About This Recipe
Every fall, calabaza en tacha starts showing up everywhere in Mexico—thick slices of pumpkin simmered slowly in cinnamon and piloncillo syrup until they turn glossy and caramelized. The smell alone means Día de los Muertos is near.
I remember, as a little girl, walking through the markets during the holiday season and seeing huge cazuelas filled with all kinds of traditional Mexican sweets. One of them was this calabaza en tacha—a dessert loved by adults but one I never had any intention of trying… until recently. And when I finally did, I fell in love with it.
The best part? If you have leftovers, you can turn this pumpkin into something new—pumpkin bread, pumpkin creamer, or even pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It’s one of those recipes that keeps on giving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic Mexican flavor made with just a few ingredients.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
- Easy to prepare—your stove does most of the work.
- Fills your kitchen with the coziest fall aroma ever.
- Beautiful to lay next to the Día de los Muertos bread in altars or during fall gatherings.
ingredient notes
- Pumpkin (calabaza de castilla): Traditional for this recipe, but honestly, any firm pumpkin or squash works beautifully. Kabocha, sugar pumpkin, or even acorn squash all hold their shape and soak up the syrup perfectly.
- Piloncillo: This unrefined Mexican cane sugar gives the dessert its deep caramel flavor. If you can’t find it, dark brown sugar, panela, or muscovado sugar are great substitutes.
- Cinnamon sticks, anise star or cloves
- Orange peel & orange juice.
How to Make Calabaza en Tacha
- Prep the pumpkin: Wash well, remove seeds, and cut into large wedges (no need to peel).
- Make the syrup: In a large pot, combine water, piloncillo, star anise and cinnamon sticks.
- Simmer: Add pumpkin pieces, cover, and cook on low heat for about 45–60 minutes until tender and caramelized, turning halfway through.
- Reduce the syrup
Variations
- Mix in a splash of vanilla toward the end for aroma.
- Top with chopped pecans or coconut whipped cream
- Serve with cold milk, almond milk, or even almond horchata
Home-Cook to Home-Cook Tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent burning the syrup.
- If your piloncillo cone is tough, grate or chop it before adding it to the pot.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day—the pumpkin soaks up more syrup overnight.
Calabaza en Tacha (Mexican Candied Pumpkin)
Equipment
- 1 cast iron pot
Ingredients
- 700 g pumpkin calabaza de castilla, kabocha, or butternut squash
- 200 g piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- 1 –2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 –2 star anise
- 1 small orange peel and juice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Prep the pumpkin: Wash the pumpkin well, remove the seeds, and cut into large wedges. No need to peel—it helps the pumpkin hold its shape while cooking.
- Make the syrup: In a large heavy pot, combine the water, piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, star anise, orange peel, and orange juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the piloncillo dissolves.
- Add the pumpkin: Carefully add the pumpkin wedges to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45–60 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender and caramelized.
- Thicken the syrup: Remove the lid and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, or until the syrup thickens and coats the pumpkin.
- Serve: Enjoy warm with a drizzle of syrup—or chilled the next day (it gets even better!).
Notes
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- About the Author
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I’m Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes—some Mexican, mostly plant-based—that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications.
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