When it comes to Puerto Rican desserts and pastries, there is one I probably love even more than pastelillos de guayaba – quesitos. Quesitos have a nostalgic place in my heart as I have fond memories of eating this delicacy as a child in Puerto Rico and often asking my parents to buy me some when we visited a bakery. This Puerto Rican cheese puff pastry is super delicious and easy to make, something I wish I had known earlier!
If you’re looking for a simple dessert recipe for your holiday entertaining, try this quesitos recipe and watch the video below so you can see how to make quesitos, with common ingredients you can find at Walmart. Not only will party attendees gush over how delectable they are, but you’ll feel good about bringing something other than holiday cookies to the party!
Quesitos Recipe (Puerto Rican Cheese Puff Pastries)
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp sugar (substitute with Splenda for a sugar-free version)
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed according to package directions
- 1 egg white
How to Make Quesitos
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Add sugar and vanilla extract to cream cheese in a medium or large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix on low until cream cheese has a soft, whipped texture.
- Cut pastry sheet into 9 4×4 squares.
- Add about 1 tsp of cream cheese mixture to middle of each square, at an angle.
- Fold pastry sheet by bringing one side to the middle, then the other side. Pinch in the middle to seal. (Alternatively, you can add cream cheese mixture along the side of a square and roll pastry sheet closed, pinching each side to seal.)
- Place quesitos on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush each quesito with egg white, then sprinkle with sugar on top.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let quesitos cool before indulging!
More Puerto Rican Dessert Recipes for Holiday Entertaining
Check out these dessert ideas that are also great for your holiday entertaining!
- Tembleque (Puerto Rican Coconut Pudding)
- Strawberry and Cream Cheese Pastelitos (Just like pastelillos de guayaba, but with strawberry!)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Flan
You can get even more holiday entertaining ideas and recipes (not just for dessert!) with the Walmart Holiday Entertaining Guide. It has easy, budget-friendly ideas for everything from breakfast and appetizers, to desserts and cocktails! (Check out the mac & cheese bacon bowls – I tried these during a Walmart headquarters trip and they really are divine!) You’ll also find many how-to videos on the entertaining guide to help you put together a wonderful party!
Now that you know how to make quesitos, will you be trying our quesitos recipe for your holiday party?
All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
Omg These Quesitos amazing!!! ;))) And easy to make thanks.
Need to try all these other recipes Gracias mamita
De nada! So glad you liked them!
Delicious! It was easy to make. Everyone loved it!
That’s great! I love how easy they are to make too!
Omg I cant find them anywhere where i live except an hour drive away I just made them and there so amazing and cheap!!
Yes! So easy to make and fills that “antojito”! 😉
My daughter and I discovered these a couple of years ago at a place in Austin, TX called Cuban Café. We live about 4 hours away on the gulf coast so we always buy about 20 to take home and then end up eating them along the way so never any left. ($1 ea.) I am so excited to make these – they are one of the best sweets I’ve ever had………..thank you so much. Am also going to make the ones with guava.
They’re so yummy- I don’t blame you for eating them all up! LOL I love that I can make them at home now!
Ok, so growing up in Puerto Rico, I used to have these for breakfast and snacks. I moved to NYC and was excited to find them. I recently moved to Mississippi and guess what? You got it right, no where to be found!!! Can’t wait to make these for my kids, FOR CHRISTMAS!! Thank you for reviving my childhood taste buds!!
Yes, it’s easy to find Puerto Rican treats in places like NYC, but I can only imagine what you’re feeling in Mississippi!! Enjoy your quesitos with the kids. Felicidades!
So my grandmother lives in Puerto Rico and we live in Alabama. Sometimes we save up enough money to go there for Christmas. The first thing I always ask for when we get there is a Quesito. Now I can’t wait to make them and make it a daily thing for me. I’m so excited! Gracias por todo Mamita!
I’m so glad you’ll be able to enjoy quesitos more often now! Yay! 🙂
I have always loved loved loved quesitos, when we tragically moved from Puerto Rico, quesitos was one of the things I missed the most. To eat these I have to drive 4 hours away. I miss then but not enough to constantly drive 4 hours. Thank you for this recipe, I live in Georgia so delicious pastries are rare. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this.
You’re so welcome! I was surprised to find they taste almost the same as the ones from the panaderias in Puerto Rico. Enjoy!
love it chesse puff pasry from Puerto rico and I am live Puerto rico
So glad you like it!