Cinnamon Roll Capirotada {Mexican Bread Pudding}

Cinnamon Roll Capirotada – a Mexican bread pudding recipe that combines bread, raisins, and cinnamon with the sweet vanilla glaze of your favorite cinnamon roll. Perfect for holiday gatherings, brunch or family potlucks.

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We are mid-March and many of you might already be thinking about Easter.

When I was living in Spain, I was amazed at the pomp and fanfare that surrounded Easter; bigger than Christmas, bigger than New Year’s, without a doubt the grandest celebration of the year. The entire week of Easter (Semana Santa) was an explosion of color and flowers and food and joy, the whole country comes alive.

In Mexico, Easter and Holy Week are a very big deal as well and the Capirotada or Mexican bread pudding is very traditional at many Easter celebrations.

I wanted to share with you a version I am just thrilled about. It is creamier and richer than most Capirotadas because it is made with a creamy, pudding-like base instead of the traditional piloncillo (or you could use brown sugar) syrup.

what’s in the capirotada?

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a cinnamon roll freak.

So while this capirotada recipe isn’t exactly traditional it takes everything we love about capirotada and mixes it with the truly best parts of cinnamon rolls (ie. tons of true cinnamon sticks cinnamon flavor and a killer vanilla glaze).

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Day-old Mexican Bolillos or French Bread
• Heavy cream
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Jocoque. Mexican strained yogurt cheese. Look for this at your local Latin market or Substitute Labneh or even whole milk Greek yogurt.
• Raisins
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Cardamom
• Salt
• Powdered Sugar
• Butter
• Vanilla
• Milk

how to make capirotada

Traditional Capirotada takes day-old Bolillo or French bread and layers it with raisins, cheese, and a spiced piloncillo or cane sugar syrup. If you’re looking for a more authentic version, check out my Pineapple and Pecan Capirotada recipe.

This version takes a different approach, incorporating more of a cinnamon roll vibe.

First the day-old bread cubes are mixed with cinnamon, raisins, a pinch of cardamom, the cream, and sweetened condensed milk.

If you don’t have day-old bread you can use toasted bread. Simply place bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

Instead of the traditional cheddar cheese, I added Jocoque a Mexican-style Labenh, (strained yogurt cheese) that gives it a subtle tang and richness. If you can’t find Jocoque you can use Labenh or even whole milk Greek yogurt.

The great thing about Mexican bread pudding is you can (and maybe even should) make it the night before.

Combine all the ingredients and scoop into your baking dish then cover and refrigerate and let the bread sit and soak up all the wonderful flavors all night long.

bake the capirotada

The next morning, butter a piece of aluminum foil and place it, butter-side-down over the capirotada. Bake, covered for 20 minutes then remove the foil and continue baking until golden brown on the top.

Drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top and serve warm with powdered sugar and whipped cream if you’d like.

can I freeze it?

Yes, this capirotada freezes beautifully. Let it cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Or cut into individual pieces and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, combine together in a Ziplock freezer bag. Pull one piece out and warm in the oven or microwave whenever the urge hits.

You could also freeze it before baking. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap then when you’re ready to serve. Bake from frozen for an extra 20 minutes, covered.

tips and variations

Can I substitute something for the heavy cream? 

First, let me say, this is not a recipe to make if you’re going for “healthy”. The heavy cream not only fills all those gooey cinnamon roll cravings but also is so much easier than the traditional way of making capirotada which is to bring the piloncillo mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until it is thickened.

With this recipe you just mix and go! That being said, half-and-half or canned Media Crema, would also work.

What bread is best for capirotada?

The Mexican rolls called Bolillos are what is typically used for capirotada. Bolillos can be found at any Mexican bakery or Latin market. They have a thin crust on the outside and a soft, airy crumb. They are very similar to French bread so you could also use that if you’d like.

More holiday desserts to try!

• Pineapple and Pecan Capirotada
• Strawberry Tamales with Horchata Sauce
• Meyer Lemon Tres Leches Strawberry Shortcake
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Sweet Tamales with Hot Honey
• No-Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake
• Three Kings Bread {Rosca de Reyes}
• Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie with Pepita-Gingersnap Crust

easter planning starts now!

Just kidding—I started thinking about Easter the day after Christmas.  If this recipe makes it onto your easter (or heck, Christmas) table—or even just your breakfast table!—I’d love to know. Share a photo and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno or leave me a comment below!

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