Simple Authentic Capirotada Recipe

A simple authentic Capirotada Recipe, the traditional Mexican bread pudding. Buttered slices of French bread, raisins, and cheese in a cinnamon-spiced piloncillo syrup all baked until golden brown. Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.

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With Easter right around the corner I thought I’d share a simple, tasty recipe for Capirotada or Mexican bread pudding.

We’re keeping it uncomplicated so that the original sweet and salty combination can really shine. It’s surprisingly easy to make and is great for serving a crowd. You can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature or reheat it right before serving.

It’s unique ingredient is cheese! Cheese isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think dessert (cheesecake aside) but it is Capirotada’s superpower. The saltiness of the cheese plays off the sweet piloncillo syrup to make every bite as addictive as the next.

If you are unfamiliar with Capirotada, let’s take a closer look at what it is!

What is Capirotada?

Like I mentioned, Capirotada is a Mexican bread pudding traditionally eaten during the Lent season, more specifically on Good Friday. It is a dish that was brought to Mexico centuries ago by the Spanish and has lots of variations.

There are two main types; Capirotada de Agua which is made by baking the bread in a syrup made from piloncillo, cinnamon stick and clove. The second type is Capirotada de Leche where the bread is soaked in a sweetened milk mixture.

If you thought the addition of cheese is uncommon, older recipes also called for things like ground meat, tomatoes and onions. Over time Capirotada has become sweeter but it’s the sweet-salty pull that’s at its heart.

More To Explore

Pineapple and Pecan Capirotada

Cinnamon Roll Capirotada Recipe

Blackberry Bread Pudding with Cajeta Sauce

Ingredients To Make This Capirotada Recipe

Everything you need to make this recipe can be found at your local Latin grocery store. I’ve even seen pre-toasted, sliced bread at my local store around Easter time.

• Piloncillo or dark brown sugar. Piloncillo is raw sugar and is very sweet, hence the cheese. You can find it in Latin markets sold in cones of different sizes. You will need 2 large (8-ounce) cones for this recipe.
• Canela. (Ceylon cinnamon sticks) or a Cassia cinnamon stick. Canela is the soft, leathery cinnamon sticks you find in bulk in Latin markets. They have a soft, floral flavor and clean cinnamon aroma. If you can’t find them, use one Cassia cinnamon stick instead. These are the harder, more intense cinnamon found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
• Whole cloves
• Raisins
• Bolillos. These are the Mexican bread rolls that look like miniature baguettes but are much softer. Most Latin markets sell freshly baked rolls or use French bread.
• Butter
• Aged cheddar. Cheddar is the only place I stray from most Capirotada recipes. I love it’s tang and saltiness and how it melts so beautifully holding the dish together. If you want to go a more traditional route use the same amount of Cotija cheese or a mild Mexican melting cheese like Queso Chihuahua or Queso Oaxaca.
• Powdered sugar. This is optional for sprinkling on top. A lot of recipes use sprinkles instead of the powdered sugar.

How To Make It

Easy doesn’t even begin to describe how simple this recipe is. The only key is to slice the bread thick and make sure it gets nice and toasted before layering so it doesn’t turn to mush.

step one

Make the syrup. Combine water, piloncillo, canela, cloves, and raisins in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil the reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the piloncillo is dissolved and syrup has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

step two

Toast the bread. Slice bread into 1-inch thick slices and brush both sides the butter. Bake at 350°F until crisp, about 15 minutes.

step three

Layer. Start layering all the ingredients in a baking dish. First start with a layer of bread then a half of the cheese then half of the syrup over it. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients then cover with foil.

step four

Bake. Bake the bread pudding, covered for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes until browned.

step five

Serve. Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Capirotada Recipe Variations

There are many different variations of Capirotada depending on where you go in Mexico. Every family has their own Capirotada receta. Here are a few of my favorites.

Add nuts! Many, many variations add a layer or roasted nuts. If you’d like to go this route, sprinkle 1 cup roasted peanuts or pecans in between the layers.

More fruit! Some traditional fruit options are sliced bananas, fried plantains or ripe mango. Apples aren’t traditional, but I like to add sliced apples to this recipe. They are so good with the cinnamon and cheddar cheese.

Switch up the cheese! I’ll admit aged cheddar isn’t super authentic. Cotija cheese is actually used most often or you could go with a milder cheese like queso fresco or queso oaxaca.

More Authentic Mexican Dessert Recipes To Try!

• Authentic Tres Leches Cake
• Mangonada {Spicy Mango Slushy}
• Authentic Churros Recipe with Chocolate Sauce
• Conchas Recipe
• Arroz Con Leche
• Polvorones {Mexican Sprinkle Cookies}
• Mexican Chocolate Sweet Tamales

Start a New Family Tradition

If you don’t already have a family recipe for Capirotada, I’d be so honored if this became your new Easter tradition. Give it a try and when you do please let me know by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

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Resources

Capirotada, Mexican Bread Pudding for Lent by Homesick Texan

Traditional Capirotada with Mango and Plantains by Pati Jinich

Capirotada Estella by Hungry Sofia