Growing up, there was one dessert I always looked forward to, that was capirotada. Not only is it a delicious dessert, but my mom makes the best! Made with bolillo bread, a lightly sweetened custard mixture, and loaded with raisins, almonds, coconut, queso fresco, and candy sprinkles!
What Is Capirotada?
Capirotada is a traditional Mexican dessert ( bread pudding ), usually served during the Lenten season. It can be made two different ways and with a variety of toppings.
The most known version ( Capirotada de Agua ) is made by soaking dry bolillo bread in a piloncillo syrup and topped with raisins, peanuts, and cheese. It can then be baked or left to chill in the refrigerator. I personally am not a fan of this traditional version, so I will have to do my own spin-off recipe on the classic😉.
The other version ( Capirotada de Leche ) is made with a thickened milk mixture and toppings of choice, usually a combination of raisins, nuts, fruit, dried fruit, cheese, and sprinkles. This is the version I grew up on and it’s delicious!
How To Make Capirotada de Leche
Prepping the bread
Preheat oven to 350º. Slice bolillo into ½ inch rounds. Spread on two baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Alternate the baking sheets halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Milk Mixture
Add 5½ cups of milk to a large saucepan. Add the other ½ cup of milk to a bowl and stir in the 1 tsp of cornstarch and set it aside. Place the saucepan over medium heat and add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
Keep an eye on the milk and stir as needed. Simmer for 10 minutes,. Then reduce the heat to low.
Beat the eggs in a large measuring cup, or mixing bowl. You will need to temper the eggs by adding ¼ cup of the hot milk slowly into the eggs while whisking vigorously. Do this twice, to bring them up to temperature.
Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves then slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot milk while whisking vigorously. Turn the heat up slightly to medium-low and cook the milk mixture for 15 minutes or until thickened. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Once thickened, remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Give it a good stir and set aside to cool slightly. In the meantime prep the toppings. You could cut the cheese into tiny cubes or crumble it. If using a different type of cheese, you could grate it.
Assemble
To assemble the capirotada, dip the bread slices, one at a time, in the custard and arrange in a casserole dish to create a single layer. Spoon some more custard on top of the bread.
Top with coconut, raisins, almonds, cheese, and nonpareils. Repeat the steps to create another layer of bread, remaining custard and toppings.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Enjoy!
Tips And Substitutions
This is a pretty easy recipe to create, and there’s lot’s of room for forgiveness, however; these tips will help you to achieve the best results.
Tips
- Make sure the bread is as dry as possible, this will help it absorb the liquid better and prevents it from being soggy.
- Be patient. It’s important to allow the pudding to chill for at least 6 hours. The longer it sits the better! I recommend making it the night before, or early in the morning if you plan on serving it in the evening.
- The milk can easily become scorched. Nobody wants that! So, make sure to set 30 minutes aside to focus solely on preparing the milk mixture.
- For a more polished look, add the candy sprinkles right before serving. If you add them before chilling, the colors will bleed onto the custard and give you a more colorful and vibrant capirotada.
Substitutions
- Can’t find bolillo bread? Use a French Baguette
- Use any white Mexican cheese, such as: Oaxaca cheese, Anejo cheese, or Monterey Jack.
- Instead of almonds you could use any tree nut of choice, or simply leave them out. It’s super tasty with pecans!
- If you don’t like coconut, try it with bananas or dried fruit of choice.
FAQ
I have always had trouble pronouncing this word myself, but if you break it down, it’s not that difficult. Ka-pee-roh-ta-da.
It has a religious symbolism to the sacrifice of Christ. It also serves as an additional protein source for those not eating meat during Lent observation.
It is a Mexican bread pudding that consists of dry bread, syrup or custard, nuts, and cheese. The name itself doesn’t mean anything but comes from the word Capirote, which is a priest’s cylinder hat.
This fun and delicious Mexican dessert is sure to delight! Serve it with my Baja-style Fish Tacos for a complete Lenten meal, or anytime meal. 😉
Till the next one!
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Snap a picture of the recipe you made and tag me @mariasblisscorner with the hashtag #mariasblisscorner. Thank you!
Capirotada de Leche ( Mexican Bread Pudding )
Ingredients
- 4 bolillo rolls or 1 french baguette
- 6 cups milk
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Toppings
- ½ cup shredded sweet coconut
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 4 oz queso fresco optional
- candy sprinkles ( nonpareils )
Instructions
Prepping the bread
- Preheat oven to 350º. Slice bolillo into ½ inch rounds. Spread on two baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Alternate the baking sheets halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Milk Mixture
- Add 5½ cups of milk to a large saucepan. Add the other ½ cup of milk to a bowl and stir in the 1 tsp of cornstarch and set it aside. Place the saucepan over medium heat and add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Keep an eye on the milk and stir as needed. Simmer for 10 minutes,. Then reduce the heat to low.
- Beat the eggs in a large measuring cup, or mixing bowl. You will need to temper the eggs by adding ¼ cup of the hot milk slowly into the eggs while whisking vigorously. Do this twice, to bring them up to temperature.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves then slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot milk while whisking vigorously. Turn the heat up slightly to medium-low and cook the milk mixture for 15 minutes or until thickened. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Once thickened, remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Give it a good stir and set aside to cool slightly. In the meantime, prep the toppings. You could cut the cheese into tiny cubes or crumble it. If using a different type of cheese, you could grate it.
Assemble
- To assemble the capirotada, dip the bread slices, one at a time, in the custard and arrange in a casserole dish to create a single layer. Spoon some more custard on top of the bread.
- Top with coconut, raisins, almonds, cheese, and nonpareils. Repeat the steps to create another layer of bread, remaining custard and toppings.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Enjoy!
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