19 Guava Recipes To Sweeten Your Day

Guava. It's sweet, it's tart, it's firm — and, for some of us, it's probably not the first thing we think of when we think, "hey, I want some fruit!". But, this delicious little fruit is an all-star ingrediet in many dishes across the Caribbean, Mexico and the Philippines — for starters!

Whether fresh, juiced, in a paste or in a preserve, guava fits nicely into so many of your favorite recipes. Don't believe us? Take a look through this roundup which features everything from sticky, savory ribs to the sweetest little thumbprint cookies.

One of our favorite places to start? The empanada: a beloved dish in Latin American and Spanish cuisine, the empanada celebrates indulgence in the best way possible: by frying it!

For recipe developer Larisa Alvarez, the age-old combination of guava paste and cream cheese brings back memories of sitting at the breakfast table, munching on sweet bites of guava paste coated with cream cheese before a long day at school. These empanadas balance out the sweetness of the ripe guava with the unmistakeable tang of cream cheese and a sprinkle of queso duro — an intensely salty and savory hard cheese — in a golden, handheld shell.

Whether you're stuck in the sweltering summer heat or the frozen tundra of an icy, white winter, this tropical punch can bring you great comfort...and some much-needed respite. It's got all the tropical favorites, relying on pineapple juice and mango and guava nectars to compose the base, while the rum warms you from inside-out. It's the perfect example of GZ's whimsical side, and topped off with a pineapple slice, it screams of sunshine and brighter days to come.

It's ribs night, baby! And, it's hard to turn down a plate of ribs that look just saucy enough to be succulent and perfect. These ribs are a labor of love, so take your time with them. Eight hours of time, to be exact. But don't worry, most of that time is spent marinating and chilling the ribs.

The active preparation is far simpler and leans on some common Asian ingredients to enhance the guava puree, from Hawaiian soy sauce to a yuzu lime juice that packs a citrusy punch. Perhaps in this case, the messier, the better...and the mess is well worth it.

You've probably heard of thumbprint cookies before — and you've probably got your go-to recipe, whether it's the one you're often asked to make for the holiday cookie swap or your kid's school fundraiser.

But, if you're bored of the same old spread in the middle (and ready to switch things up), we've got a winning combination for you: guava and cheese. Bingo.

This cookie celebrates the marriage of guava paste and cream cheese before tossing it in yet more island flavor, this time, with a smattering of shredded coconut. This batch makes two dozen, making it the perfect gift during the holidays and the ideal cookie-on-demand for those annual bake sales.

Whether you need a revitalizing sip after an day of spring cleaning and polishing or a refreshing drink for a summer get-together, you can't go wrong mixing up a batch of this Berry-Guava Lemonade. It plays on the berry notes of a ripe guava to bring together flavors that you perhaps never thought of combining (although, after tasting this, you'll be stumped as to why you didn't think of it in the first place).

Buttery, ooey, gooey and greasy, grilled cheese has all the components for a delicious bite, any time of the day. And, thanks to a mix of protein, carbs and fat, it'll keep you satiated 'til your next meal.

Sunny knows that — which is why she's upped the ante, throwing in a twist to keep you on your toes and really wake you up. Instead of your usual blend of Wonder Bread and Kraft Singles, this grilled cheese is the picture of simple sophistication while still being satiating and just a bit sinful. The secret? Guava and queso fresco. Don't question it, just go with it: you won't be sorry.

You might think that pork and guava are like chalk and cheese: that is, not meant to be. Then, you take a bite, and your mind (and tastebuds) are blown.

If you're looking for a way to spice (or sweeten) up your Saturday night pork dinner with your sweetie, well, you've found it, with guava glaze providing the sweet, sugary respite from a power-packed orange-habanero mojo. In a time crunch? Prepare the glaze and mojo ahead of time and refrigerate, retrieving when you're ready to grill the pork. It'll taste even better.

Guava can be found in many countries, if only you take the time to look. It's a popular find in India, especially in the fall and wintertime, and is also a Latin and South American favorite!

Take Cuban cuisine, for example. You probably know the Cubano — a sandwich that lives up to its name — but don't forget about the pastries and sweets that come along with their savory counterparts. A plate of torrejas, or Mexican/Cuban french toast, for instance, will never be turned down, especially when paired with a guava-infused maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream cheese frosting that makes eating dessert for breakfast completely acceptable.

Berries aren't the only fruit that a ripe guava can resemble. At its best, guava has multiple notes: of berries, of ripe and succulent pears and of a fruit that's getting a lot of TikTok attention nowadays — the papaya! That's right. Maybe you've seen the massive fruit boats that people are starting their days with, cracking open a papaya and diving right in.

Well, if you're not quite ready to embrace the papaya yet, this might be the best way to start — a little morning pick-me-up, crafted by Iron Chef Bobby Flay. After all, what's a better way to wind down over the weekend than with a boozy brunch? Fill 'er up!

For you seafood lovers out there, don't worry, we didn't forget about you! After all, how can you talk about the tropics without including the best part of the sea? The seafood!

This recipe celebrates that bounty by broiling it in a bath of guava barbecue sauce and serving it with a tropical salsa that doesn't skimp on the heat. This dish is definitely not for the faint-hearted, and the sweet heat will definitely keep you coming back for more.

We're going retro with an old favorite that's being revived: pound cake!

True to its name and easy as ... pound cake? This pound cake recipe is the perfect example of semi-homemade deliciousness. In it, Marcela pairs a pound cake straight from your favorite store or bakery with double the guava — and we know that double the guava means double the deliciousness. Using a can of whole guavas in syrup two ways, she whips up a cream and a compote that douse the pound cake in tropical delight. Add a handful of fresh blackberries, and you've got a treat that's perfect, any time of year.

We've talked about the magic of a guava fruit: it's sweet, it's hefty, and it's slightly tangy.

That's what makes it equally perfect for sweet and savory dishes. This dish especially celebrates that duality, with Isabel Gonzalez pairing guava paste with a host of other ingredients, from punchy, acidic lime and orange juices to a hint of garlic, a dab of mustard, and a few spoonfuls of honey to create the most magical barbecue sauce for your weekly pork dinner! Try this, and you'll never be able to go back to basic barbecue, we promise.

We can't talk about the iconic guava-and-cheese pairing without highlighting on of the pastries that celebrate it best: pastelillos. The Puerto Rican equivalent of a turnover, these pastelillos rely on storebought puff pastry to achieve that flaky crust that distinguishes them from their counterpart, the empanada.

Luckily, our recipe takes about an hour to prep, assemble and bake, making them the perfect weekend delicacy, weekday treat or midnight snack to make when you're craving a little treat.

Guava is sweet, but it's also tart, which makes it the perfect foil for...that's right, you guessed it: spice. And what better way to pair sweet with spicy than in everybody's favorite happy hour drink, a margarita? Ingrid marries tart guava juice with a healthy helping of jalapeño chiles to whip up a batch of margaritas for the whole crew. Whether you're prepping for game day, hosting taco night or just want a drink with a kick, this is the drink for you.

Nothing spells comfort than a nice, hot bowl of bread pudding. A genius way to use up stale or extra bread by soaking it in custard and baking it into submission, bread pudding might be considered retro, but it's back in style — and this time, it's got a few friends along with it. In this case, guava paste, raisins and a vanilla-marshmallow cream sauce that'll knock your socks off.

Bread pudding is quite forgiving, making it one of our favorite desserts to play around with. Don't like raisins? Just leave them out. Need a little cocoa boost to end your night the right way? Throw in a smattering of chocolate shards instead, what could go wrong? Once you douse it in this dreamy, marshmallow-laden topping, no one will be able to tell the difference.

You've heard of marmalade, haven't you? Orange marmalade, the perfect spread that's always at grandma's house for her morning toast. But you probably haven't heard of guava marmalade...until this dish came along.

In it, Omar Ginar uses guava in two ways, utilizing both a tangy guava marmalade and guava shells to bring a little tropical flair to what can only be called a decadent French toast. Battered and coated with a crunchy Cornflake-and-almond crust, you won't want French toast any other way. And if you have a nut allergy? No problem: the Cornflakes work just fine on their own, too.

There are lots of twists on ketchup nowadays: jalapeño ketchup, Mayochup — that crave-worthy blend of Mayo and ketchup — and guava ketchup.

No, really! Considered a delicacy in South America, guava ketchup is exactly as it sounds...and it's delicious. It's the perfect tang-on-tang that a perfectly-crisp french fry — or in this case, a shoestring-esque matchstick potato — needs. Whether you drip, drizzle or dunk, you can't go wrong with guava ketchup. Loaded with a mix of ground beef and chorizo, these 'loaded fries, or fritas' are both the perfect cure to a hangover and the best, sleep-inducing midnight snack.

"What grows together, goes together." It's a chef's mantra, their dogma around which they center their cooking...well, a good chef, anyways. You might recognize the line from The Bear and well, no truer statement could be made when whipping up this concoction.

This recipe celebrates the unique beauty and shared tasting notes of tropical fruits: in this case, mango and guava. If you've heard of an Indian mango lassi before — and perhaps been lucky enough to taste one — this drink might feel familiar to you. A smoothie-esque take on tropical fruit, this batido, as its called in Latin America, blends together these two fruits with milk, a bit of sugar and a hint of vanilla. If you're using fresh mango or mango puree (in place of the frozen fruit), you might want to throw in some ice chunks and perhaps a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk while you're at it. You won't regret it.