Whenever I traveled to Miami, one of my favorite things was to stop at a Cuban place and eat some Cuban guava pastries. Unfortunately, not all pies are dairy-free; some have animal fat, so when I turned vegan, I decided to make them at home, and they turned out perfect!  It is so easy to make – just three combined ingredients make these flaky, light, and insanely delicious pastries. Now I can enjoy them a lot more often, and I just need a trip to the grocery store to pick up some phyllo dough.

Servings: 16 pastries
  • 1 lb Athens phyllo dough
  • 17 oz sweetened guava paste
  • 1/2 cup Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, canola oil, other neutral vegetable oil, or cooking spray
You can find sweetened guava paste in Latin American markets or online. Some Brazilian guava paste comes with pieces of fruit– those are the best.
Some Cuban guava pastries have cheese in them, so if you like it, add a slice of mild plant-based cheese – such as vegan mozzarella – together with the guava paste. My absolute favorite is still with guava paste only – this is the recipe you have here. Most phyllo dough is accidentally vegan, but read the label to ensure no animal ingredients are in it.
Let the pastries cool completely before storing them in an air-tight container at room temperature, and they will remain flaky and crunchy for 3 days.
  • Remove sealed phyllo dough from the package and thaw overnight in the fridge or for at least 3 hours at room temperature.
  • Cut the sweetened guava paste into 16 slices of the same size and thickness.
  • Preheat the oven to 390F (200C)
  • Prepare your workstation: bring phyllo dough to room temperature and unroll sheets onto a smooth and dry surface, and cover it with a slightly damp clean kitchen towel (this prevents the dough from drying out). Uncover to remove phyllo sheets as you work with them, then promptly the remaining sheets covered with the kitchen towel.
  • Open one sheet of Phyllo on a flat working surface. Working from the edges toward the center, lightly brush one sheet of phyllo with melted vegan butter or oil. A silicone brush works well for this. If not available, you can use the back of a large spoon to spread the butter or oil. Be careful because the phyllo sheets are fragile and break easily. Top it with a phyllo sheet and lightly brush the edges. Fold the dough starting from the larger side; you will end up with a long piece of phyllo dough. Place one slice of guava paste in the left upper corner of the dough and fold it down diagonally to cover it. Keep folding it diagonally up and down until the end of the dough. The size of the phyllo sheets may depend on the brand. I used Athens phyllo dough for this recipe, and the sheets are 8 1/2 x 13 inches (21 x 33 cm).
  • Brush the edge to seal and turn the seam down. Slightly brush the top with melted butter or oil. Repeat the process until all pastries are assembled.
  • Place the pastries 1 inch (2cm) apart in lightly greased large cookie baking sheets and bake for 8 minutes or until the phyllo starts to brown. Remove from oven.