Ah, capirotada—the Mexican bread pudding that’s basically a warm, sweet, cinnamon-y hug in a dish 😋. It’s traditionally eaten during Lent, but honestly, it’s irresistible any time. Here’s a solid version:
Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)
Ingredients
- 6–8 slices of bolillo or French bread, slightly stale
- 1½ cups piloncillo (or dark brown sugar if unavailable)
- 3 cups water
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3–4 cloves
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
- ½ cup queso fresco or shredded cheese (traditional but optional)
- Butter, for greasing bread
Method
- Prepare the syrup:
- In a saucepan, combine water, piloncillo, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer until the piloncillo dissolves and it thickens slightly. Remove cloves and cinnamon.
- Prepare the bread:
- Slice bolillo into ½–1 inch pieces.
- Lightly butter each slice.
- Toast them in the oven until golden (optional but helps prevent sogginess).
- Assemble the layers:
- In a baking dish, layer bread slices, raisins, nuts, coconut, and cheese.
- Pour some syrup over each layer so it’s soaked but not swimming.
- Repeat until ingredients are used up, finishing with syrup on top.
- Bake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cover with foil and bake 25–30 minutes until heated through.
- Optional: uncover the last 5–10 minutes to let the top crisp slightly.
- Serve:
- Best served warm. Some drizzle extra syrup on top if you like it extra sweet.
💡 Tips / Tricks:
- Day-old or slightly stale bread works best—it soaks up the syrup without turning into mush.
- Don’t skip the nuts and raisins; they give that classic “surprise crunch and chew” in every bite.
- Some people like adding orange zest or slices for extra zing.
If you want, I can also give you a super quick 30-minute version that tastes almost identical but uses pre-baked bread and simplified syrup—great for last-minute cravings.
Do you want me to do that version too?
