Panela Cheese with Honey Guajillo Crisps

Leticia
Aug 12, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Feb 22

Welcome back food family!

Ay, familia … this dish is what happens when panela cheese decides she’s tired of behaving and wants to feel spicy, sweet, and a little dangerous 😏🔥.

Imagine a soft, milky wheel of panela cheese getting dressed up nice and toasty and topped with honey guajillo and chile de árbol crisps — like she’s going to a quinceañera and refuses to wear flats. 😆

Serve it with tortilla chips and watch it disappear faster than your favorite Tupperware at a family party. 👀

Jump to Recipe

Panela Cheese with Honey Guajillo Crisps

🌶️ “Where the Chiles Come From” – Food Origins

Guajillo peppers are basically the Maria Felix of dried chiles — smooth, iconic, and always ready to perform 🎤✨.

They’ve been used in Mexican cooking for centuries, bringing that earthy, slightly sweet flavor that makes you close your eyes and say “mmm” like you’re in a novela.

Panela cheese, on the other hand, is the quiet, wholesome cousin — the one who never causes drama but always shows up with good vibes and a clean conscience 🧀😇.

Together? They’re the perfect opposites‑attract couple.

Like your tío and his third wife.🤭

The honey glaze? That’s my little twist — a nod to how Mexican kitchens always find a way to balance heat with sweetness, fire with tenderness, and chiles with… well, more chiles.

🍯 “Why I Had to Make This” – My Inspiration to Make It

I grew up watching my mamá toast chiles like she was conducting an orchestra — no fear, no hesitation, just pure confidence and a chancla nearby in case anyone got too close 😆🩴.

One day I thought:

“What if I take those beautiful guajillo strips, give them a little honey spa treatment, and lay them over warm panela cheese like a fancy appetizer from a restaurant that charges too much?”

And boom — this recipe was born.

It’s my love letter to the flavors I grew up with, but with a little modern sass, because why not? If my food can’t flirt a little, what’s the point? 😌🔥

💛 “Final Bite of Wisdom” – In Conclusion

Panela Cheese with Honey Guajillo Crisps is the kind of dish that makes people think you spent hours in the kitchen…when really you just sautéed, drizzled, and prayed nobody walked in asking “¿Qué estás haciendo?” before you were done 😅.

It’s warm, bold, sweet, spicy, and proudly Mexican — just like the powerful women I know.

Serve it at your next gathering and watch everyone hover around it like it’s the last chisme of the night.

Now go on, amiga… make it, enjoy it, and don’t forget to hide a little plate for yourself before it’s gone 💛🔥🧀.

Servings: 16

Ingredients:

10 oz Panela Cheese
5 Guajillo Peppers seedless & cut in thin strips
2 Chile de Arbol seedless & cut in thin strips
3 Garlic Cloves diced
1/4 cup Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano
Peel Zest of one Lemon
Juice of half Lemon
2 tbs Unsalted Butter
2 tbs Avocado or Olive Oil
Honey to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tortilla Chips

Protip:

As an option, once you’ve topped the cheese with the guajillo crisps, drizzle with lemon juice right before serving.

Instructions:

Press the cheese with a paper towel to remove access liquid.

In a pan over low heat add 1 tbs of oil. Once hot toast the cheese on both sides to a golden brown. Set aside.

In the same pan over low heat, add the butter and the other tbs of oil. Once hot add the garlic and pepitas. Toss for about a minute.

Now add the other ingredients EXCEPT the honey and tortilla chips. Additionally, DO NOT ADD the lemon juice, if you have chosen to follow the protip listed above. Add each ingredient one at a time. Continuously stir with tongs or a spoon to make sure the peppers don’t burn or it will get bitter. This usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes or until the guajillo gets crispy but not burnt. You can also add a bit of water to the pan to help hydrate the peppers once toasted.