While attending BlogHer Food in Miami this past May, I joined a workshop led by Meseidy of The Noshery and Carla of The Cuban Brit. They demonstrated traditional Puerto Rican and Cuban dishes and creative spins on those cuisines. I left the session inspired—and very full from all the samples—to bring some of those flavors into my own kitchen.
Most of all, I came away ready to put guava paste in everything. If you haven’t tried it, guava paste is tangy and sweet, adding a bright fruity note to savory dishes, appetizers, and desserts. We often slice guava paste and serve it with cheese when fresh fruit isn’t available—now it’s a pantry staple. At the workshop Meseidy and Carla made a classic Cuban treat: cream cheese and guava paste wrapped in dough and fried. I’m sharing that simple, crowd-pleasing recipe here. I like to fry the hand pies, allow them to cool slightly, then wrap them in foil for picnics or packed lunches. They’re a delightful combination of creamy, sweet, and tangy in a flaky hand-pie package.
Cook’s Notes
I like using store-bought empanada discs (Goya discos) for speed, but you can make your own pastry—Meseidy has a great homemade empanada dough recipe I highly recommend. Guava paste is widely available in the Hispanic foods section of most grocery stores. I order guava paste online when I want a brand without artificial colors or high-fructose corn syrup.
I prefer the texture when these are deep-fried, but if you’re not comfortable frying, the recipe includes a baked version that yields a tasty, golden hand pie. Deep frying isn’t scary if you pay attention—hot oil just requires care and the right temperature.
Guava and Cream Cheese Hand Pies
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 Goya discos or homemade empanada pastry discs (empanada wrappers)
- 1 brick (8 ounces) cream cheese, sliced crosswise into 10 pieces
- 10 slices of guava paste, about 2½” long by 1″ across and 1/4″–1/2″ thick
- 1 beaten egg
- Oil for frying or non-stick cooking spray if baking
Instructions
To Prepare Hand Pies:
- Lay out the discos or pastry discs and brush the edges with beaten egg.
- Place one slice of cream cheese and one slice of guava paste just off-center on each disc. Fold the empty side of dough over the filling and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork to seal.
To Fry:
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Carefully lower two or three hand pies into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. These are delicious at room temperature.
To Bake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush both sides of each pie with beaten egg and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until puffed and golden, about 18–22 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes before eating. These can also be served at room temperature.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the specific ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition calculator.
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To fry these hand pies I used a T-Fal Cool-Touch deep fryer, which made frying neater and safer than pan-frying on the stove and helped keep my kitchen from smelling like a fryer. A countertop fryer can also be a convenient place to store frying oil. JCPenney carries a wide range of home goods and appliances if you’re looking for kitchen tools or gadgets to simplify cooking.
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