Cuban Guava Pastelitos: The Flaky Pastry That Stole Miami's Heart

The pastry that defines Cuban baking

If there’s one sweet that captures the essence of Cuban baking in a single bite, it’s the pastelito de guayaba y queso. Golden, flaky puff pastry on the outside, filled with sweet guava paste and smooth cream cheese on the inside — it’s the perfect collision of textures and flavors that has won hearts from Havana to Miami.

At every ventanita (walk-up coffee window) on Calle Ocho, in every bakery in Hialeah, and in the kitchens of Cuban grandmothers worldwide, the pastelito reigns supreme. It’s not just dessert — it’s breakfast, afternoon snack, comfort food, and celebration all in one.

Origins: sugar mills and Creole kitchens

The history of the Cuban pastelito has several competing theories. One suggests that enslaved workers in Cuba’s sugar mills created the first versions, taking advantage of abundant wild guava and limited ingredients. Another points to Cuban household kitchens in the 19th century, where ladies of the house prepared small pastries as appetizers and desserts.

What we know for certain is that the pastelito evolved under the influence of Spanish pastry-making traditions, which brought hojaldre (puff pastry) techniques to Cuba. The guava fruit (Psidium guajava), abundant across the island, became the perfect filling — sweet, aromatic, and an irresistible shade of pink.

Guava: queen of Cuban fruits

The guava holds a special place in Cuban culture. It grows wild across the island, and its intense aroma can be detected from meters away. For pastelitos, guava is processed into a firm paste — a concentrated preparation where the fruit is cooked with sugar until it forms a dense, dark-red block.

This guava paste, combined with cream cheese, creates what Cubans call “timba” — that addictive sweet-and-salty combination that is pure Caribbean flavor.

Recipe: Cuban guava and cheese pastelitos

Ingredients (makes 12 pastelitos)

• 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• 8 oz guava paste (firm block, Goya brand or similar)
• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 2 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut the guava paste into 12 rectangular strips about ½ inch thick. Cut cream cheese into similar portions.

3. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sheet into 6 equal squares (12 total).

4. Fill: Place a strip of guava paste and a portion of cream cheese in the center of each square.

5. Seal: Fold the pastry into a triangle or rectangle. Press edges firmly with a fork to seal. Cut 2-3 small slits on top for steam to escape.

6. Brush with egg wash (egg beaten with water). Sprinkle sugar on top.

7. Bake 18-22 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

The secret to perfect puff pastry

The key is keeping everything cold until baking. Puff pastry rises because the butter layers between the dough melt in the oven, creating steam that separates the layers. If the butter melts early (because the dough is warm), you lose that signature flaky texture.

Pastelitos in exile: Miami as the capital

After the 1959 Revolution, hundreds of thousands of Cubans arrived in Miami carrying their recipes and culinary traditions. Pastelitos became a symbol of identity in exile. Iconic bakeries like Islas Canarias in Little Havana and Vicky Bakery in Hialeah built empires around these small pastries.

During the Special Period in the 1990s, when Cuba faced severe food shortages after the fall of the Soviet Union, pastelitos virtually disappeared from the island. Butter and flour for puff pastry were unattainable luxuries. Meanwhile, in Miami, pastelitos thrived — a bittersweet reminder of what had been lost.

Beyond guava: Cuban variations

While guava and cheese is the undisputed king, Cuban tradition offers other delicious variations:

• Coconut pastelito: Filled with shredded coconut in syrup, reminiscent of boniatillo in its comforting sweetness
• Meat pastelito: A savory version with ground beef picadillo, olives, and capers
• Guava-only pastelito: No cheese, for the purists
• Quesito: Just sweetened cream cheese, a favorite among children

The perfect pairing

Guava pastelitos are practically begging for a strong Cuban coffee. The sweet espumita of a cafecito complements the guava’s tartness beautifully. It’s the quintessential Cuban breakfast — quick, sweet, and energizing.

For a more elaborate afternoon treat, pair them with a Cuban flan and a cortadito. And if you want to explore more traditional Cuban sweets, check out our Cuban buñuelos.

One pastry, a thousand memories

Guava pastelitos are more than baking. They’re the after-school snack, the Sunday breakfast, the box you bring when visiting someone’s home. They’re the flavor that Cubans in exile seek to feel at home, and the one that those who never left Cuba remember from better times.

In every flaky layer, in every bite of guava and cheese, there’s a story of resilience, adaptation, and love for what’s ours. Because in the end, Cubans make art even with the simplest ingredients.

Do you have your own family version of pastelitos? Every Cuban family guards their secrets — the exact thickness of the guava, the type of cheese, the precise oven timing. That’s the magic of Creole cooking.