Candied Guava Shells (Casquitos de Guayaba)
Guava halves slow-simmered in a cinnamon-scented sugar syrup until glossy, tender and deep pink, then served the Cuban way with cool slices of cream cheese to cut the sweetness.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Hollow out the guavas
Halve each guava. With a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeded pulp from the centre of each half, leaving a clean, firm shell about 1 cm thick. Save the pulp for juice or paste if you like — it is not used here.
- 1.2 kg guavas
✅ Done when: each half is an empty, firm shell with no seeds left inside
Soak in salted water
Dissolve the salt in the litre of water and drop the shells in, submerged, for 30 minutes. This firms up the flesh so the shells hold their shape instead of falling apart during the long cooking ahead, and it takes away any earthy edge.
- 1 litre water
- 2 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: the shells have soaked for 30 minutes and feel firm, not soft
Parboil the shells
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Build the syrup
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Candy the shells slowly
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Cool and serve
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Hollow out the guavas
Halve each guava. With a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeded pulp from the centre of each half, leaving a clean, firm shell about 1 cm thick. Save the pulp for juice or paste if you like — it is not used here.
- 1.2 kg guavas
✅ Done when: each half is an empty, firm shell with no seeds left inside
Soak in salted water
Dissolve the salt in the litre of water and drop the shells in, submerged, for 30 minutes. This firms up the flesh so the shells hold their shape instead of falling apart during the long cooking ahead, and it takes away any earthy edge.
- 1 litre water
- 2 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: the shells have soaked for 30 minutes and feel firm, not soft
Parboil the shells
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Build the syrup
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Candy the shells slowly
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Cool and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Cuba's bounty of guava trees made preserving the fruit in sugar a household skill long before refrigeration, a way to keep a short, intensely perfumed season on the table all year. Candied guava shells sit in the same family as guava paste and guava jam, but they keep the fruit's own shape, offering a softer, juicier bite than a firm paste.
The dish became a fixture of Cuban home cooking and bakeries alike, almost always paired with a plain, salty-sweet cream cheese that cuts through the syrup's sweetness, a combination Cubans consider inseparable.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast of glossy, syrup-soaked guava against cool, mild cream cheese is one of the most beloved sweet-and-savoury pairings in Cuban desserts.
💡 Fun Fact
Many Cuban households save the leftover pink syrup to spoon over bread, pancakes or ice cream, so nothing from the pot goes to waste.
Cuba, countryside kitchens island-wide
21.52°N, -77.78°W
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