Pastel Gloria is a traditional Colombian dessert. It's delicious with the perfect combination of sweet and salty.
Today I would like to introduce one of my favorite traditional Colombian desserts. Which, conveniently, is also ridiculously easy to make. I have no idea how Pastel Gloria got its name, but it is a popular dessert in my country.
What is Pastel Gloria?
It is essentially puff pastry filled with dulce de leche (arequipe), guava paste (bocadillo) and cheese.
In Colombia you can find these delicious pastries at every bakery. They are easy and quick to make, and perfect with cup or tea or coffee.
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and baking directions is below
Puff Pastry: I prefer using store bough frozen pastry to make this recipe, because it's easy for me. But you can make your own from scratch if you prefer.
Dulce de Leche: I have a homemade dulce de leche recipe if you want to use it, but you can buy it at any supermarket or online if you prefer.
Guava Paste: Also know as bocadillo in Colombia is a sweet ingredient very popular in latin America. You can find it at latin markets or online.
Sugar: Adds little crunch to the pasteles. This is an optional ingredient, but I really like the texture.
Cheese: I like to use mozzarella cheese, but queso blanco will work too.
Egg: To seal the pastries and add on top before baking.
How to Make Pastel Gloria
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Flour a clean, dry counter top or other flat working surface. Lay out the puff pasty on the floured surface. Flour the top of the dough. Roll out the puff pastry until it is half as thick (about ⅛-inch).
Using a large cookie cutter, cut into 24 circles and brush the edges of each circle with the egg. A little off center of each circle, place 1 slice of guava paste, 1 slice of cheese and about ½ tablespoon dulce de leche. Place another circle on top to enclose the filling.
Crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining pasteles, placing them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet as you go. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
Sprinkle with the sugar on top, then cool the pasteles on a rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
More Easy Desserts to Try
Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Pionono de Arequipe (Dulce de Leche and Coconut Cake Roll)
Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Cookie Sandwich)
Pastel Gloria Recipe (Guava, Dulce de Leche and Cheese Pastry)
Ingredients
- 1 package of frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons sugar for garnish
- 4 oz guava paste sliced
- 4 oz white or mozarella cheese sliced
- 4 oz dulce de leche
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Flour a clean, dry counter top or other flat working surface. Lay out the puff pasty on the floured surface. Flour the top of the dough. Roll out the puff pastry until it is half as thick (about ⅛-inch).
- Using a large cookie cutter, cut into 24 circles and brush the edges of each circle with the egg. A little off center of each circle, place 1 slice of guava paste, 1 slice of cheese and about ½ tablespoon dulce de leche. Place another circle on top to enclose the filling.
- Crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining pasteles, placing them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet as you go. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
- Sprinkle with the sugar on top, then cool the pasteles on a rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Felisha
Looks heavenly, Erica!
Ivy
I've never tasted guava before but you can't go wrong with puff pastry. It sounds good.
gloria
I love it Erica and I love guavas (sometimes I find here frozen) and the name..... Is a joke!!! look delicious!! gloria
Lyndsey
I made guava cheese turnovers using puff pastry just on Tuesday! I like that you added dulce de leches! I do have a little guava paste left over....these do looks so good!!
5 Star Foodie
These sound wonderful with guava paste and dulce de leche! I will try this combo right away!
Nats
They look so good! I used to have these back in Medellin as a kid in elementary school.
Belinda @zomppa
I can't think of anything not to like here. Three of some of my favorite flavors.
Cooking with Kait
What a lovely cheese pastry. I love your use of guava. We are going to plant some guavas in our yard this summer. I can't wait to make a guava jam. Thank you for introducing me to a wonderful Colombian dessert.
Maritza N Heg
I “discovered” Pastel de Gloria”, many decades ago, when I attended College in Medellin ( at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana). DELICIOUS!!
Rachana
These sound so delicious...
Erica
Thank you all for taking the time to leave a comment!
Sandra G.
There are no words! I have to make this one!
Kim
I was just sent some guava paste from another blogging buddy and am looking for recipes to try it out with. These look might tasty and addictive, Erica!! I bet it is hard to eat just one of them 🙂
Baking is my Zen
Looks delicious! Yum, Yum!!
Jeannie
I have always assumed guava is a kind of fruit which we eat fresh on its own. I have never came across this kind of guava paste. Looks delicious with the pastry.
Btw, thanks for visiting my blog:D Cheers!
grace
for a minute, i feared you wouldn't share a picture of the innards. what a relief to see that ooey-gooey goodess--great creation! 🙂
Joanne
You are so good at making me drool uncontrollably it's unbelievable. These look amazing! I love that filling.
tasteofbeirut
I had heard of this pastel, but did not know how to make it! Looks and sounds irresistible!
Anna
Oh Erica, You combined all my favorite things in on place. Yummmmmmm. Looks "glorious" LOL.
Sophie
Waw,...Erica!! What beautiful stuffed pasteles!!
Qué pasteles magníficas! Están deliciosos!
MMMMMMMMMM,..saludos de Bruselas!!
norma
We have one in Puerto Rico too Right now I am waiting for my coffee to perk and not even a "huevo" in my fridge. These are making my mouth water. Wish I had one right now.
Angie's Recipes
Guava and dulce de leche with puff pastry....o..that just sounds irresistible.
Faith
This sounds fantastic, Erica! It looks so impressive too...it's the perfect dessert! 🙂
Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
Wow, this looks so good. One of my best friends is from Colombia and she said something about putting cheese in hot cocoa too. Sounds good to me!
Erica
Thank you guys 🙂
Stella
Hola Erica! Es bueno encontrarte aqui en la red. Espero que estes bien esta noche...
This sweet sounds wonderful by the way. I always buy guava paste at the store. It is really popular here in Florida. I might have to try this...
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best
This looks dangerous! I used to eat jam filled pastries all of the time, and this looks like something I would go crazy over.
Oysterculture
Oh my, you are trying to get me in trouble with all these delicious sounding recipes. This one looks heavenly!
Cynthia
This is pure decadence! You are really tempting me here.
Lori
I've had dulce de leche and guava and cheese, but never all three together! Sounds good and the pastry looks great too.
Hannah
I'd like to think I'd make this, but I know that whenever I get my hands on dulce de leche, it always gets devoured straight from the jar with a spoon 😀 That stuff is liquid gold! Maybe one day I'll resist temptation and make this, though...
Jillian
Yum! 🙂
Is it possible to prep the pastries and then freeze/refrigerate them to bake later?
BTW: I am making the popsicle recipes this weekend!
Thanks,
Jillian
Erica
Jillian-Yes!
Respondon
These were fantastic. I prepped the the day before and refrigerated them, which was no problem. They came out perfectly. Don't each any guava pastries straight from the oven! The sugar content makes them way too hot to eat.
Respondon
Also works great with long rolls. Take a typical puff pastry box of two sheets pre-folded in threes, cut into the six sections and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness, and make three long rolls.
Valeria
OMG!!!! tengo que hacer estos ASAP! thank you for the recipe!!!
debi
I have a Columbian ESL student. For our end-of-the-year class, I invited him and his family to dinner. These pastries were the #1 hit.
I used many of the recipes on this site for the meal I served. There were very few things that weren't a delight to them.
Thank you so much!
Maria
These look so good! Do you brush the pastry with egg before baking? Do you sprinkle the sugar on the pastry before baking? The image shows it on before baking but the instructions say after. I am making these tonight and I don’t want to mess them up!
Catalina Vasquez
Bake at 400 oF at least!! Better to have the pastries in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before going into the hot oven.
Jenn
These are delicious and so easy to make. My family was begging me to make more before we'd even finished the first batch. I'll definitely be making these again soon.
Ana Maria Maz de Diaz
HI, I HAVE NEVER MADE IT WITH CHEESE, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY THIS TIME.