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Guava Burnt Milk Candy (Leche Quemada)

Name: Guava Burnt Milk Candy (Leche Quemada)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 130 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 300 g Sugar; 1 litre Full-fat milk; 500 g Ripe guavas

130 min (10 prep + 120 cook) Medium 12 servings Guanajuato

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Traditional burnt milk candy with fresh guava, cooked to a firm caramelised paste.

About this recipe

Traditional Mexican sweet of milk cooked with fresh guava and sugar until a firm, caramelised paste forms. Deep, fruity flavour.

History & Origin

Leche quemada is one of the most representative sweets of Mexican confectionery tradition, especially from Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán and Querétaro. Its name refers to the intense caramelisation that occurs as the milk cooks for hours, concentrating into a solid paste with deep, toasty notes. The roots of this sweet lie in milk preservation techniques brought by Spanish friars to colonial convents during the 16th century. In the convents of Santa Clara and Santa Rosa in Querétaro and Puebla, nuns developed a whole confectionery tradition combining European techniques with American ingredients like guava, tamarind and peanuts. Guava transformed this recipe with its tropical aroma, natural acidity and high pectin content, which helps the sweet hold its shape. The combination of fresh whole milk, brown sugar and ripe guava cooked slowly in copper or clay pots is a symphony of patience and heat. In the markets of Celaya (Guanajuato), known as Mexico's "sweet capital", guava leche quemada is sold in small wooden boxes or waxed paper wrapping. Each piece represents hours of artisan work. Its sweet, fruity and slightly smoky scent evokes cherished memories for generations of Mexicans.

Estimated cost

£4.50

Total cost

£0.38

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

185

Calories

Protein

34g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

55mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Wash and chop 500g ripe guavas. Place in a pot with 200ml water and cook for 15 minutes until very soft. Pass through a fine sieve to obtain seedless, skinless pulp.
💡 Guavas must be very ripe for maximum flavour and aroma.
2
In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan combine 1 litre full-fat milk, 300g sugar and the sieved guava pulp. Mix well and bring to medium heat.
💡 A copper pan is traditional but not essential.
3
Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spatula to prevent sticking. The mixture will thicken slowly over 60-80 minutes.
💡 Never leave the pot unattended at this stage: it burns easily.
4
When the paste begins to pull away from the sides and the bottom stays clean for 3-4 seconds after the spatula passes, remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
💡 The exact point is when the paste does not spread when the pan is tilted.
5
Pour onto a greased mould or waxed paper. Spread with a spatula to 1.5cm thickness. Leave to cool completely at room temperature for 2 hours. Cut into squares or rectangles.
💡 To roll as traditional milk candy, wait until just warm.