’t wait to try!