Capirotada (Authentic Mexican Bread Pudding Recipe) – The Bossy Kitchen (2024)

Capirotada is a Mexican Bread Pudding made with bread, piloncillo (think brown sugar), cinnamon, raisins, almonds, and cheese. It is a recipe that will win your heart in no time.

How is it made? What ingredients go into the recipe? Can you replace or skip some of them? Let's look at what Capirotada is and why it is so popular in Mexico and among the Mexican-American people living in the US.

What is Capirotada

Traditional Capirotada is a type of bread pudding, the Mexican version of the classic bread pudding we all know. The key ingredient that makes the difference between a classic bread pudding and a capirotada is the cheese that beautifully melts over the pudding, creating a layer of goodness.

This traditional dish is traditionally eaten during the Lent season (40 days before Easter) that starts with the Ash Wednesday, as the cheese provides extra protein to Lenten observers abstaining from meat on Fridays, especially on the Good Friday before Easter.

Like many international cuisines, the Mexican one makes good use of everything available. Nothing goes to waste, and this recipe is an excellent example of it. For this reason, the recipe requires bread that is a couple of days old. It is preferable to slice the bread and leave it overnight on a wire tray to dry it out, or you can dry it out in a slow oven.

Of course, this beautifultraditional Mexican bread puddingcan be made all year round, and it goes well for parties, around the holidays, or Sunday meals in the family.

This Capirotada family recipe comes from my collection of recipes I learned to make while living in Mexico.

Ingredients required

• Bread-The Capirotada pudding is made with slices of small yeast rolls calledbolillo bread, slices of French bread, "pan blanco", or crusty bread would also work). You can buy bolillo rolls in any Mexican bakery.
• Piloncillo (affiliate link) is unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Central and Latin America. It is a solid form of sucrose derived from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice. To use this type of sugar, you need to simmer it in water to obtain a sweet piloncillo syrup. You can also use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
• Cinnamon sticks- We use them to flavor the piloncillo syrup. The cinnamon sticks are removed before the syrup is poured over the bread.
• Shredded cheese- Queso Anejo is the traditional cheese used in Capirotada. However, Monterey Jack cheese or mild Cheddar are accepted too. Some people also use Oaxaca cheese. You need a melty cheese, basically.
• RaisinsandAlmonds-slivered almonds are the best for this recipe, but pine nuts work well too.

Variations of this dish: Capirotada is such a cherished recipe that everyone has a recipe for it. The variations of Capirotada are virtually limitless. Some cooks like to add whole cloves to the syrup, nuts such as peanuts, pecans, or almonds, toasted coconut, fresh fruits like bananas, apples, pineapple, mangos, prunes or peaches, and even different types of cheese such as creamy Chihuahua, queso fresco, or cotija.

There is also a recipe for Capirotada de leche that calls for evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and Mexican crema.

From The Kitchen (Steps To Make Capirotada)

Step 1. Prepare the bread. The bread has to be a few days old or quite dry. If it is not, just cut it into thick slices and dry it for a few minutes in a low-temperature oven.

Or butter the bread slices on both sides, place them on a baking sheet under the broiler for 3 minutes on each side, and you have already completed the first step of the recipe.

Step 2. Make the syrup. In a small pot or saucer, place sugar, water, and cinnamon sticks. Bring the water to a boil and simmer gently until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.

Step 3. Assemble the Capirotada. Layer bread on the bottom of the baking dish, alternating with raisins, almonds, and cheese. Pour syrup over each layer, allowing the bread to soak before adding the next. This method works well with one or two layers, each followed by a soaking period to ensure the flavors meld beautifully.

See Also

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Step 4. Bake. Bake until golden brown on top. The bottom layer of goodness will be slightly caramelized from the brown sugar. The pudding is going to be soft in the middle and crunchy outside.

Serve it cold, with heavy cream on top, and decorated with some flaked orslivered almonds (affiliate link).

Related: How about another bread pudding recipe? Try Blueberry Bread Pudding With Cheddar.

More Mexican Recipes To Love

If you are interested in more authentic recipes here are some suggestions:

• Easy Mexican Horchata
• Tinga Poblana- Mexican Pork Tinga
• Authentic Mexican Chicken Tinga
• Caldo de Pollo- Mexican Chicken Soup
• Authentic Mexican Bistec Encebollado
• Easy Mexican Rice
• Papas con Chorizo
• Caldo Tlalpeño

📖 Recipe

Originally published in 2016, republished again in 2021 and 2024.