Guava and cheese empanadas are a tasty sweet and tangy treat! They're made with tropical guava paste and cream cheese that gets stuffed inside of pre-made empanada dough discs and fried, air fried, or baked into a nice crispy texture. These 4-ingredient dessert empanadas are so easy to make and packed with delicious, rich flavor.
Guava and cheese is one of my favorite Latin American dessert flavor combinations, but it's also delicious for breakfast! You find it most commonly in Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian cuisine. My Cuban Aunt makes these for us every year on our beach trip and they're just the best!
They're little individual pies - like these fried peach pies - and they feel so fun and special to eat.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Guava paste- Guava is a tropical fruit that is common in Latin countries like Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. This recipe uses pre-made sweet, thick guava paste, sometimes called guava preserves, making it super simple to make and giving each bite a concentrated guava flavor.
Crispy dough - What is not to love about golden brown, crispy dough? Whether you fry, air fry, or bake these guava empanadas, the result is a crispy exterior surrounding and ooey gooey center.
Few ingredients - The combination of guava and cream cheese is super common in sweet empanadas and for good reason. The rich, tangy cream cheese is the perfect balance to the tropical, tart fruit. When combined in a 50/50 ratio of cheese to strip of guava paste and cooked, the result is melty and delicious!
Ingredients
- Empanada discs. These can be found in the frozen section of the grocery store. Look for 6" discs. Goya brand is very popular and easy to find.
- Guava paste. This can be found in the international or Mexican aisle of most grocery stores or any Hispanic food mart. This may come in a round can, or wrapped in a rectangular block.
- Cream cheese. Use cold full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. I love Philadelphia brand for both flavor and texture.
- Frying oil. Either canola oil or vegetable oil can be used to fry the empanadas.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use 1 inch slices of sharp cheddar cheese in place of the cream cheese.
- For added sweetness, dust with powdered sugar after frying.
- Substitute quince paste, apple paste, or any type of jam or jelly for the guava paste.
- Use with homemade pie dough or store-bought, and cut out 5-inch rounds in place of a pre-made empanada disc.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Add 1oz of cream cheese to the bottom third of the expanded disc and spread it out slightly.
Two: Add 1oz of guava paste on top of the cream cheese and spread it to the size of the cream cheese.
Three: Fold the dough over itself into a half moon and press firmly all around the filling.
Four: Use the tines of a form to crimp the outer edge to seal it even more.
Hot tip! Remove as much air as possible from around the filling before sealing the empanada.
Five: Use a pizza cutter or knife to trim the very edges (this is optional).
Six: Repeat with all empanadas and place on a sheet pan. Refrigerate while the oil heats.
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Seven: Fry the empanadas in batches until very golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Eight: Enjoy the empanadas while still warm, or at room temperature.
Baked or Air Fried Empanadas
The beauty of this recipe is that there are several ways to cook these guava cheese empanadas. The base recipe is to fry the empanadas, which makes the empanada dough bubbly and crispy.
But if you're not up for deep frying, don't worry. You can bake the empanadas at 400℉ for 15-20 minutes or cook them in an air fryer at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes. Just brush the empanadas with oil or egg wash to deepen the color while they cook.
Make Ahead Instructions
Assemble the empanadas and store, covered, in the fridge, for up to 2 days before frying. You can also flash freeze the empanadas for 30 minutes on a sheet pan, then add them to a freezer bag to store in the freezer until you are ready to cook them. When ready to serve, fry the empanadas directly from frozen.
Expert Tips
- Pre-slice the guava paste and cream cheese into 1 oz slices to make assembly easy.
- Don't overfill the pre-made empanada wrappers or they filling will come out in the oil.
- After you fold the dough, seal edges twice, first press edges with your fingers, then with the tines of fork.
- Chill the empanadas before frying to help the filling from busting out while cooking.
- Keep the oil temperature consistent and don't overcrowd the pot when frying!
Recipe FAQs
Cream cheese is very popular, but you can use brie, sharp cheddar, swiss, gouda, manchego cheese, or queso fresco.
The empanada was overfilled, not correctly sealed, or cooked for too long or at too high of heat.
Storage
Store cooked empanadas in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in an 350℉ oven for 7-10 minutes until warmed through.
Freezing
Add cooked, cooled empanadas to a freezer bag or sealed container for up to two months. Reheat in a 350℉ oven (directly from frozen) for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
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- If you'd like to make the recipe in a different pan, use the pan size converter.
📖Recipe
Guava and Cheese Empanadas
Equipment
- Spider or slotted metal spoon
- Large baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Heavy bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 8 empanada discs
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese brick style
- 8 oz guava paste 400g
- 1 qt canola oil or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Add 1oz cream cheese and 1 oz guava paste (50g) to the middle of a disc of empanada dough. Flatten the cream cheese and guava paste slightly to spread it.8 oz guava paste, 8 empanada discs, 8 oz full-fat cream cheese
- Fold the dough over itself into a half moon.
- Press down tightly to seal, then crimp with a fork.
- Repeat with the remaining empanadas, and place onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover the assembled empanadas in a damp paper towel or cloth as you work so they don’t dry out.
- Refrigerate the empanadas (covered) while the oil preheats.
- Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat until it reads a steady 375℉ on a thermometer.1 qt canola oil or vegetable oil
- Set up a pan with paper towels or wire rack next to your frying station while the oil heats.
- Use a metal utensil to gently add 2-3 empanadas into the oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side until deeply golden brown and bubbling. Remove using a slotted metal utensil and place onto the paper towels or wire rack.
- Note: Don't overcrowd the pot. It's better to work in smaller batches, if necessary.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining empanadas, being sure to check the oil temperature in between each batch and adjust the heat accordingly.
- Serve warm,
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Notes
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