Guava Cheese Pop Tarts (Printable)

Flaky pastry filled with sweet guava and cream cheese, topped with glossy vanilla glaze

# What You Need:

→ 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 oz 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and using a pastry blender or fingers, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
02 - Gradually add ice water, mixing just until dough comes together. Divide dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
03 - In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well blended.
04 - On a lightly floured 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 guava paste and 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture in the center of 4 rectangles, leaving a border. Brush edges with beaten egg. Top with remaining rectangles and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with a fork.
06 - Transfer pop tarts to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
07 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush tops of pop tarts with egg wash and prick tops with a fork to allow steam to vent.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on the baking sheet.
09 - In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add pink or red food coloring if desired.
10 - Drizzle or spread glaze over cooled pop tarts. Allow glaze to set completely before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The pastry is genuinely flaky and homemade, nothing like the cardboard-textured originals.
  • Guava and cream cheese is such a subtle but sophisticated flavor pairing that people always ask what the secret ingredient is.
  • You can make a batch on Sunday and have breakfast sorted for the entire week.
02 -
  • If your dough gets warm while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for 5 minutes because warm dough won't give you those flaky layers.
  • Don't skip the egg wash step—it's what gives these that shiny, professional-bakery appearance that makes people think you went to pastry school.
03 -
  • The secret to genuinely flaky pastry is keeping everything cold and not overworking the dough—handle it like you're trying not to wake a sleeping cat.
  • If your egg wash is too thick, whisk it with a tiny splash of water so it spreads evenly without creating thick spots that get too dark.
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