This sinfully rich dark chocolate bread pudding tastes like a pan of warm fudgy brownies. For the best taste and texture, use challah bread and real chocolate.
Offer me bread pudding and Iโll take a hard pass. The thought of soggy white bread swimming in a pool of cream sauce sounds like an epic waste of calories. But as I work to expand my baking repertoire this year, I decided to dive into this mysterious dessert. Like, what really is bread pudding? What are you? What are you not? What can you be? Why am I talking to you?
Pull up a chair and listen up. Bread pudding can be delicious. REALLY REALLY DELICIOUS. And this is coming from someone who said nope!!!! to this dessert only a few weeks ago. Thereโs all sorts of ways to bake bread pudding, but this chocolate bread pudding recipeโcomplete with buttery challah bread and real chocolateโis my favorite. My only regret is waiting so long to try it this way!
What Does Chocolate Bread Pudding Taste Like?
This chocolate bread pudding tastes like warm brownie squares, monkey bread, and French toast casserole all in one. It’s as fabulously rich as my flourless chocolate cake. Do I really need to continue? Pair this with rivers of salted caramel, pockets of melty chocolate chips, juicy raspberries and fresh whipped cream on topโฆ and you basically have a mountain of chocolate covered calories. I mean a mountain of underrated delicious texture that totally deserves a chance in your kitchen too. Donโt waste another second dismissing bread pudding. This dark chocolate bread pudding is legit!
2 Parts to Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Dark chocolate custard sauce. Use real chocolate here. You can grab semi-sweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or unsweetened chocolate. You’ll need two 4-ounce bars, 8 ounces total. I used unsweetened chocolate because I knew I wanted to top the bread pudding with salted caramel and sweetened whipped cream. This bread pudding is so rich that you don’t want it over-sweetened. Heat some cream and milk (or you can use half-and-half) then pour over the chocolate and mix it all together. You’ll have a very thinned out chocolate ganache. Let it cool down for a minute (so as not to cook the eggs), then add eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, + salt. All of this makes your super chocolate-y custard.
- Bread. Want to know the secret to absolutely awesome bread pudding? It’s the bread. Now I didn’t make the challah from scratch, but you definitely can. You can also use brioche (you can make your own using the same dough we use for Nutella babka if you’re up for it!), croissant bread, or any rich bread you love l. For something a little less heavy, but equally decadent, use a baguette. Whichever bread you use, the secret is to let it sit out overnight to dry out. It will soak up more chocolate custard sauce that way.
Remember, stale bread is best. Mix the bread with half of the chocolate custard, then pour the remaining custard on top of it all. Why are you doing it this way? So thereโs more pockets of warm chocolate custard!!
Helpful Tips for Chocolate Bread Pudding
- For extra texture, I suggest an add-in or two. I highly recommend chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (pick up a third 4-ounce chocolate bar). These chunks of chocolate paired with the chocolate soaked bread is outstanding. I also like dried cherries, peanut butter chips, or chopped pecans. I canโt say this enough: I loved the chocolate chips between the soft chocolate-soaked bread. And I canโt say this enough either: this tastes like a pan of warm brownies. But better.
- Let the bread pudding sit before baking so the bread can soak up some of the custard. Simply wait 5 minutes, preheat the oven, and by the time the ovenโs readyโฆ so is the bread pudding.
Top It Off!
Besides the texture and the whole โpan of warm browniesโ element, what I love most about this dark chocolate bread pudding is its versatility. Do you have to add salted caramel? Of course not. Can you add chopped pecans and top with coffee ice cream? Itโs encouraged. What about adding dried cherries or peanut butter chips? Go for it. As long as you follow this cream-milk-egg-chocolate ratio, you can really add anything you want.
I havenโt tried this bread pudding with the raspberries mixed into the unbaked bread pudding, but Iโm eager to try. I just dotted a few on top for serving. I brought this over to my in-laws to taste since Iโm not really a bread pudding connoisseur. They LOVED it.
Thereโs a few recipe notes, so make sure you read them before beginning. I PROMISE youโll be a bread pudding fan after 1 bite. I certainly am! Does anyone have a traditional bread pudding recipe I should try? Iโm still holding out hope!
Print
Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sinfully rich dark chocolate bread pudding tastes like a pan of warm fudgy brownies. For the best taste and texture, use challah bread and real chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream*
- 2 and 1/2 cups (600ml) whole milk*
- two 4-ounce bars semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 loaf day-old challah bread or brioche, cut into 1 inch cubes*
- 1 cup (190g) semi-sweetย chocolate chips or 4 extra ounces chopped chocolate
- optional add-ins: 1 cup of chopped pecans, dried cranberries/cherries, peanut butter chips, etc
- optional toppings:ย salted caramel, fresh berries, homemade whipped cream
Instructions
- Over medium heat, heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a medium saucepan until simmering. (Do not let it come to a rapid boilโthat’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Then stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Set aside for a few minutes to slightly cool down so as not to cook the eggs in the next step.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the chocolate cream mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide this chocolate custard mixture in half. Add the bread cubes and chocolate chips to one half and stir to evenly coat.
- Grease a 9×13-inch (or similar size) baking pan. Spread the chocolate soaked bread evenly into the pan. Pour the remaining chocolate custard evenly over the top. If you have extra, dot a few chocolate chips on top too (this is for looks and extra chocolate taste). Cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the bread has a chance to soak up some of the custard. This is crucial. You can also chill the unbaked bread pudding in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC).
- Bake the bread pudding for 45-50 minutes* until the edges appear set. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. It will come out with a few moist crumbs, but won’t be overly wet. *I bake it covered for the first 20-25 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil for the remaining time so it can slightly crisp on the top and around the edges.
- Garnish with toppings and serve warm.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Serve leftovers warm, room temperature, or cold. We found that the bread pudding had a slight texture change when reheated. The custard was a little more solid and not deliciously soft. The bread pudding is best eaten right out of the oven.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions:ย You can prepare the bread pudding through step 3 and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the baked bread pudding for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the oven until warm throughout. See the last step in the recipe with notes on the taste/texture after reheating. I do not suggest freezing the unbaked pudding as the custard will separate when thawing/baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Whisk | 9×13-inch Baking Dish
- Cream / Milk: I found the best combination of liquid to be 1 cup of heavy cream/heavy whipping cream with 2 and 1/2 cups of whole milk. Alternatively, you can use 3 and 1/2 cups of full-fat half-and-half. I do not suggest all whole milk or anything lower in fat. If you buy a pint of heavy cream, you can use the leftover 1 cup to make whipped cream to top the baked bread pudding. See step 6 in this strawberry shortcake recipe for how I usually make homemade whipped cream.
- Chocolate: Since you’re essentially making a thinned-out ganache, it’s best to use real chocolate. You can find the 4 ounce baking bars in the baking aisle. I like using Ghirardelli or Baker’s brand. You can use 8 ounces (heaping 1 and 1/3 cups) of quality chocolate chips instead, such as Ghirardelli brand. I tested this recipe with unsweetened chocolate as I knew I wanted to top it with salted caramel and sweetened whipped cream. It was extra dark and not overly sweetened; we loved it. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or unsweetened chocolate. White chocolate will work as well, though I would reduce the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup.
- Bread: You need around 1 lb of bread, which is about 10 cups of cubes (give or take). I suggest a rich bread like challah or brioche. You can also use a baguette. I don’t suggest a heartier bread or sourdough bread as their flavors don’t pair well with sweet bread pudding. Whichever bread you use, slice and leave it out overnight so it’s stale and can really soak up the custard. Moist bread creates a soggy bread pudding.
- Individual Servings: You can bake the bread pudding in several individual ramekins. Adjust the baking time as needed.
- Adapted from King Arthur Flour and Food & Wine
Reader Comments and Reviews
I am so excited to try this- I was also a anti- bread pudding person until one of the best restaurants by us had a chocolate croissant bread pudding that was def one of the best restaurant desserts Iโve had. They since closed and I was trying to find a recipe and this looks pretty close! Going to try !
So, I’m not a fan of bread pudding, but my husband loves it, so I’m always trying new recipes. No longer! This is my go-to now. Easy, delicious (even I liked it), and husband-approved. I used brioche, a Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bar, and dotted the mixture with some of Sally’s raspberry cake filling that I had left over from another baking project. I topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream, fresh berries, garnished with mint and it was an absolute hit.
I have a bag of unseasoned bread cubes. About a 1/2 in wide. From a local bakery so the bag is a mixed variety of different breads. Usually used for stuffing. Do you think they would make a good chocolate bread pudding? Or should I go a more traditional custard route?
Hi Gia, it may give you a more savory flavor if there’s a big mix of bread types, such as rye or pumpernickel or other breads that have a stronger flavor. We use challah for this recipe, which is soft and buttery. The types of bread in your mix may be leaner types of bread, which would affect the overall taste and texture of this bread pudding, so we probably wouldn’t recommend giving it a try here. Use it to make stuffing instead!
I’m looking forward to trying this with a chocolate Italian loaf from Katich Breads, Aurora IL and cherries. To help me substitute, about how much does the “one loaf of challah bread” in your recipe weigh?
Hi Mary! See recipe Notes for details: You need around 1 lb of bread, which is about 10 cups of cubes (give or take).
Just made the recipe and it tastes great! What I’m curious about is could this be ‘held’ after cooking in a crock pot to keep warm for serving?
Hi Michael, We haven’t tried it but can’t see why that wouldn’t work. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Great desert my whole family loved one question could this be made ahead and frozen. Keep up the good work.
Hi Sandra, we’re so glad it was a hit! See recipe notes for make ahead and freezing instructions.
I am looking forward to trying this! A couple of questionsโฆcan you split this into 8×8 pans? The additional 1 cup of chocolate chips, could you substitute this with tollhouse caramel morsels instead? Thank you!
Hi Judee, yes, this recipe should split nicely between two 8-inch pans. The bake time will be slightly shorter. Caramel morsels would be delicious instead of chocolate chips.
I loved it. I used 80% dark chocolate so, I added more sugar in the mix. Next time, I will add a nuts in the mix to make it crunchy.
I made this for my MIL on Motherโs Day as she loves anything chocolate as well as bread pudding, which she rarely eats as no one else in the family is a fan of traditional bread pudding. I used chocolate-chip brioche (you can get this at Aldi!), which unfortunately didnโt dry out quite enough over night and turned mushy when I added the custard. I was worried, but it baked up beautifully and was a huge hit. I served it with whipped cream and raspberries and people couldnโt stop raving about it. Definitely use high quality ingredientsโ I used Ghirardelliโs bittersweet chocolate chips as mix-ins and a bar of 75% Lindt chocolate as well as sea salt dark Lindt chocolate for the custard. This recipe will convert any bread pudding hater!
Hi Sally. I absolutely love your recipes. I’m so anxious to try this bread pudding! I was wondering if you think 1 cup of shredded, sweetened coconut would work as an add-in?
Hi Shelby, We can’t see why not!
OH MY GOODNESS!!! This recipe was so good. I used three different chocolate chips and my family couldn’t stop raving about it!
This was WONDERFUL!โค๏ธ