Quesitos (Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Pastries)

Quesitos are a sweet Puerto Rican cream cheese pastry. They're easy to make with store bought 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. I also love 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 straightforward, especially using store bought puff pastry.

My trial and error will help ensure that you have success making this delicious Puerto Rican breakfast, snack, and dessert!

Ingredients

* See recipe card for detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

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.

Pepperidge Farm brand has two sheets totaling 17.3 ounces. Trader Joe's also has two sheets, totaling 18.3 ounces. You will make 9 pastries using half of the 17.3 or 18.3 ounce box.

*Dufour brand comes in one 14 ounce sheet and makes 12 pastries using a single 14 ounce box.

You can see the results of a Serious Eats puff pastry bake-off using different brands. 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.

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, 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.

Instructions

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

Mix cream cheese and granulated sugar.

Once defrosted, place puff pastry between two sheets of parchment paper and gently roll out dough.

Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel 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.

Divide cream cheese mixture evenly among pastry squares, applying it in a diagonal line in middle of pastry (don't extend cream cheese to ends of puff pastry).

Place a scant teaspoon of pineapple jam along the top of cream cheese. Fold one corner of the puff pastry over the cream cheese mixture and gently press down to seal.

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.

Brush a light egg wash over each pastry. 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.

Bake one sheet at a time for 25-28 minutes (keep remaining sheet in the fridge).

Hint: To help prevent the quesitos from expanding too much and unrolling during baking, 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 homemade recipe is the variety you can add. Give some of these versions a try!

• Guava - Quesitos de guyaba (guava pastries) are a common flavor variation. Omit the pineapple jam, and place a small slice of guava paste 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 homemade pineapple jam for any other type of jam. Try strawberry, grape, or apricot. If you can locate some passion fruit pepper jelly, 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.
  • For sugar glaze, 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

You don't need anything fancy in order to make Puerto Rican cream cheese pastries. 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 pastries can be refreshed by warming for a minute or two in a toaster oven.

This recipe doesn't stand up well to freezing.

Recipe Tip

Keep your puff pastry cool. Work quickly to assemble the pastries with minimal handling. Be sure to chill them for 30 minutes before baking.

This ensures the butter layers in the puff pastry stay cool and don't melt early, risking soggy pastry dough. Cold butter is needed to create flaky, light pastry layers.

Frequently asked questions

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