A traditional Puerto Rican pastry — Quesitos are flaky puff-pastry cigars filled with sweetened cream cheese and glazed with a shiny sugar syrup. Bakeries across the island sell them by the dozen, still warm and crackling. Inside the crisp, buttery layers, the cheese filling turns soft and almost custardy.
Quesitos
A traditional Puerto Rican pastry — Quesitos are flaky puff-pastry cigars filled with sweetened cream cheese and glazed with a shiny sugar syrup.

Step by stepInstructions
- Beat the cream cheese with the 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth and spreadable.
- On a floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet slightly and cut into 4-inch by 4-inch (10 cm) squares.
- Spoon a line of cream cheese filling down the center of each square, fold the pastry over, and press the edges to seal into a log.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Whisk the egg yolk with the 1 tbsp water and brush over the tops.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until puffed and deep golden. Meanwhile, simmer the remaining sugar with the 1/4 cup water until dissolved.
- Brush the hot quesitos with the sugar syrup and let cool on a rack.
💡 Chef tips & storage
Do not overfill, as the cheese will bubble out while baking. The sugar syrup gives quesitos their signature glossy sheen, so do not skip it.

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