Capirotada Mexican Bread Pudding | Mexican Recipes (2024)

Capirotada is a delightful and unique Mexican bread pudding that combines rich cultural traditions and local ingredients. If you ever wonder how to make this perfect dish for easter, look no further. Here, you will learn how to create this dessert with layers of bread drenched in aromatic and sweet piloncillo syrup that you and your family will love.

Capirotada | Mexican Bread pudding

This scrumptious Mexican sweet dessert, pronounced “kah-pee-roh-TAH-dah.” is very popular during the Lent season (La Cuaresma)and Semana Santa (Holy Week). It is made with slices of toasted bread and various toppings like nuts, cheese, and raisins. All these ingredients are layered in a baking dish and then soaked in a syrup made with piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), cloves, and cinnamon before being baked in the oven.

Beyond its deliciousness, capirotada holds cultural significance, as its preparation and consumption are deeply rooted in Mexican religious traditions. The combination of ingredients brings a touch of nostalgia and familial warmth to each delightful bite. I hope you give it a try.

How to make Capirotada

Ingredients:

Here is the list of ingredients in this traditional Mexican dessert recipe:

• Piloncillo or dark brown sugar
• Water
• Cinnamon
• Clove
• Melted butter
• Vegetable oil
• Bolillo bread or French bread at least two days old
• Cotija Cheese
• Roasted peanut
• Raisins
• Butter cut into small cubes

OPTIONAL EXTRA TOPPINGS

• Bananas sliced
• Rainbow decorative sprinkles
• Shredded coconut
• Nuts

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions:

And now to the Capirotada recipe, which is a basic one. See notes below for substitutions and other additions.

Make the syrup

• Preheat oven to 350F. While the oven is warming up. Place the Piloncillo, cinnamon stick, cloves, and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Place in the stove, boil the water, and simmer at medium heat.

• The piloncillo should have melted completely, and the liquid would look dark brown.

Toast your Bread

• 2. Mix the melted butter with the oil and brush over the thick slices of bread.

• Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, then turn over to bake for 5 more minutes. The bread should have a deep golden brown color.

Layer the ingredients

• Start assembling the slices of bread for your capirotada in a round oven-proof dish, or any other baking dish. With the help of a ladle, slowly pour syrup over the bread, making sure the bread absorbs the syrup. Do not let it go to the bottom of the dish to have enough syrup to moisten all the bread pieces. Better yet, dip the bread into the syrup to get an even moist crumb.

• Top the first layer of bread with cheese, raisins, peanuts, or any other fruit or nuts you would like to add according to the suggestions given below or your own.

• Place another layer of bread and continue the process as in step 4.
• Pour the remaining syrup over the last layer of bread and top with the cheese, raisins, and peanuts. Dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter cut into small cubes.

Bake

• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in your preheated oven for 45 minutes until the top crust is golden and the lower layers are moist. If you also add sliced bananas and candy sprinkles, add them at serving time. Serve your capirotada warm or cold.

¡Buen provecho!
Mely,

Notes, Tips and Substitutions:

• Traditionally, the bread is first fried instead of toast in the oven. Choose the method that better fits your taste.
• Other cheeses used as substitutes are Mexican Manchego, Chihuahua Cheese, Queso Oaxaca - Oaxaca Cheese, Monterey Jack, Mild White Cheddar Cheese, and parmesan mixed with Mexican Queso Fresco.
• Italian or French bread can be used, even challah bread. In Northern Mexico, people like using toasted corn tortillas.
• Most recipes require sliced bread, but cubed bread works fine.
• Some cooks also add anise seed to the syrup; if you would like to do so, ¼ teaspoon will be fine for this amount of bread.
• Fruits are also found in some recipes; fried plantain, bananas, and apples are the most common.
• Tomatoes and onions are typical in some syrup recipes in Sonora and Sinaloa.
• Other dried fruits like prunes, and cranberries, are a great alternative instead of raisins.
• For extra plump raisins, try soaking them in warm water or rum for a flavorful addition.
• The same applies to peanuts; nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pine nuts are used.

How to Serve Capirotada

This dessert can be served warm or at room temperature. Some people prefer eating capirotada immediately after baking, while others enjoy it once it has cooled slightly. However, It can also be a delicious and satisfying conclusion to one of the many Lent dishes for a tasty meal.

More Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

I hope you prepare this dish as many people do in Mexico during the Lent period, particularly on a good Friday. If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican Capirotada, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

• Prickly Pear Drink
• Grilled chicken
• How to cook nopales
• Green nopal juice

For more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. In español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina.

Did you like the recipe? Please let me know in the comments section if you have questions or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!

Frequently Asked Questions about Mexican Bread Pudding.

Before I share my recipe, here are a few questions I would like to answer about this recipe.

What is Capirotada?

According to some books, this recipe is a long-lost relative to one served in the Middle Ages. Today, capirotada is one of the most popular Mexican desserts around the Lent season. The recipe combines salty, sweet, soft, crunchy, and spongy mixed with a dash of spice in one dessert. However, capirotada was originally not sweet, with the ingredients and flavors changing. Today, you can find a wide variety of Capirotada throughout Mexico and consume outside Len season, like on Sundays with friends and family.

Where did Capirotada originate from?

Capirotada is one of the many recipes the Spaniards brought to the New World. A dish with a heavy Moorish influence, Capirotada was initially used as a convenient way to use leftover bread. However, it was also popular to make it before and during the Lent season (Starting on Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, which always occurs the day before Easter Sunday), a tradition that continues to this day.

What does Capirotada simbolize?

The Capirotada dish carries Christian symbolism in its ingredients, with the bread believed to represent the body of Christ and the syrup representing his blood. Other ingredients like the cinnamon sticks represent the wooden cross, the whole cloves are the nails, and some people choose melted cheese to represent the Holy Shroud.

Where is Capirotada most popular?

Capirotada is most popular in central and northern Mexico. However, every region has its variation of this dish, from the famous Capirotada Michoacána, where people add chocolate chips and fried plantains or bananas, to the Capirotada found in Zacatecas, where guavas and local cheese are part of the toppings. But no matter where you are in Mexico, you will always find this dish, which will always be delicious!

What is capirotada made of?

Capirotada is a traditional Mexican bread pudding that typically consists of a variety of ingredients, creating a unique and flavorful combination. While there can be variations in recipes, the core components of capirotada include slices of bolillo or baguette (usually stale or toasted), piloncillo syrup, cinnamon, nuts, cheese, dried fruits, and some recipes include a layer of butter.

Can you make Capirotada in advance?

If you make Capirotada in advance, remember that the bread will get soggy and become mushy if you let it sit for an extended period. Some people prefer that texture, while others don’t. If you want the layers of bread to hold their shape but still want to do some preparation in advance, one option is to prepare the toasted bread and have all your ingredients ready to assemble, then bake the dish later.

I have never stored Capirotada in the fridge for longer than two days after baking because we usually finish it the same day or the next! This Mexican bread pudding dish is best enjoyed the same day you prepare it. It is rare to freeze Capirotada.

📖 Recipe