Capirotada, sometimes described as a bread pudding, is a scrumptious Mexican dessert made with layers of bread drenched in aromatic and sweet piloncillo syrup. It is popular during the Lent season and during the winter holidays and is made with slices of toasted bread as well as a variety of 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.
Mexican Bread pudding Origin-History
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.
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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 over time. Today, you can find a wide variety of Capirotada throughout Mexico and consume outside Len season, like Sundays with friends and family.
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. Others 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 added to the toppings. You can be in Jalisco, Durango, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, or Guerrero; no matter the place in Mexico, you will always find this dish, which will always be delicious!
Can you make Capirotada in advance?
If you make Capirotada in advance, keep in mind 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 to enjoy the same day you prepare it. It is rare to freeze Capirotada.
Where to buy ready-made Capirotada
Years ago, this was a homemade dish, but nowadays, you can find this delicious treat for sale at Latin grocery stores here in the States during the Lent season. I can even find it in my local Facebook marketplace!
How to make Capirotada
Ingredients:
- Piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- Water
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Melted butter
- Vegetable oil
- Bolillo 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
Other cheeses used as substitutes are Mexican Manchego, Chihuahua Cheese, Queso Oaxaca, Monterrey Jack, Mild White Cheddar Cheese, and parmesan mixed with Mexican Queso Fresco.
Directions:
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. 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 water 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 and then turn over to bake 5 more minutes. The bread should have a deep golden color.
Start assembling the slices of bread for your capirotada in a round oven-proof 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 in order to have enough syrup to moisten all the bread pieces. Better yet, dip the bread into the syrup to get an even moist crumb.
Layer the ingredients
- 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 are also adding sliced bananas and candy sprinkles, add them at serving time. Serve you capirotada warm or cold.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican Capirotada, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
Mexican Rice Pudding
Prickly Pear Drink
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, do you have questions or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!
📖 Recipe
Capirotada Mexican Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces About 1 ¼ cup of piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups of water
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 2 whole clove spice
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 16 slices ⅓” thick of Bolillo or French bread at least 2 days old
- ¾ cup of Cotija Cheese
- ¼ cup of roasted peanut
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons of butter cut in small cubes
OPTIONAL EXTRA TOPPINGS
- 2 Bananas sliced
- 4 tablespoon rainbow decorative sprinkles
Instructions
Make the syrup
- Preheat oven to 350F. 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 water would look dark brown.
Toast your Bread
- 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 and then turn over to bake 5 more minutes. The bread should have a deep golden color.
- Note:Start assembling the slices of bread in a round oven-proof 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 in order to have enough syrup to moisten all the bread pieces. Better yet, dip the bread into the syrup to get an even moist crumb.
Layer the ingredientes
- 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 the Capirotada
- 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 are also adding sliced bananas and candy sprinkles, add them at serving time. Serve warm or cold.
Video
Notes
- Traditionally, the bread is first fried instead of toast in the oven. Choose the method that better fits your taste.
- Italian or French bread can be used, even challah bread. In Northern Mexico, even toasted corn tortillas are added.
- Most recipes require slice 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.
- Prunes, cranberries, or other dried fruit are also used instead of raisins, even shredded coconut.
- The same applies to peanuts; any other nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pine nuts are used.
- Other cheeses used as substitutes are Mexican Manchego, Chihuahua Cheese, Oaxaca Cheese, Monterrey Jack, Mild White Cheddar Cheese, and parmesan mixed with Mexican Queso Fresco.
Dolores Valdivia
Made this tonight for my husband. He loved it!! My Mom used to make it for him and her as I didn’t really care for it! But i had to try it tonight and it was delish!! Sorry Mom i should have tried it a long time ago!! Something for me to keep her memory alive!!
Michelle
Hi Mely 👋
Big fan here 🥰
Thanks for sharing your recipes!🥰
Hope you are doing well 💕☺️
❓Question: 🤨🧐would the recipe come out good without the cheese?
My grandma used to make this , and I never really cared for it- 🤭but I just saw my aunt is making it , so I wanna give it another try ☺️ (I always keep trying foods I don’t like - til I like it 😆)
Thanks! & also know that if you respond to me I’ll be fanning out big time ☺️😆😇😎
Mely Martínez
Hello Michelle,
Of course, you can make it without the cheese. It will still taste great!
Enjoy!
Dani
Just made this and I am very excited for my family to try it. Thank you!!!
Denise
My grandmother used to make this and passed her recipe down to my mom (her daughter). What’s funny is, we always referred to it as sopa. Knowing what I know now, what was made was never a “soup”. I don’t know why my grandmother called it that. Regular toasted white bread was torn to pieces by hand (she used to let me do this part 😉 ) and tossed in a large bowl with butter and chunks of Colby cheese. Then, my grandmother always told us to stay far away from the stove as she melted sugar and dark Karo syrup together in a cast iron pan. I remember her adding water and vanilla to the pan (which seems awfully dangerous!) because it would sizzle as the ingredients would liquify. Then she added raisins, and simmered the sugar/syrup/raisin mixture until the raisins got plump. Then, everything was poured over the bread, butter and cheese and mixed together until the cheese melted into the mixture. No nuts were ever added, but I remember how delicious it was! Hot or cold! Yum! 🙂
Dani
Omg this sounds amazing also. I am going to do it your nanas way next time. I like the idea of boiling the raisins with the sugar as they are kind of hard. I imagine they will soften in the oven.
Jay Lynch
Mely: Thank you for your fabulous recipe book!!
When I came across this Capirotada Recipe, it took back 70+ years to when my Grandmother Mercedes used to make her "Spanish" Tex-Mex version. She used the day old French Bread but soaked it in Brandy/Cognac. From your recipe, she substituted the Mexican cheese with Cheddar Cheese, the nuts for Pecans, she did include the raisins but I remember she included Cranberries.
I have her recipes for most of her dishes but the Capirotada was a true "treat" - better than the Easter Basket!! LOL
Kim
Mely!
I grew up in with the Mexican culture and my grandma cooked this during lent and I LOVE IT! We don’t have all her recipes and now I’m so happy to have yours! Looks like hers and I’m going to make this and comment after. This brings back such beautiful memories! Thank you!
Mely Martínez
Hello Kim,
I hope you enjoy it!
reyna
Mely thank you best recipe ever.
reyna
one last thing i ccould not find cotija cheese so i used mild cheddar cheese
Mely Martínez
Hello Reyna,
If you do not find cotija cheese, you will have to resource to whatever is available in your area. I hope your capirotada taste delicious!