Guyanese Cheese Pie

By
Cynthia Nelson
Cynthia Nelson
Cynthia Nelson
Food columnist and blogger Cynthia Nelson is the author of "Tastes Like Home: My Caribbean Cookbook." Living in Barbados, Cynthia shares her love of the diverse food of the islands.
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Updated on 12/9/21
Tested by Tara Omidvar
Guyanese Cheese Pie

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Chill: 40 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 24 mini pies
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
298 Calories
23g Fat
10g Carbs
12g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 298
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 323mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 297mg 23%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 80mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Due to the British colonization of the Caribbean, many traditional Guyanese dishes were altered by the British.

In Guyana, they make a cheese pie, which is more like a mini quiche. The ingredients are simple but the taste is superior. Make these and serve them up for breakfast, brunch, lunch (with a salad) or for afternoon tea or even a snack.

"A great recipe to take to a potluck or a family dinner. The pie crust is very easy to make and it's perfectly buttery. The filling is soft, cheesy, and very satisfying. You can easily cut the recipe in half or, if you can resist eating them all, freeze any leftover pies." —Tara Omidvar

Guyanese Cheese Pie
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Pastry Dough:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 2 ounces cold vegetable shortening, cubed

  • 6 ounces cold unsalted butter, cubed

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons iced water

For the Filling:

  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Assembling:

  • Oil, for brushing pans

  • 4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Steps to Make It

For the Pastry:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    pastry ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix.

    Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Add shortening and butter to the flour and mix until the mixture is coarse with pebbles of butter and shortening.

    Add shortening and butter to the flour and mix

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add 3 tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough starts to come together. If it's too dry and crumbly, add a little more water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Do not over mix.

    dough in a food processor

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Transfer the mixture to a clean work surface and bring the dough together in one mass. Pat ​into shape and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

    dough ball, roll of plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. When you're ready to make the pies, remove dough from refrigerator and rest for 5 minutes before starting to work with it.

    dough ball on top of plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

 

For the Filling:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    cheese pie filling

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Add eggs, milk, salt, and pepper to a large measuring cup (for easy pouring) and mix together.

    Add eggs, milk, salt and pepper to a large measuring cup

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

 

For Assembling:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly brush two (12-cup) muffin pans with oil and set aside.

    Lightly brush 2 muffin pans with oil

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Flour work surface and roll dough into 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cutter or a bowl that has a round 4-inch diameter, cut as many circles as you can.

    cut round pieces out of rolled out dough

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place each circle of pastry into a muffin cup and gently press the dough into the cup. Gather up the scraps of the pastry into one mass and roll and cut again until the pans are filled. Refrigerate the pans for 10 minutes.

    Arrange each piece of cut pastry into muffin pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Remove the chilled pans and fill each muffin cup with cheese.

    fill each muffin cup with cheese

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Whisk the egg mixture as it might have settled and then pour a little of the custard into each muffin cup, just shy of the top of the pastry.

    Whisk the egg mixture as it might have settled and then pour a little of the custard into each muffin cup

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Bake pies in the oven until golden and delicately browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pies in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove the pies and continue to cool them on the wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Guyanese Cheese Pie

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck