Capirotada is Mexico's Lenten bread pudding: slices of day-old bolillo, crisped in butter, layered with raisins, peanuts and crumbled aged cheese and soaked in a dark piloncillo syrup spiced with cinnamon and clove. It bakes into a sticky, spoonable pudding where the salty cheese plays against the deep molasses sweetness. Makes 9 servings in about 1 hr 40 min.
Prep25 min
Cook60 min
Cooling15 min
Total
1 hr 40 min
Servings
9
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
1 ¼ cups (250 g)piloncillo, chopped (or dark brown sugar)
3 ¼ cups (750 ml)water
½ tsp (1 g)whole cloves, about 4
10 ½ oz (300 g)bolillo rolls, day-old (about 3), cut in 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices
⅓ cup (90 g)unsalted butter, melted, plus a little for the dish
9 tbsp (80 g)raisins
9 tbsp (70 g)roasted peanuts, unsalted, skinned
3 ½ oz (100 g)cotija cheese, crumbled (or queso añejo)
Combine the piloncillo, water, cinnamon stick and whole cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the piloncillo dissolves, then simmer until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) and lightly syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain out the cinnamon stick and cloves and keep the syrup warm.
While the syrup simmers, brush both sides of the sliced bolillo rolls with the melted unsalted butter and spread them on a baking sheet. Toast the bolillo slices in the oven, turning once, until crisp and golden on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes.
Lightly butter the 9-inch (23 cm) square baking dish. Arrange one third of the toasted bread in a snug layer and spoon over about one third of the warm syrup so every slice is moistened.
Scatter one third each of the raisins, roasted peanuts and cotija cheese over the bread. Repeat to make three layers in all, finishing with syrup, then the last of the raisins, peanuts and cotija cheese on top.
Cover the dish with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the syrup is absorbed and bubbling at the edges and the top is lightly crisp, 10 minutes more.
Let the capirotada rest 15 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
Truly stale, well-toasted bread holds its shape; soft fresh bread turns to mush in the syrup.
If the top looks dry halfway through baking, spoon over a little hot water or extra syrup.
The salty cheese is part of the dish, not a garnish; a dry aged cheese like cotija or añejo works best.
Good with café de olla.
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How long does it take to make capirotada (mexican lenten bread pudding)?
Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking, plus 15 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 9 servings.
How should I store capirotada (mexican lenten bread pudding)?
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days (it contains cheese); rewarm portions in a 325°F (160°C) oven or microwave.
Can I make capirotada (mexican lenten bread pudding) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Cooked in Mexico since at least the 17th century and eaten during Lent and Holy Week, capirotada layers fried or toasted day-old bolillo with piloncillo-cinnamon syrup, raisins, peanuts and aged cheese, with many regional versions. Serve it with café de olla.
Variations
Individual portions: layer into six 8-oz (240 ml) ramekins and bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 8 minutes.
Orange-accent syrup: simmer 2 wide strips (3 g) orange peel in the syrup with the cinnamon; bake time unchanged.
Pecan version: use 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped pecans in place of the peanuts; bake time unchanged.
Raisin-free version: leave out the raisins and add 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped dried apricots or prunes in their place; bake time unchanged.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 9 servings this recipe makes.
366Calories / serving
13.0gFat
52.2gCarbs
5.5gProtein
30.5gSugar
Whole recipe (9 servings):
~3294 cal ·
117g fat ·
470g carbs ·
50g protein ·
275g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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