Easy Guava and Cheese Empanadas Recipe
Flaky, crispy empanada dough filled with sweet guava paste and melted gooey Manchego cheese. These deliciously sweet and easy to make guava and cheese empanadas are the perfect dessert or sweet party appetizer to serve with a cocktail.
Guava and Cheese Empanadas
Are you a fan of a super quick dessert?
I’m a huge fan of these types of desserts. While I can cook savory food all day long, dessert I always find more complicated. That’s why I LOVE these empanadas.
Make sure to read the ingredients and tips below so you can see just how easy it is to make these guava cheese empanadas with just 4 ingredients!
There’s everything to love about these flaky, crispy empanada dough filled with sweet guava paste and melted gooey Manchego cheese.
Though not a traditional Mexican sweet dessert empanada combination, it is of Caribbean influence. In Spain this is a common pairing for tapas — super delicious pair with some white wine.
In some Caribbean countries instead of empanadas they may be called “pastelitos“.
What do Guava Cheese Empanadas Taste Like
The golden brown dough texture has a crispy texture and it’s a flaky pastry that crumbles slightly when biting into it.
The filling of this delicious dessert is burst of flavor combinations. There’s the sweet from the guava paste intertwined with the savory and creaminess of the Manchego cheese.
Both the guava and the cheese melt so nicely into each other and it’s truly a uniquely flavor combination that you shouldn’t miss out on.
(I also used this combination in one of my tamales in my tamales cookbook.)
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for this easy dessert recipe are incredibly simple and few.
- Empanada Dough: You can totally cut corners here. I used premade empanada disc from the frozen section in the grocery store. If you don’t live near Hispanic food marts or Mexican grocery stores, then you can use puff pastry dough, or pie dough or pie crust. Either premade or homemade if you’d like.
- Guava Paste: If you’re a huge fan of guava then you’re going to LOVE guava paste. It’s concentrated guava flavor fits perfectly in a flaky pastry and with cheese.
- Manchego Cheese: I love the combination of this cheese with the sweet paste. Instead you could use tangy cream cheese for a different flavor. Here in the Yucatan Peninsula cream cheese empanadas and pastries are actually quite common. (for vegan version see below)
- Egg Wash: This is just a lightly beaten egg and it serves to make the pastry golden brown. For a vegan option check the suggestions below.
What is Membrillo or Guava Paste
Guava paste across Latin countries can go by the name of membrillo or ate de guayaba or pasta de guayaba.
You can find it in the grocery store in the same isle fruit jams and other preserves.
Guava paste is made with fresh fruit, sugar, lime juice and water. The process involves seeding the fruit, blending it and straining it. Then simmering it with the remaining ingredients until a thick darker brown mixture is created. It’s then poured into molds and allow to set.
If you can’t find the paste you could also look for guava preserves, guava jelly or guava jam.
What is Manchego Cheese
Spanish Manchego cheese is sheep milk’s cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain.
Mexican style Manchego is different in that it uses cow milk instead of sheep’s. In Mexico it has to be labeled as “Manchego style” because the Spanish variety is protected.
These cheeses are different from each other, but you can use either in this guava empanadas recipe.
How to Make These Guava and Cheese Empanadas Vegan
Generally speaking most store-bought puff pastry or pie doughs are made with butter. But thankfully nowadays you can also find ones made with vegetable shortening or vegan butter.
The more popular brands of guava paste you’ll find will all usually be vegan. Just double check the label.
For the Manchego cheese you could use strips of vegan cream cheese or your favorite vegan semi firm cheese, if it melts that’s even better.
I asked on my Instagram stories what everyone recommended as a great vegan egg wash. The following is what people responded.
The most common suggestions where soy milk and water, Just Egg, soy milk followed with a sprinkle of sugar, coconut oil, water and ground flaxseed, almond milk, and aquafaba.
One follower by the name of stinely_yours suggest to look up an article by King Arthur Flour with tips for vegan egg wash. You can find it here, “How one plant-based milk became our test kitchen’s favorite “egg” wash.”
How to Make Guava and Cheese Empanadas
Amigos this is seriously a wonderful dessert that is incredibly easy to make. Instead of frying, I like a healthier option so I always either bake or air fry my empanadas.
- Start by heating your oven to 375F and have a baking sheet ready. If you’d like less mess to clean up you can line it with parchment paper.
- Lightly beat a large egg in a small bowl. Slice the guava paste into slices that are just a tad less wider than the empanada dough discs. Slice the cheese as well or if using cream cheese have it ready to go.
- Lay the empanada wrappers on a cutting board. Place a slice of cheese towards the bottom of half on the dough. (Or lay a strip of cream cheese instead.) Then place a slice of guava paste on top of the cheese.
- Grab the top side and fold dough to make half of the circle for the empanada.
- Press edges down and use a fork to fully seal the empanada pocket. See picture for illustration.
- Brush each empanada with the egg wash of your choice and place empanadas on the cookie sheet. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
How to Bake in The Air Fryer
The process is exactly the same. You can spray the empanadas with cooking spray if you’d like.
Air fry at 400F for 6 minutes then flip over and air fry another 4 to 5 minutes. This will depend on when they turn a golden brown color.
Allow to cool before serving.
How to Serve
You can serve these delicious sweet and savory empanadas as a dessert or as a fun appetizer.
If I’m enjoying as an appetizer or snack, a nice white wine goes really well with the flavor combinations and textures.
For dessert I love a glass of coffee with my sweet empanadas.
How to Store
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container either on the countertop or in the refrigerator.
To serve warm again just place in the oven for a few minutes or in the air fryer is even better.
Easy Guava and Cheese Empanadas Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pack empanada dough discs mine had 10
- 1 block of guava paste or membrillo de guayava
- 10 slices of Manchego cheese or vegan cheese of choice
- 1 large egg lightly beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- Start by heating your oven to 375F and have a baking sheet ready. If you’d like less mess to clean up you can line it with parchment paper.
- Lightly beat a large egg in a small bowl. Slice the guava paste into slices that are just a tad less wider than the empanada dough discs. Slice the cheese as well or if using cream cheese have it ready to go. Lay the empanada wrappers on a cutting board. Place a slice of cheese towards the bottom of half on the dough. (Or lay a strip of cream cheese instead.) Then place a slice of guava paste on top of the cheese. Grab the top side and fold dough to make half of the circle for the empanada.
- Press edges down and use a fork to fully seal the empanada pocket. See picture for illustration.
- Brush each empanada with the egg wash of your choice and place empanadas on the cookie sheet. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Mexican Desserts for You to Try
- Carlota de Limón (Mexican Lime Icebox Cake)
- Easy Vegan Arroz con Leche Recipe (Mexican Rice Pudding)
- Tres Leches Arroz con Leche
- Easy Mango Ice Cream Recipe | No Churn
- Vegan Fresas con Crema
- Fresas con Crema
- Concha Strawberry Shortcake | Stuffed Conchas
- Pure de Manzana or Applesauce
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
Can’t wait ti make them for brunch. I had tapas with these two foods and it was yummy.
Enjoy!
I had these at a PR restaurant and so good.
Thank you Taylor, enjoy!
I also LOVE empanadas!! Thanks for sharing that!
Thank you, Linda!