Capirotada- Mexican Easter Dessert

Capirotada is a Mexican Bread Pudding with layers of bread, various toppings, and covered in a brown sugar syrup. This traditional Mexican dessert is commonly served during Lenten season and Easter. 

There are various ways to make capirotada including different add-ins and how the bread pudding is cooked. The capirotada recipe I’m sharing with you is how my husband’s family from Guadalajara makes it, and they prefer to cook it on the stove in a steamer pot. 

If you enjoy chocolate desserts, check out my recipe for Chocoflan.

Ingredients

For the bread, I’m using a French baguette and slicing it into 1-inch thick pieces. You want to use a crusty bread that can absorb the syrup and not get too mushy. It is also common to use bolillo rolls sliced and day old is best.

The capirotada comes together with a Piloncillo or brown sugar syrup. These are the ingredients for the syrup:

• Water
• Piloncillo or Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon Stick
• Cloves
• Whole Peppercorns
• Onion

The toppings for capirotada are layered between the bread and syrup. These are the toppings we used:

• Aged Cotija Cheese or Manchego
• Peanuts
• Raisins
• Bananas
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Rainbow Nonpareils

Feel free to change up any of the toppings based on what you like. You can do different nuts, dried fruit, or shredded coconut is a popular addition.

For the cheese, my mother in law prefers an aged cotija, which has a nutty taste and pungent smell. A similar one that’s more common to find is a Spanish Manchego. Use a grater to shred the cheese.

Alternatively, you can use a milder soft cheese like Monterrey Jack, Oaxaca, or mozzarella. The saltiness of the cheese provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of the bread pudding.

How to Make

1. Start by adding water to a pot and the ingredients for the syrup. Piloncillo or Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, Whole Peppercorns, and a quarter of a white onion.

2. Once the brown sugar has dissolved, strain the syrup and discard the ingredients and set the syrup aside. This smells so good!

3. Toast the sliced baguette in the oven until both sides are browned. Dip each side of the toasted bread in melted butter and place in a large pot or steamer.

4. Begin laying the toppings between the bread and pour a ladle of the piloncillo syrup to saturate the bread. My mother in a law also likes to add a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk for more flavor and sweetness.

5. Continue layering the sliced bread, toppings, and piloncillo syrup until you reach the top of the pot or run out of ingredients.

We are using a steamer pot with some water in the bottom. You can also use a regular pot to cook it on the stove. Another popular method is to bake the Capirotada in the oven.

6. To steam it, place the lid on the pot and have the heat on medium, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.

To bake it, use a large baking dish, cover the capirotada with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

How to Serve

Capirotada can be served warm right after cooking, or leftovers can be served cold. You can store leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. My family likes to re-heat leftovers in the air fryer to get the bread crispy on the edges. Otherwise you can use the microwave.

For a festive touch, top with rainbow sprinkles before serving or add them when you are layering the ingredients.

This Mexican bread pudding can be made many different ways, and with various toppings. Most families have a recipe passed down from generations. If this is your first time making Capirotada or want to try making it this way, I would be honored for you to use my family’s recipe, thank you!

More Mexican Desserts