capirotada cinnamon piloncillo raisins (Printable)

Sweet bread pudding with cinnamon, piloncillo, raisins, and melty cheese—classic Mexican dessert with nostalgic flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Bread

01 - 1 loaf (approximately 16 ounces) bolillo, French bread, or baguette, sliced into 1-inch rounds (preferably day-old)

→ Syrup

02 - 1 1/2 cups (10 ounces) piloncillo, chopped or packed dark brown sugar
03 - 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) water
04 - 2 cinnamon sticks
05 - 3 whole cloves
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Fillings

07 - 1/2 cup (2.6 ounces) raisins
08 - 1 cup (3.9 ounces) shredded mild cheese such as queso fresco, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella
09 - 1/2 cup (2.1 ounces) chopped pecans or peanuts (optional)

→ For Greasing

10 - Butter, for greasing baking dish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
02 - Arrange sliced bread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway, until dry and lightly golden.
03 - In a saucepan, combine piloncillo (or brown sugar), water, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until piloncillo dissolves and syrup thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and incorporate 1 tablespoon butter. Strain to remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.
04 - Arrange half of the toasted bread slices in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half the raisins, half the shredded cheese, and half of the nuts if using. Drizzle with half of the piloncillo syrup.
05 - Top with remaining bread, raisins, cheese, nuts, and syrup. Gently press with a spatula to help bread absorb the syrup.
06 - Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and top is golden.
07 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The layers soak up the syrup without ever becoming soggy, so every bite is a little surprise.
  • It’s forgiving with whatever bread or dried fruit you have lying around, which saved me countless times.
02 -
  • Don’t skip toasting the bread; skipping it cost me a soggy, unlayered mess once.
  • Swapping piloncillo for dark brown sugar works in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be as deeply complex.
03 -
  • Letting the pudding rest before serving helps flavors meld and makes slicing cleaner.
  • A hint of nutmeg or allspice in the syrup gives subtle warmth that people notice (but can’t quite place).
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