Casquitos de guayaba are Cuban stewed guava shells — halved guavas simmered in a light sugar syrup until translucent and ruby-red. Served cold with cream cheese.
Casquitos de guayaba ('little shells of guava') refers to the guava halves that look like shells after the seeds are scooped out. The dish is a classic Cuban dessert — guava is abundant in Cuba, and preserving it in sugar syrup is a way to extend its short season. The pairing with cream cheese is distinctly Cuban.
Cold, translucent, ruby-red guava halves in a sweet, slightly thick syrup. The guava is soft and intensely flavored — tropical, floral, sweet. A dollop of cream cheese on the side provides a cool, salty contrast.
The guava's pectin (abundant in the skin) thickens the syrup naturally during simmering. The sugar concentration (50%+) preserves the fruit for weeks refrigerated. The cream cheese's fat and salt balance the guava's intense sweetness — the same logic as fruit-and-cheese pairings worldwide.
Variations
Some add cinnamon or cloves to the syrup; served with queso fresco instead of cream cheese.
On the Palate
Where Casquitos de Guayaba sits in the Cuban flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour active + 30 min waiting
- 15 min
Halve guavas; scoop out seeds, leaving shells intact.
- 23 min
Make light syrup: dissolve sugar in water.
- 31 min
Add guava shells and a cinnamon stick.
- 430 min
Simmer gently 30 min until guavas are translucent.
Watch outSimmer gently — a bare bubble — until the guava shells turn translucent and a bit jammy at the edges; a hard boil breaks them to mush.
- 51 min
Cool completely; refrigerate.
- 61 min
Serve cold with a spoonful of cream cheese.
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