Guava Cheese Pop Tarts (Printable)

Buttery pastry pockets filled with guava paste and cream cheese, topped with vanilla glaze for a tropical breakfast or dessert.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 1/3 cup ice-cold water
06 - 1 large egg for egg wash

→ Filling

07 - 3/4 cup guava paste or thick guava jam
08 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Glaze

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Pink or red food coloring, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
02 - Gradually add ice-cold water, stirring just until the dough comes together. Divide dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.
04 - On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one dough disk to approximately 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 8 rectangles, each measuring approximately 3 by 4 inches.
05 - Place 1 teaspoon of guava paste and 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of 4 rectangles, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
06 - Brush the edges of filled rectangles with beaten egg. Top with remaining unfilled rectangles and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp the sealed edges with a fork to reinforce the seal.
07 - Transfer the sealed pop tarts to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
08 - Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the top surface of each pop tart with egg wash and prick the surface with a fork to create steam vents.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the pastries achieve a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
10 - In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, stirring until the mixture achieves a smooth, pourable consistency. Add food coloring if desired. Drizzle or spread the glaze over the cooled pop tarts and allow to set before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Homemade pastry tastes infinitely better than the boxed version, and once you nail the technique, you'll never look back.
  • The guava and cream cheese combo is tropical, a little unexpected, and honestly feels fancier than breakfast deserves to be.
02 -
  • Don't skip the chilling steps—warm dough spreads instead of rising, and your pastry will be dense rather than flaky.
  • If your filling leaks during baking, it's usually because you overfilled or didn't seal the edges properly, so go easy on the filling amount next time.
03 -
  • Keep everything cold from start to finish—your butter, your water, even your mixing bowl if you have time—and your pastry will thank you with incredible flakiness.
  • Don't be afraid to crimp the edges firmly with a fork; it seals the filling inside and creates that satisfying pressed-edge look we all recognize.
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