Quesitos, Mi Favorito Puerto Rican Pastry, Step by Step!

These quesitos, so flaky, sweet, cheesy — so amazing — are the No. 1 must-eat treat one of favorite Puerto Rican food cooks Michelle Ezratty Murphy must have when she and her husband go to Puerto Rico. ”The minute that we land on la isla, I tell my husband that the first thing I want to do is go straight to the bakery and get a dozen. The pastries are handed to us, looking (and tasting) pretty much perfect: in a crisp white box, tied with string.”

Michelle reports that she and her husband Pat leave the bakery ”and neither of us can wait 5 more minutes. Inmediatamente, we cut the string and dive right into these delicious golden pastries that stick to your fingers.”

Quesito means little cheese, but the taste is big. Unlike a cheese Danish, quesitos are curled into tiny cigar-shaped puffed pastry rolls, stuffed with sweet cream cheese, and lightly brushed with a sticky honey syrup the second they come out of the oven.

How to eat a quesito is another Puerto Rican wonder, says Michelle. ”For breakfast, it must always be accompanied by a cup of coffee bien caliente. How do I know this? Because my husband and his entire Puerto Rican family do it this way. So, it must be the right way. As an afternoon snack, it’s acceptable to skip the coffee. My husband loves when I make quesitos at home. I think it makes him think of his childhood and his family back on the island. 

Undeniably different from any other pastry I’ve ever tasted, quesitos are pretty tough to find in the U.S., unless you’re lucky to have a Boricua bakery nearby. Thankfully, they’re not hard to make and use just a few ingredients — making it simple to satisfy that authentic quesito craving. 

Ready to Make Quesitos, Puerto Rican Cheese Pastries?

How to Make Quesito, My Favorito Puerto Rican Pastry

Recipe by Michelle Ezratty Murphy

3.7 from 37 votes

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen puff pastry, cut into 5” x 5” squares

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp water (for the egg wash)

• Honey Sugar Syrup

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In a medium-size bowl, mix the softened cream and sugar together. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg and water. Set aside.
• Remove frozen puff pastry from the freezer. Work quickly to cut pastry into 5-inch x 5-inch squares, with a sharp knife. The pastry will be easier to cut when frozen.
• On a clean flat surface, lay out the pastry squares. With a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the squares with the egg wash. (This will act as the glue)
• With a spoon, place about 1 Tbsp of the sweetened cream cheese mix on the left side of the pastry square.
• From the left side, fold the dough over the cheese and roll the dough.
• Place the rolled dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them an inch apart.
• Once all the quesitos are rolled out, lightly brush each one with the egg wash. Take a fork and insert into the top of the pastry dough a couple of times, creating tiny holes to allow the steam to escape.
• Place in preheated oven for about 25-35 minutes or until the pastry dough has completely puffed and the quesitos are golden brown.
• While the pastries are baking, in a medium pot, bring water, sugar and honey to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
• Remove quesitos from the oven and immediately brush on the first layer of syrup. Repeat with a second layer of syrup. Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Eat!

Notes

• The egg wash helps your quesitos take on a beautiful golden color while baking.

Photos: Michelle Ezratty Murphy