Vegan Mexican Bread Pudding (AKA Capirotada)

For those that don’t know, this Bread Pudding is often prepared for lent in Mexican culture. This special dish is prepared with plantains, raisins, and nuts. The bulk of it is toasted bread soaked in a sweet milk mixture. It brings a strong, yet soft texture!

There isn’t much to change about the original to make it plant based. However, I’d like to share the plant-based version of how my family does the traditional!

There are varieties to this dish! Some families add sprinkles. Some families use peanuts instead of pecans. Some add crumbled fresh cheese (AKA Queso Fresco) into their combo! The recipe below mirrors how my mother makes it.

Below is the recipe and a youtube video that I made for it!

Vegan Capirotada

Note: Plantains are used instead of regular bananas because the regular type becomes too soft after caramelizing it.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. There are 2 components to this recipe besides the arranging and baking:

• Preparing the Milk mixture

Note: If using Soy Milk, add some water into the mixture because it can be reduced while heating, and Soy Milk tends to have a very thick consistency.

• Caramelizing the Plantains

3. In a casserole dish, add a layer of toasted Slices of Bread, facing down. In between the gaps of bread, add the caramelized plantains. Sprinkle the layer with half of the Pecans and half of the raisins. Add some into the gaps as well.

4. Add a second layer of bread and add the remaining ingredients.

5. Pour the milk mixture over all areas of the casserole. Make sure all areas with bread are soaked. (Alternatively, each slice of bread can be dipped in the milk mixture before arranging them into the dish. The remaining milk mixture is then poured over the dish.)

6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

Done!

Video