Palmeritas are a Guatemalan sweet bread made of rolled puff pastry coated with sugar, baked until crisp and caramelized.
Their characteristic heart or fan shape, similar to a palm leaf, is what gives this popular bakery item its name.
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Guatemalan Palmeritas Sugar
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 pieces
- Category: Baked goods
- Cuisine: Guatemalan
Ingredients
- 500 g of puff pastry (store-bought or homemade) (about 1.1 lb)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (optional) (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the surface, dust a work surface with sugar (and cinnamon, if using).
- Roll out the dough, roll out the puff pastry over the sugar, pressing lightly so it sticks.
- Add more sugar, sprinkle sugar over the rolled-out dough.
- Roll, roll both ends of the dough toward the center, forming two rolls that meet in the middle.
- Cut, cut the double roll into slices about 1 cm thick.
- Bake, place the slices on a greased baking sheet, leaving space between them, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and the sugar caramelizes.
- Flip, flip them halfway through baking so both sides brown evenly.
- Cool, let cool on a rack before serving, since the caramelized sugar will be very hot.
Tips for getting it right
- Using enough sugar on the work surface is key to achieving the characteristic crisp, caramelized texture.
- Leaving space between the palmeritas on the baking sheet keeps them from sticking together while baking.
- Flipping them halfway through baking helps both sides brown and caramelize evenly.
- Let them cool completely before handling, since the caramelized sugar holds a lot of heat.
Traditional variations
- It’s a very popular bread in Guatemalan bakeries, also found in other countries with Hispanic baking traditions.
- Some versions add cinnamon for extra flavor.
How to serve
Palmeritas are served at room temperature, on their own or with coffee.
They’re a very popular sweet bread in Guatemala, valued for their crisp, caramelized texture.
Recommended sides
- Coffee
Did you know?
Palmeritas owe their name to their characteristic shape, similar to a palm leaf or a heart.
They’re made with puff pastry, which gives them their distinctive crisp, flaky texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
They're a Guatemalan sweet bread of rolled puff pastry coated with sugar, with a characteristic heart shape.
They owe their name to their shape, similar to a palm leaf or a heart, resulting from rolling the dough from both ends.
Yes, store-bought puff pastry can be used to simplify preparation, or it can be made from scratch if preferred.
The caramelized sugar holds a lot of heat, so it's important to let them cool before handling or eating them.
