DessertsEasy

Candied Pumpkin in Piloncillo Syrup

Name: Candied Pumpkin in Piloncillo Syrup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 100 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 500 ml Water; 2 rajas Cinnamon stick; 4 Clove; 4 Guavas; 1 Orange (cáscara); 500 g Piloncillo (raw cane sugar) (panela); 1.5 kg Castilla pumpkin

5.0(1 rating)

100 min (10 prep + 90 cook) Easy 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 20 Mar 2026 · Updated: 3 Jun 2026

Pumpkin slow-cooked in piloncillo syrup with cinnamon and guava. A traditional Day of the Dead dessert.

About this recipe

Calabaza en tacha is a traditional Mexican dessert where chunks of pumpkin are slowly cooked in a syrup of piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves and guava until tender and caramelised.

History & Origin

Calabaza en tacha is one of the oldest and most significant desserts in Mexican gastronomy, intimately linked to the Day of the Dead celebrations on the 1st and 2nd of November. Its name comes from tacha, which in the sugar industry refers to the large pots where sugar is cooked to create piloncillo. The Castilla pumpkin was one of the first domesticated crops in Mesoamerica, with archaeological evidence dating back over 7,000 years. Pre-Hispanic peoples cooked it with maguey honey, but after the arrival of the Spanish and sugarcane, piloncillo replaced aguamiel. During the Day of the Dead, calabaza en tacha is an obligatory offering on altars throughout Mexico. Its presence has symbolic meaning: the pumpkin represents the head and the cycle of life. The preparation is simple but requires patience: pumpkin chunks are placed in a large pot with piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves, guavas and sometimes orange, and cooked over low heat for hours. The result is a dessert with a soft, silky texture.

Estimated cost

£17.35

Total cost

£2.17

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

220

Calories

Protein

55g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

30mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cut the pumpkin into large pieces with peel, retirando the seeds and the hilos of the centro.
💡 Conserva the seeds: lavadas, dried and tostadas with salt son a snack delicioso.
2
In a large pot, place the chopped piloncillo (raw cane sugar) with the water, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel. Heat over medium heat until the piloncillo dissolves.
3
Place the pumpkin pieces in the pot with the piloncillo syrup, flesh-side down. Add the guavas cut in half.
4
Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 1 hour a 1 and a half hours, until the pumpkin it is tender and has absorbido the honey.
5
Turn the pumpkin pieces carefully halfway through cooking so they soak up the syrup on all sides.
6
Serve warm in plates hondos, drizzled with the honey of piloncillo (raw cane sugar) and accompanied of the guavas cocidas.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.