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This recipe for Bocado de Reina or Guatemalan bread pudding, is a delicious cake-like dessert made from leftover bread, milk, eggs and cinnamon.
One of Guatemala’s easiest desserts, my version adds fruit for extra colour. But it’s just as tasty served plain or with whipped cream.
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What is Bocado de Reina?
Bocado de Reina is a traditional Guatemalan bread pudding made from day-old bread soaked in a sweet, spiced eggy custard, then baked until golden and tender. It’s easy, economical and incredibly comforting.
The name translates to “bite fit for a queen or food fit for a queen” and it’s a popular way to turn simple ingredients like stale bread, milk, eggs, and cinnamon into a rich and comforting dessert.
Some traditional Bocado de Reina recipes blend the bread into fine crumbs for a more cake-like texture. But my Guatemalan mother-in-law simply tears leftover bread into chunks before combining it with the custard.
I love how it turns out golden and firm on top with a slightly springy middle. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
At our ranch in eastern Guatemala, we like to serve this dessert drizzled with local honey. Other times it’s topped with ice cream or whipped cream.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s incredibly easy to make. You can prep this make-ahead dessert the night before, let it chill in the fridge, and bake it the next day.
- Rich and airy, this beautiful dish is perfect for a company brunch or special occasion.
- It’s a great way to use up day-old bread instead of letting it go to waste!
- Unlike complicated Guatemalan desserts such as buñuelos or molletes, it doesn’t require deep frying or special syrups.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and method.
Day-old pan dulce, challah or brioche bread: The type of bread you use for bocado de reina is super important as it forms the base and structure of the dessert. I like to use day-old pan dulce (challah or brioche bread) as it’s slightly sweet and has a soft texture. But you can use French rolls.
Pro Tip: Make sure the bread is stale so the dish doesn’t turn out soggy.
Large Eggs: Room temperature eggs make the pudding fluffy plus they contain lots of nutrients.
Milk: Milk is soaked up by the bread and helps form the custard.
Half and Half Cream: Cream adds richness and depth.
Vanilla and Cinnamon: Both are very important for the distinct aroma and flavour. I use real vanilla rather than artificial vanilla.
Maple Syrup (or Rum): Add natural sweetness. Amber maple syrup or even dark rum.
Orange Zest: Grated orange zest bumps up the aroma, adds freshness and intensifies the flavours of the tropical fruits.
Melted Butter: Butter adds a bit of fat for lift and to keep everything moist while baking.
Mango, Kiwi and/or Strawberries: Sweet and juicy mango is like nature’s candy. Fresh or frozen both work well. Just thaw before using if frozen.
Step By Step Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact quantities and method.
1. Brush the inside of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with one-half the melted butter. For best results use an oval or rectangular dish made of stoneware, pottery, or Corningware rather than clear glass or metal.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and whisk again until completely combined.
3. Add the cubes of bread to the bowl of egg and milk and mix until combined. Or, process the bread into crumbs if you prefer the more traditional Guatemalan version. Let sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Spread half the soaked bread on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Distribute and press down lightly on the bread with a fork so the bread completely covers the surface of the baking dish.
5. Sprinkle half of the mango chunks over the surface of the bread.
6. Top with remaining bread and press down lightly so the surface is even. It will be bumpy.
If you’re making it ahead, stop at this point. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
7. Brush top with remaining butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
8. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly browned. Check after 20 minutes and cover lightly with foil if browning too quickly.
9. Cool for 5 minutes, arrange remaining fruit including the mango, sliced kiwi, and strawberries on top. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.
10. Serve with syrup or whipped cream.
Variations
- Go traditional by leaving off the fruit and serving it plain with a light cinnamon syrup or a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.
- For a cake-like texture, blend the bread into fine pieces before soaking.
- Add sliced bananas or pineapple on top for a tropical twist.
- Mix in chopped walnuts or almonds, or sprinkle them on top for a little crunch.
- Stir in raisins or chopped dates for added sweetness and texture.
- For a richer version, add chocolate chips or swirl in some dulce de leche.
- Use almond milk or coconut milk to make it dairy-free. The flavour changes slightly, but it still tastes amazing.
Expert Tips
- Soaking the bread overnight will allow the eggs and milk to soak into the bread fully. But it’s just as delicious if it’s made the same day.
- Pressing the bread down with a fork will make sure the egg mixture covers the entire surface of the dish.
- Use stale bread so your dish doesn’t turn out soggy.
- If it starts browning fast, cover it loosely with foil so that you can bake it without burning.
Serving Suggestions
Storing and Freezing
- You can store bocado de reina in the fridge for two or three days and reheat it in the microwave.
- Store baked individual servings for up to six months in sealed freezer bags. Just thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave before topping with fruit.
- You can also make the base of this pudding ahead and freeze it before baking. Then just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a microwave or oven (covered) before topping with fruit.
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Recipe
Bocado de Reina (Guatemalan Bread Pudding)
Bocado de Reina is an easy, traditional Guatemalan dessert made of leftover bread, milk, eggs and cinnamon. Customize it with fruit, nuts or dulce de leche or serve it plain with ice cream.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 975kcal
Cost: $10
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Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F.
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Brush the inside of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with one-half of the melted butter.
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Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and whisk again until completely combined.
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Add the cubes of bread to the bowl of egg and milk and stir just until combined. Let sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. While it’s soaking, prepare the fruit.
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Spread half the bread on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Distribute and press down lightly on the bread with a fork so the bread completely covers the surface of the baking dish.
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Sprinkle one cup of the mango chunks over the surface of the bread.
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Top with remaining bread and press down lightly so the surface is even. It will be bumpy. If you’re making it the night before, stop at this stage. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
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Brush top with remaining butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
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Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly browned. Check after 20 minutes and cover lightly with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
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Cool for 5 minutes. Then arrange remaining mango, sliced kiwi, and strawberries on top, and dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.
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Serve with syrup, ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- You can store it in the fridge for two or three days and reheat it in the microwave.
- Store baked individual servings for up to six months in sealed freezer bags. Just thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave before topping with fruit.
- Make the base of this pudding ahead and freeze it before baking. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a microwave or oven (covered) before topping with fruit.
- A popular variation in Guatemala is to crumble the bread into very fine pieces rather than chunks. That will produce a dessert that’s more cake-like than pudding.
Nutritional information is created by online calculators so the figures are only estimates.
Nutrition
Calories: 975kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 432mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 2446IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe FAQs
It’s a traditional Guatemalan dessert that’s similar to a Latin American bread pudding as it’s made with leftover bread. But it’s more cake-like in texture and often contains rum.
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