Chocolate Bread Pudding

By
Anita Schecter
Anita Schecter_BW
Anita Schecter
Professional recipe developer, food photographer, and blogger with more than a decade of experience creating Middle Eastern recipes.
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Updated on 04/28/21
Chocolate bread pudding in a casserole dish

The Spruce / Anita Schecter

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Soaking Bread: 30 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Bread pudding—that magical combination of milk, cream, eggs and yes, bread—is so incredibly versatile. It's basically a sweet or savory casserole that can be served at breakfast or dessert.

Bread puddings are sometimes called stratas, but there is a technical difference. Stratas contain more eggs than cream and are more likely to be savory. Bread puddings tend to be sweet and have a custard-like texture. But, whatever you call them, this act of transforming stale bread and a few basic ingredients into baked deliciousness is wonderfully satisfying.

Equally wonderful is the fact that bread puddings are easy to make and can even be assembled the day before, then baked the day they need to be served. Who doesn't love a make-ahead dessert when planning a dinner menu?

This version doubles down the chocolate flavor, using both cocoa powder and chocolate chips. The bread pudding benefits from an extra-special touch from melted chocolate poured over the top after the casserole bakes. The end result is creamy, gooey, and oh-so irresistible.

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Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding:

For the Topping:

Steps to Make It

  1. Cut the challah or other egg-based bread such as brioche into 1-inch cubes. This is a great use of stale bread. Although you can use fresh bread as is, stale bread will absorb the liquid better. 

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, salt, whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla.

  3. Fold in the bread cubes and chocolate chips and allow the mixture to sit for about half an hour for the bread to absorb some of the liquid.

  4. Heat the oven to 350 F.

  5. Butter a medium-sized baking dish (approximately 10 x 7-inch dish) and pour in the bread mixture and all the unabsorbed liquid. Note that it will puff as it bakes and then slightly deflate when it cools down after baking.

  6. Place on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mixture is set.

  7. Make the topping by melting the chocolate chips in the microwave for a few seconds and stirring in the heavy cream until smooth. Pour over the top of the bread pudding and serve warm or at room temperature.

Can Bread Pudding Sit Overnight Before Cooking?

You can assemble the bread pudding, cover and refrigerate it the night before baking.

Tips

  • If your bread is fresh, lightly toast the cubes by spreading them out on a baking sheet and placing them in a 350 F oven for 10 minutes.
  • You can also leave them on the counter overnight.

How to Store and Freeze Chocolate Bread Pudding

Bread pudding should be refrigerated within 2 to 3 hours of serving. It will keep in the refrigerator if it's covered for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven.

You can also freeze a baked bread pudding for 2 to 3 months. Wrap it in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and then foil. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake as directed in the recipe.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
413 Calories
25g Fat
43g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 413
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 15g 73%
Cholesterol 108mg 36%
Sodium 271mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 16%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 100mg 8%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 204mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)