Capirotada is a Mexican Bread Pudding recipe 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 Capirotada and why it is so popular in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans living in the US.
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🙋♀️ 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 dish is traditionally eaten during Lent. The cheese provides extra protein to Lenten observers who abstain from meat on Fridays, especially on Good Friday before Easter.
Mexican cuisine is very good at using everything available. Nothing goes to waste, and this recipe is an excellent example of that. For this reason, the recipe requires bread that is a couple of days old. Of course, this beautiful traditional Mexican bread pudding can 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 Mexican recipes I learned to make while living in Mexico.
📝 Ingredients needed
- Bread: The Capirotada pudding uses slices of bolillo bread, a small yeast roll, though French bread or any crusty white bread also fits. Bolillo rolls are available at Mexican bakeries.
- 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. You need to simmer it in water to obtain a sweet syrup. You can also use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
- Cinnamon sticks: Are used for flavor but 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 is accepted, too. Some people also use Oaxaca cheese. You need a melty cheese, basically.
- Raisins and Almonds- 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. 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.
👩🍳 How To Make Capirotada Recipe (Step By Step)
Step 1. Dry the bread. Use bread that's a few days old or oven-dry thick slices at low heat. Alternatively, butter both sides, broil for 3 minutes each, and you're done with step one.
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.
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 or slivered 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 Recipe
- Caldo de Pollo- Mexican Chicken Soup
- Authentic Mexican Bistec Encebollado
- Easy Mexican Rice
- Papas con Chorizo
- Caldo Tlalpeño
- Cinco De Mayo-Authentic Mexican Recipes
📖 Recipe
Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)
Equipment
- Goya Piloncillo Panela, Brown Sugar Cane
- Organic Korintje Cinnamon Sticks
Ingredients
- 4 bolillos sliced, or 16 half-inch slices French bread dried out
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup soft dark brown sugar or piloncillo
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 ⅔ cups water
- ¾ cup flaked almonds
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack or mild Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- The recipe works better with older bread that is quite dry.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
- Slice the bread about ½ in thick or 1 cm. Lightly butter on both sides.
- Layer on a baking sheet and bake for 3-4 minutes on each side, until lightly toasted and dry. Remove and cool. Set the slices aside.
- Place the sugar, cinnamon, and water in a pan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes without stirring to reduce it. Remove the cinnamon stick and let the syrup cool.
- Grease an 8-inch/20cm square baking dish with butter.
- Layer the bread, almonds, raisins, and cheese in the dish, pour the syrup over, letting it soak into the bread for 5-10 minutes. Repeat the steps with the same layer of bread and the rest of the ingredients. Do not omit this step. The bread needs time to soak the syrup; otherwise, the syrup will run to the bottom of the dish, and the top layer will remain dry.
- Bake the pudding for about 30 mins, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, leave to stand for 5 minutes, then cut into squares.
- Serve warm or cold with heavy cream over and decorate it with some flaked almonds.
- This dish makes a great breakfast the next day with milk poured over.
Notes
- Bread Choice Matters: For best results, use slightly stale bread. It absorbs the syrup better without becoming too mushy.
- Layering Technique: Whether you opt for one or two layers, make sure each layer of bread is soaked in syrup for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the next.
- Serving Suggestion: Capirotada is delicious both warm and cold. Let it sit for a bit after baking for the flavors to meld together.
- Storage Tips: Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.Freeze for 3 months for longer storage. Reheat in the oven or microwave when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Margaret F Bonacci says
Hello. My mother (Sonoran, Mexico) used to make a bread pudding/capirotada, but I don't remember her using cheese. I am pretty sure she used eggs, and that's what I do. What is the purpose of using cheese?
Gabriela says
I already explained this in the article under "what is Capirotada" and Variations of the recipe. Mexico is a huge country and everyone makes Capirotada differently. However, the addition of cheese is designed to add protein to the dish as it is consumed during Lent, on Fridays, when meat is not allowed. Your mother used eggs, probably for the same reason.