These Pumpkin Pie and Cheese Pastelitos (Pastelitos de Calabaza y Queso) are my creative fusion twist on the traditional Cuban pastries my father, a chef in Cuba, taught me to make – combining flaky puff pastry with a sweet pumpkin pie and cream cheese filling that perfectly marries my Latin heritage with American fall traditions.
Cuban pastelitos are beloved pastries found in every Cuban bakery, traditionally filled with guava and cheese or savory beef picadillo, but this pumpkin spice version captures the essence of autumn while honoring the classic pastelito technique my father perfected.
As a second-generation immigrant, I love creating recipes that bridge both cultures, and these easy pumpkin pastelitos deliver all the flavors of pumpkin pie and cheesecake wrapped in buttery, golden puff pastry and finished with a cinnamon simple syrup glaze. Ready in just 45 minutes, these Cuban pumpkin pastries are perfect for Thanksgiving, fall gatherings, or any time you're craving a PSL-inspired treat with a Latin twist that celebrates the best of both worlds.
Much like my pumpkin pie tres leches recipe, this recipe aims at combining American traditions with my Latin roots. As a second generation immigrant, traditionally American celebrations always call for a marriage of both American customs and food from my parent’s country of origin.
What is a pastelito?
Pastelitos are Cuban pastries made of puff pastry and traditionally filled with different fillings like guava paste, cream cheese, coconut and Cuban style minced meat.
Ingredients
| puff pastry pumpkin puree salt ground cinnamon ground ginger grated nutmeg ground cloves | brown sugar cream cheese powdered sugar egg granulated sugar water cinnamon stick |
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.
In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until there are no visible lumps.
Unfold one of the pastry sheets and place one on the lined baking sheet.
Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, place a 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese per pastelito. It should be 9 total.
Be sure to leave 1-2 inches between each mound of cream cheese.
Place about 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin mix on top of the cream cheese mixture. When placing the pumpkin mix, use your spoon to create a little pocket in the cream cheese mix so the pumpkin doesn't spread.
Unfold the second pastry sheet. Use a rolling pin to roll it out slightly and place it over the other one that now has the cream cheese and pumpkin.
Cut 9 squares and poke two small holes on the tops of each pastelito.
Beat your egg and brush the egg over the top of each pastry for a golden crust.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden at 400 degrees.
While baking, make your cinnamon simple syrup. In a small sauce pan place your water, cinnamon stick and granulated sugar. Set over medium heat and allow to boil for 2 minutes then remove from the heat.
Once the pastelitos are out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes and brush generously with the cinnamon simple syrup.
Have left over cinnamon simple syrup? Save it and make yourself a cinnamon dolce latte.
Substitutions
Don't have the individual spices that make up pumpkin spice? Opt for 1 ½ teaspoon of pre-made pumpkin pie seasoning.
Variations
Just want pumpkin pie pastelitos without the cream cheese? Simply omit the cream cheese and powdered sugar from the recipe.
Are you more of a sweet potato pie fan? Swap out the pumpkin puree for finely mashed sweet potato.
Storage
To freeze unbaked pastelitos, before covering the top of the raw pastelito with eggwash place the cookie sheet with all of the pastelitos in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then remove them from the freezer and wrap each pastelito in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer gallon size zip bag. Date the bag, they will be good for upto 1 month in the freezer.
Once baked, wrap the pastelitos in aluminum foil and keep at room temperature for 1-2 days. To warm them up, place them in a toaster oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
Check out these other pumpkin recipes
Pumpkin pie and cheese pastelitos (Pastelitos de calabaza y queso)
Ingredients
- 1 package of puff pastry
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon salt separated
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg*
- pinch ground cloves
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Thaw the puff pastry according to package directions.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until there are no visible lumps.
- In another bowl, mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of salt.
- Unfold one of the pastry sheets and place one on the lined baking sheet.
- Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, place a 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese per pastelito. It should be 9 total.
- Be sure to leave 1-2 inches between each mound of cream cheese.
- Place about 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin mix on top of the cream cheese mixture. When placing the pumpkin mix, use your spoon to create a little pocket in the cream cheese mix so the pumpkin doesn't spread.
- Unfold the second pastry sheet. Use a rolling pin to roll it out slightly and place it over the other one that now has the cream cheese and pumpkin.
- Cut 9 squares and poke two small holes on the tops of each pastelito.
- Beat your egg and brush the egg over the top of each pastry for a golden crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
- While baking, make your cinnamon simple syrup. In a small sauce pan place your water, cinnamon stick and granulated sugar. Set over medium heat and allow to boil for 2 minutes then remove from the heat.
- Once the pastelitos are out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes and brush generously with the cinnamon simple syrup.
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