What rubiols are
Rubiols are Mallorcan half-moon pastries — small shortcrust pockets with a sweet filling, folded into a crescent and baked. Hand-sized, unmistakable shape.
They’re the classic Easter pastry of the island — traditionally eaten through Holy Week and up to Whit Monday.
The typical fillings
- Cabell d’àngel: “angel’s hair” — pumpkin-strand jam, the iconic Mallorcan sweet element
- Brossat: a fresh Mallorcan cheese from sheep or goat milk (varies by region)
- Apricot jam (“mermelada d’albercoc”): from the Pla apricots
- Spinach-pine-nut-raisin: a now-rare savoury version
The brossat version is especially common — a light, fresh-cheese filling that works well with the shortcrust.
History and seasonality
Rubiols have roots in the Iberian-Arab tradition — half-moon pastries with sweet filling exist across the western Mediterranean (empanadillas, pasties, calzonchinos). The Mallorcan version is the Easter version, often handed down through generations as a family recipe.
Season: Holy Week and spring, mostly March to May.
Where to get rubiols
We don’t bake them ourselves — they’re a pastry shop tradition, and the good ones come from a forn that’s had the recipe for generations. In our area the rubiols from Forn de Esporles are excellent.
On our menu we serve seasonal Mallorcan desserts — gató d’ametla year-round, greixonera in the cold months, crespells and rubiols at Easter. If you’re here in early April and want rubiols — ask.