Did you know that Pillsbury crescent rolls were vegan??? I know me neither!!! Well, ever since I learned this amazing nugget of knowledge, I have been loving coming up with some yummy variations to the classic crescent roll! This National Pie Day, I am celebrating with a twist on the traditional Cuban pastry, pastelito de guayaba con queso. Keep reading to check out my recipe for some gooey and delicious vegan guava and cream cheese hand pies 💖
Happy National Pie Day!!!
OK seriously, this could literally be one of the easiest recipes I have ever put together! I am talking simply five, yes, you heard me, FIVE ingredients! I was trying to come up with something really ooey, gooey, and delicious for National Pie Day and I had so many different ideas swirling through my head. What’s great about a dish like this is how you can really make it with whatever you want and add a little bit of this, or a little bit of that, for some extra flavor. Since I am going for the traditional Cuban pastry flavor, I wanted to keep it simple and really focus on the guava and cream cheese.
Vegan Guava & Cream Cheese Hand Pies
Ingredients
1 container Pillsbury original crescent rolls (8 count)
4 oz. vegan cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)
*Please note: 4 oz is half of the Tofutti container
2 Tbsp raw sugar
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Guava paste
*This usually comes in a small block…I used about a quarter of the bar but how thick you cut the slices is up to you 😉
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine softened vegan cream cheese, vanilla, and raw sugar.
*I like to soften my cream cheese by giving it a quick whip with the hand mixer.
3. On a separate plate, take the bar of guava paste and slice into eight, 1/4 in thick slices. Again, this is just an estimate, I just sliced enough to have a pretty even guava to cream cheese ratio.
Now it is time to put together our vegan guava and cream cheese hand pies!
Don’t worry the raw sugar crystals will melt during baking 😊 This mixture was so good! It reminded me of the honey almond cream cheese spread from Einstein’s, sans the honey and almonds.
4. Pop open the cylinder of the crescent rolls and separate into the perforated triangles.
5. On the large end of each, triangle, place a Tbsp of the cream cheese mixture and top off with a slice of guava paste.
6. Start rolling from the larger end, over the filling, all the way to the tip.
Quick Tip: I like to fold over the outer corners, to keep all the yummy goodness from spilling out too much during baking.
7. Place the hand pies on an ungreased baking sheet.
8. Bake for 9-12 minutes (crescent roll baking instructions).
Don’t forget to allow the vegan guava and cream cheese hand pies to cool for just a few minutes as the filling will be very hot!
These were so delicious! My husband would walk into the house periodically from mowing the grass and he would sniff the air and tell me whatever was in the oven smelled really good! I have to admit, it really did smell like a Cuban bakery! I will also admit that they did not last very long…Now I regret not having saved one for my breakfast tomorrow morning! Shucks 😍
What kind of filling would you want to put in these super easy vegan hand pies? Something sweet or salty & savory? The possibilities really are endless! Let me know in the comments!
Cruelty Free Lucy 