Capirotada, or Mexican bread pudding, is a sweet treat made of bread, fruits, nuts, and cheese. A yummy Mexican dessert eaten during Lent.

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Capirotada (or Mexican Bread Pudding) served in a white bowl and topped with sprinkles.

Capirotada, or Mexican bread pudding, screams Lent!

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Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.

It starts with getting ashes put on our foreheads. Some people will even fast. As a kid, we would have planned for months what we were giving up for Lent – chocolate, pizza, TV.

There are also dietary restrictions. Very little meat is consumed and prohibited on Fridays. Certain dishes only pop out during this time like this Mexican dessert.

Table of Contents

1 More Mexican Dessert Recipes:
2 How to Make It
3 Piloncillo Substitute:
4 Pro Tip:
5 Ingredients:
6 What type of cheese?
7 History
8 Symbols:
9 More authentic Mexican dessert recipes:
10 How Long Does it Last?
- - 10.0.1 Hungry for More?
11 Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)

More Mexican Dessert Recipes:

How to Make It

A picture of a sauce pan with piloncillo, star anise, and cinnamon all swimming in water.

Add water, star anise, cinnamon stick, and piloncillo to a pot.
Bring to a boil and let the piloncillo melt.

There are variations of this dish. Capirotada Mexicana is either made with a milk or water base. In Spanish, Capirotada de Agua, and Capirotada de Leche.

The recipe I’m sharing is the way we make it in Durango, Mexico.

This is the way my mother’s family makes it. I even found this exact recipe in a cookbook dated over 100 years old.

Made with water, not baked. We also make it on the stove, and the bread is NOT toasted.

Piloncillo Substitute:

If you can’t find you can piloncillo substitute with 1 cup of brown sugar and stir as it cooks. Or buy it online piloncillo

A picture of bolillo next to already toasted bread for Capirotada.

During Lent, Mexican bakeries will sell already sliced bread just for Capirotada, or Mexican Bread Pudding. That bread tends to be too hard or already toasted.

For this recipe, OLD BOLILLO is strongly recommended. However, you can use fresh bolillo or cut up French Baguette.

Pro Tip:

Before the bolillo goes bad, wrap it up in plastic wrap, and stick it in the freezer. Bread can last up to 6 months in the freezer. Take it out when you’re ready to make this traditional Mexican dessert.

A picture of the toppings for capirotada.

Ingredients:

Banana slices
Shredded Coconut
Peanuts
Almonds
Raisins
candy sprinkles
Candied pineapple

Capirotada with sprinkles is an absolute must in my family! You can add all of these toppings or a combination.

A picture of a block of Monterey jack cheese.

Dice up a block of cheese, or you can use shredded cheese too.

Durango-style Capirotada must include cheese. Menonite cheese is what is traditional for Durango, but since it is nearly impossible to find in the US, here are some suggestions.

What type of cheese?

Queso Monterery
Queso Oaxaca
Queso Chihuahua

Yellow cheese is NOT authentic Mexican and not recommended for this recipe. If the recipe asks for yellow cheese, it is a Mexican-American adaptation from the authentic recipe.

A collage showing how to layer the Capirotada.

Layer the bread.
Add the desired toppings.
Continue layering until there are no more ingredients.

History

Capirotada Mexicana has deep Catholic roots. It was originally called “Capirotada de Vigilia.”

People needed to use up leftovers before the beginning of the Lenten fast. Some genius cook decided to mix bread, syrup, spices, and white cheese together.

Also very typical of the Lenten season are Torrejas.

A picture of the uncooked dessert in a stock pot.

Symbols:

The bread represents the Body of Christ.
The syrup his blood, the cloves are the nails of the cross, the cinnamon stick is the wood used for the cross.
The melted cheese stands for the Holy Shroud of Turin.

The original recipes for this dessert were even recorded by the Holy Office of the Spanish Inquisition. We’re talking 1640s! They can still be found in the archives to this day.

More authentic Mexican dessert recipes:

A small sauce pan pouring the sugar sauce over the uncooked bread pudding.

Pour the sweet syrup into the pot over the layered bread.
Cover and cook on very LOW heat on the stove for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Word to the Wise: Be sure to REMOVE the star anise, cinnamon, and cloves before pouring into the pot.

You can serve it either warm or cold. With the warm version, though, there is the ooey gooey cheese. Some people even eat Capirotada for breakfast.

How Long Does it Last?

In the fridge, capirotada only last 3-4 days.
In the freezer, it will last for up to 5 months in a sealable, airtight plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible.