Guava, with its delightful blend of strawberry and pear notes, is a seriously underrated fruit. I’m diving headfirst into its delicious potential with 15 incredible guava recipes. From sauces to smoothies, prepare to discover your new favorite ingredient!
1. Mini-Lime and Guava Cheesecakes
Cheesecake is always welcome at any party I’m throwing. The mini version is even more exciting, and I never have leftovers when I offer them. You may know that they’ll be a hit, but you should try out a new recipe.
Try something out of the ordinary instead of lemon cheesecake. This dish has an amazing blend of lime zest and mellow guava sauce. It not only looks amazing, but it’s also something everyone will enjoy.
2. Puerto Rican Guava and Cream Cheese Dip
Looking through the ingredients, it seems like a mistake. Cream cheese and garlic are a safe bet, but honey with guava?
Since the guava isn’t too sweet, it connects with savory ingredients like magic. Just like your BBQ sauce becomes even better with a bit of mango, this velvety dip simply works. You can use it with chips, or try putting some in your next sandwich!
3. Guava Paste
Guava paste is something you can find at the grocery store, but if you can’t, I highly recommend that you make your own. Just grab some guava, water, and sugar, and you can have a batch ready in less than an hour.
4. Mantecaditos con Guayaba (Shortbread Almond Cookies with Guava)
These cookies may remind you of Linzer cookies from Christmas, but these beat those by a mile. Anyone can top cookies with raspberry jam, so why not try guava jam for something new?
You can probably find some guava jam at the store, or it is not too tricky to create your own.
5. Guava Empanadas
Empanadas are just little hand pies with a flaky pastry and filling that can be sweet or savory. I may love a spicy pulled pork version, but these sweet guava empanadas are can’t-miss.
The filling mixes guava paste and cream cheese. The paste is sweet enough that there is no sugar needed for the cream cheese. Blending them makes it like a cheesecake filling, but you can skip that step.
6. Agua de Guayaba
Agua de guayaba is simply guava water. This drink only has to be blended to come to life. Don’t mix it up with a smoothie; this is very thin.
I like adding lime juice for a touch of citrus, and I’ve even used coconut milk for a richer texture.
7. Paleo Strawberry Guava Smoothie (Vegan)
I will confess that I’m kind of boring with smoothies. I always pick banana with strawberry. But this dish was too good for me to ignore.
Guava makes the strawberry taste better and gives it hints of pear that make it stand out. It uses frozen mango to get sweetness and thickness without watering it down with ice.
8. Guava BBQ Sauce
I like BBQ sauce that is tangy, spicy, and sweet like crazy. Mango, honey, peach… the fruity flavor pairs like few others.
You’ll end up with something thick and full of flavor if you stick to the directions. I’ve put it on pulled pork and chicken, and it’s always gone in minutes.
If you want something thinner, add some water. Try a teaspoon or two of chili paste for extra heat.
9. Tropical Guava Bars
I believe that shortbread bars are the most amazing sweet treat out there. The buttery shortbread is the best, and it can be altered. When it comes to recipes, you can include fruit jams or caramel with chocolate, and it’s an easy win.
What stands out is the amounts of guava versus shortbread. Often, jams can soak into the cookie or thin as it cooks, so the cookie gets a bit dry. But the paste is set to melt and spread before turning back into a sweet filling.
Then we add coconut! It may not look like much, but it gives this cookie bar something extra to go along with the sweet filling.
10. Pineapple-Guava Sweet Bread
Pineapple-guava is different from the typical pink fruit. This version has white flesh that is creamy, juicy, and kind of like a banana.
That familiar flavor makes it right at home in sweet bread. The banana flavor is subtle, with notes that make this stand out from other quick breads.
Try mixing crushed pineapple with the batter and using its juices to make a glaze with powdered sugar. Then top it all with coconut and lime zest.
11. Mexican Guava Charlotte [Carlota] No-Bake Cake
Think of this cake as something similar to a Mexican Key Lime pie. It has a great base, with lime and condensed milk filling that is rich, and the cream cheese makes it like a cheesecake.
But it’s the guava that does it all! That thick, sweet part makes it great and like only guava can.
Like a good ice-box cake, the cookies will soften with the flavors to the perfect melt-in-your-mouth taste. Then mix cookie crumbs over the top before you serve.
12. Natural Hawaiian Pog Recipe
This Hawaiian treat gets its name from the ingredients that make it so great: passion fruit, orange, and guava. One sip, and you’ll skip orange juice.
What you can buy in stores is often full of sugar. The good news is that making your own is simple.
Using fresh fruit is the best, but if you can find fruit juices, you’ll still have a fruity cocktail to take on a Bahama Mama. I like to make a big batch and add rum to half for later.
13. Guava Sherbet
Sherbet is akin to sorbet, but usually has dairy. Both are fruit-based frozen desserts that are surprisingly simple to make in your own kitchen.
The guava syrup is key to getting the best taste out of the fruit, and the puree gets you thickness and color. This dish is a great base for sherbet, and you can try it with mango, pineapple, strawberry, or banana and make all kinds of homemade frozen treats.
14. Guava Chutney
If you reach for the mango chutney as soon as you get Indian food, you will love this. This recipe balances the sweet fruit with things like garlic and coriander.
If you like it, change the ingredients for something more or less spicy. I like bigger pieces of fruit, but dice it if you prefer. Smaller pieces would be great for dipping.
15. Guava BBQ Chicken Thighs
This BBQ sauce recipe may seem a bit weird, and it is. Cocoa powder, really? Yes!
You don’t taste the chocolate, but it makes the spices even better. You will taste the difference!
16. Romeo and Juliet Bites
Cheddar cheese and guava paste is an item you see across Brazil. The sweet and salty mix is in this appetizer, and the name says that the items were meant to be.
You can slice the paste thinner and spread it on the bread for a touch of sweetness, and toasting the bites will melt the cheese. If you can’t find the bread bites, this tastes great on baguettes. I think the crusty bread gives it something extra.