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La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Traditional Mexican Recipes » Capirotada~Mexican Bread Pudding

Capirotada~Mexican Bread Pudding

March 20, 20158 Comments

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Capirotada with Logo

My first real job, right out of high school, was at a Mexican bakery. El Mejor Pan Bakery was owned by my friend Angelica’s parents. I was introduced to the world of Mexican bread up close! The first time I tasted capirotada, Mexican bread pudding, was the following year. I was hired at La Poblana Tortilla Factory to work in the office. This business was owned by my friend Julie’s parents.

top view of capirotada on table with colorful placemats

This post includes photos from various times I prepared capirotada. The baking dish varies, as does the cheese I used. The video I recorded in March 2023 and I used my homemade semitas, pan dulce recipe available here on my blog.

https://animoto.com/play/3Q3Zijus7SPEF7yhps0VFg

Thank goodness for my friend’s parents. They had no idea the inspiration they were instilling in me for everything that is Mexican. They had a very busy lunch counter at “La Poblana” and they would only make capirotada at Easter time and Christmas. That was my first real experience with eating a sweet, yet savory dish, that I never forgot! This is my interpretation of the capirotada that the ladies at La Poblana used to prepare. I would like to dedicate this post to my two best friends from my childhood, Angelica and Julissa. We had the best times!

Mexican Bread Pudding Can Be a Meal In Itself!

Depending on what region of Mexico, the recipe has many variations. Some recipes for capirotada include tomatoes, tomatillos and bananas. This basic recipe I share with you today has nuts, raisins, cheese and syrup prepared with piloncillo(cane sugar) syrup. The cheese used varies from family to family. 

Capirotada Sliced Bolillos
Capirotada Piloncillo Syrup
capirotada nuts and raisins

Depending on what ingredients I may have available, my recipe can vary from time to time. Above there is a mix of berries, raisins and nuts.

Cheese for Capirotada

And typically I will use Monterey jack cheese and some cotija or panela cheese. On this day I had this Mexican variety of Menonita cheese. It is creamy and is a good melting cheese. 

Toasted Bolillo For Capirotada

Some recipes do not require the bolillo sliced bread to be toasted. I prefer to toast it in the oven so it holds up to all the syrup and ingredients that it will be baked with.

Toasted Bolillo with Queso Cotija For Caoirotada
Capirotada Layered
Adding Piloncillo Syrup to Capirotada
Capirotada Layered Almost Ready For Oven

The sprinkles are added in some regions. I think it’s a fun finishing touch to the dish!

close up of capirotada
 Traditional capirotada is prepared with Mexican aged cheese, such as queso anejo. But many people like to add queso panela as well.
capirotada close up of one side of pan
Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding) #capirotada
Distant view of capirotada on the table in blue pot

Capirotada(Mexican Bread Pudding)

This recipe for capirotada was adapted from the capirotada that I enjoyed when I worked at La Poblano in Houston, Texas!
4 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 44 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 4 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • Zest and juice from 1 large orange
  • 16 oz piloncillo cones or dark brown sugar
  • 2 inch piece cinnamon sticks broken in half
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 2 star anise
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 3 ounces butter plus more for greasing
  • 15 to 20 slices of Mexican bolillos or French bread let dry out overnight
  • 1/3 cup pecans chopped, optional
  • 1/3 cup toasted almonds chopped, optional
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts more traditional
  • 8 ounces monterey jack or another melting cheese shredded, not traditional
  • 6 ounces panela or cotija cheese crumbled, more traditional

Instructions

Directions:

  • The night before, slice the bolillos into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch slices and let sit out overnight.
  •  Next day, preheat oven to 375º F. Generously grease a 9×13 (Or 9 inch round cake pan) baking dish with butter. Set aside.
  • Heat the water, orange juice, zest, Piloncillo(sugar), cloves, cinnamon sticks, and anise in a pot over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add raisins and let simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.
  • Spread the butter onto both sides of each slice of bread and arrange on baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn over and bake the other side for 5 minutes.
  • Line the base of the ovenproof dish with half the toast. Sprinkle over half of the cheese(both kinds) and nuts. If adding coconut, add some shredded coconut to each layer. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves from piloncillo syrup. Spoon 1/2 of raisin mix over toast. Repeat another layer, cover with foil paper and bake for 20 minutes or until warm and cheese has melted. 

Notes

If you would like a more moist bread pudding, I would suggest doubling the syrup recipe. It’s best to have extra just in case there is more bread. If you like to thicken it, just cook it at medium low until it thickens. 
It is more traditional to fry the day old bread in pork lard until golden brown.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!
Capirotada Hot Out Of The Oven

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Filed Under: Dessert First, Pan Dulce~Sweet Bread, Traditional Mexican Recipes Tagged With: bread pudding, capirotada, foods for lent

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Olga

    April 2, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    Wow this looks delicious.

    Olga.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 3, 2017 at 11:11 am

      Thanks Olga!

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    February 25, 2020 at 10:21 pm

    I’m going to make this for Easter 🐣…

    Reply
    • Sonia

      February 26, 2020 at 9:16 am

      Enjoy it Elizabeth!

      Reply
  3. Rosie

    March 4, 2021 at 12:32 pm

    Your instructions calls for adding juice and zest to liquid but in the ingredients juice is not listed. How much orange juice? fyi mama always made a meringue and added a yolk to it and covered the dish with. She was from Guanajuato.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      March 4, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      Sorry about that. It’s zest and juice from 1 large orange.

      Reply
  4. Rosetta Swindell

    March 4, 2021 at 7:25 pm

    Ahh. Gracias!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Mexican Foods For Lent - La Piña en la Cocina says:
    March 4, 2019 at 11:16 am

    […] Capirotada (Bread Pudding) https://pinaenlacocina.com/capirotadamexican-bread-pudding/ […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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