Quesitos

Quesitos are a sweet Puerto Rican cream cheese pastry. Made with sheets of flaky puff pastry, this version is filled with sweetened cream cheese and an easy homemade fresh pineapple jam. Crispy, golden layers of buttery puff pastry, tangy cream cheese and a bright and punchy pineapple jam are all wrapped into one little bundle. They're perfect for breakfast or served for an afternoon snack. Don't forget the coffee!

There's nothing like a crispy, flaky pastry at breakfast, brunch or with a good coffee or tea in the afternoon. It's been a while since I made pastries - the last were these strawberry cream cheese brioche danishes with orange blossom water, inspired by spring in southern Spain, where my husband is from.

These quesitos (translated: little cheeses) are filled pastries that are the type of sweets you might find at a neighborhood panadería (bakery) in Puerto Rico, Cuba and other Latin American countries. When I read about the variations that included guava paste or pineapple jam, I knew I wanted to give the pineapple jam version a try. I ended up making a fresh pineapple freezer jam just for this purpose. It's very flavorful and adds the perfect tropical touch. I loved the idea of a bright and concentrated pineapple flavor paired with the cream cheese. I think you will, too!

It took three rounds of testing to find just the right method for filling and folding the puff pastries. I've included lots of extra detail to make these easy for you. They're really quite straightforward, especially using store bought puff pastry. My trial and error will help ensure that you have success making these delicious Puerto Rican sweets.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Recipe Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
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Ingredients

• Puff pastry - You will need a half box of puff pastry in order to make 9 quesitos.
  • Here in the US, there are only a few major brands of puff pastry: Dufour Pastry Kitchens (all butter) and Pepperidge Farm (vegetable oils/vegan) are the two biggest and most commonly found. Trader Joe's carries puff pastry, but supply is seasonal and limited to fall and winter months. Any brand will work for this recipe - purchase based on your personal preference and store availability.
  • Note that the Pepperidge Farm brand has two sheets totaling 17.3 ounces. Trader Joe's also has two sheets, totaling 18.3 ounces. Dufour brand comes in one 14 ounce sheet. You will make 9 quesitos using half of the 17.3 or 18.3 ounce box, or 12 quesitos using single 14 ounce box.
  • You can see the results of a Serious Eats bake-off using different brands of puff pastry here. While there are plenty of opinions about butter vs. vegetable oils in puff pastry, the competition results show that both types perform very well and get equally good reviews.
• Cream cheese - The cream cheese should be at room temperature in order to more easily mix in the sugar. You want to mix minimally in order to keep air out of the cream cheese. Too much air can cause your filling to expand too much during baking.
• Granulated sugar - Sugar adds a bit of moisture and sweetness to the cream cheese mixture.
• Pineapple jam - I made a quick, fresh pineapple jam (freezer jam) to add to the quesito filling. Some bakeries serve quesitos plain, with lightly sweetened cream cheese, but others incorporate guava paste (affiliate link), fruit jams, a bit of Nutella, or fresh fruit.
• Egg - Brushing the folded quesito pastries with an egg wash (made of an egg beaten with a bit of water) helps create a lovely golden brown crust on the outside of the puff pastry.
• Water - Add a bit of water to the egg to give the egg wash a thinner consistency.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

How to make quesitos:

Step 1: Thaw the puff pastry according to instructions on box. My preference is to thaw the puff pastry box in the refrigerator overnight the evening before making these filled pastries.

Step 2: Mix together the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar. You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or simply mix the ingredients together using a bowl and a spoon. Either way, mix minimally to avoid incorporating extra air.

Step 3: Once defrosted, place the puff pastry between two sheets of parchment paper and gently roll out the dough. If using a square half sheet from a 17.3 or 18.3 ounce box, roll until the dimensions are roughly 11 x 11. If using a single rectangular 14 ounce sheet, roll until the dimensions are roughly 11 x 15.

Step 4: If there is extra flour on your dough, take a moment to brush it off using a pastry brush. Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel (affiliate link), divide dough into either 9 (Pepperidge Farm or Trader Joe's) or 12 squares (Dufour) that are around 3.5 inches (9cm) each. Transfer squares to 2 half sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Place 6 on each pan.

Step 5: Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly among the pastry squares, applying it in a diagonal line in the middle of the pastry (don't extend cream cheese to ends of puff pastry). See photos for reference.

Step 6: Place a scant teaspoon of pineapple jam along the top of the cream cheese. Fold one corner of the puff pastry over the cream cheese mixture and gently press down to seal. Gently press along the top as well to make sure no air is hidden between the cream cheese and the puff pastry.

Step 7: Prepare the egg wash: beat one egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush a light egg wash on the two remaining edges of the square that have not been folded over, and the top triangle that has already been folded. Carefully fold over the remaining corner to close the pastries, wrapping as firmly as possible. The top corner should reach the far edge of the pastry. See photos for reference. Press down gently to seal the top.

Step 8: Brush a light egg wash over each pastry, being careful not to drip extra egg wash down onto the pan. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut three steam vents into the top of each quesito, making sure not to pierce through to the bottom. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

Step 9: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4) with rack in middle of oven.

Step 10. Bake one sheet at a time for 25-28 minutes (keep remaining sheet in the fridge). When baked, the exterior should be golden brown, nicely puffed, and the pastry should be firm and dry to the touch. The puff pastry should not look doughy. Do not underbake or the pastry will collapse when cool.

Hint: To help prevent the quesitos from expanding too much during baking (they'll rise too much and unroll somewhat), make sure to roll the puff pastry out as instructed and cut steam vents into the top of the pastries before baking.

Variations

Quesitos are a popular Puerto Rican bakery item; they're less commonly made at home. The fun of having a quesito recipe you can make at home is the variety you can add. Give some of these variations a try!

• Guava - Quesitos de guyaba (guava quesitos) are a common flavor variation. Omit the pineapple jam, and place a small slice of guava paste (affiliate link) on top of each cream cheese portion prior to folding.
• Nutella - Nutella and pastries are a perfect match! Substitute Nutella for the pineapple jam in equal quantities for a creamy chocolate hazelnut version.
• Fruit jam - Switch out the pineapple jam for any other type of jam. Try strawberry, grape, or apricot. If you can locate some passion fruit pepper jelly (affiliate link), it would provide a tangy, spicy kick and pair nicely with the cream cheese!
• Sugar glaze - Many quesito recipes finish the baked pastries by brushing with a simple sugar glaze. I prefer the lighter dusting of powdered sugar as it's easier to eat and is sweet enough for me without the additional glaze.
  • If you do wish to make a sugar glaze, simply heat ½ cup granulated sugar with ½ cup water and ¼ cup honey (or light corn syrup) in a pan until sugar is dissolved. Boil for one minute, and then cool. Brush on pastries while still warm instead of adding powdered sugar.

Equipment

Items below contain affiliate links.

You won't need anything fancy in order to make Puerto Rican cream cheese pastry. The basics include:

Two half sheet pans

Parchment paper

A good knife or pastry wheel.

Storage

Quesitos are best served fresh the same day they are made. I don't recommend making them farther in advance. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours. Leftover quesitos can be refreshed by warming for a minute or two in a toaster oven.

This recipe doesn't stand up well to freezing.

Recipe Tips

The biggest tip is to keep your puff pastry cool. Work quickly to assemble the pastries and be sure to chill them for 30 minutes before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I double this recipe?

Yes! If doubling the recipe, note that you may (or may not) need to purchase additional puff pastry depending on the brand you choose. See recipe and ingredient notes for details.

Can I make quesitos in advance?

Puff pastry is best when eaten soon after baking (ideally, the same day). If you want to make these in advance, prepare them through to step 8 and chill overnight in the refrigerator rather than for 30 minutes. If chilling for more than 30 minutes, cover pastries with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out in the fridge.

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More Breakfast / Snacking Recipes

If you like this Puerto Rican quesitos recipe, you might also enjoy these recipes that would be perfect served for breakfast or with afternoon coffee!