Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

Recipe from

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(250)
Notes
Read community notes

Babka is part of the rich, sweet Eastern European baking tradition that Jewish cooks brought to the United States in the early 20th century. It is made with layers of rich yeast dough, covered with chocolate or cinnamon sugar, then twisted and folded into a loaf. And as if babka itself were not irresistible enough, in this recipe it is combined with challah and a milk-egg-cream mixture and baked into a golden, rich dessert. Once the Ashkenazi Jews arrived in the United States, luxuries like strudel, rugelach and babka became more accessible: a chocolate or cinnamon babka was a Sunday-morning treat in many households. But making babka at home became too time-consuming, and now it is easy to order online. Breads Bakery in the Flatiron district of Manhattan makes (and ships) an extraordinary dark-chocolate version. —Julia Moskin

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

  • Butter for pan
  • ½loaf challah, at least 1 day old
  • ½loaf chocolate or cinnamon babka, at least 1 day old
  • 8eggs
  • ¾cup sugar
  • 2cups whole milk
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

410 calories; 21 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 272 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish or disposable foil pan. Cut the challah and babka into cubes, about 1 inch square.

  2. Step

    2

    In a very large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, cream, cinnamon and salt. Add the cubed bread and gently mix together, using your hands or a rubber spatula, until the egg mixture is absorbed. Transfer to the prepared pan and distribute evenly, pressing gently to level the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until firm and crusty on top.

  3. Step

    3

    Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares or scoop with a large spoon.

Ratings

4

out of 5

250

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Alex

Leftover babka? Never heard of it.

sacha

My thought exactly!

Helou

I have a number of friends who make delicious chocolate babka bread pudding, and none of them uses challah - all use an entire babka. That might be why you didn't have enough chocolate flavor.

Stella

Trader Joe has a delicious chocolate Babka!

Jane

I've never seen it.

Judy

I use a whole babka (from Trader Joes) instead of half of a challah and use a can of coconut milk and margarine instead of heavy cream and butter to keep it dairy free for the lactose intolerant. It is well received by my friends!

Jayne

My grandchildren love this, but they prefer cinnamon babka rather than chocolate. We cut it up and freeze the individual pieces which they often have for breakfast.

Russell

So delicious. I used all Chocolate Babka, no challah. Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

MloM

I made the pudding using a Breads Bakery chocolate babka that had overstayed its time in the freezer and was too dry to serve after defrosting. I reduced the sugar a bit and may have added more than one half the babka loaf and less than one half the challah. The pudding was a big hit served warm and with whipped cream. I think I would use even less sugar the next time. There will be a next time.

Jeanne

Skip this recipe and enjoy the chocolate babka with your morning coffee. The bread pudding does not have enough chocolate flavor, even with a whole loaf of babka.

Joyce Newman

I followed the recipe rather carefully but the result was disappointing. It was a little dry, had no chocolate notes in the flavor. Maybe I overbooked it? But it was in the oven less than 45 min.

Helou

I have a number of friends who make delicious chocolate babka bread pudding, and none of them uses challah - all use an entire babka. That might be why you didn't have enough chocolate flavor.

Stella

Trader Joe has a delicious chocolate Babka!

Alex

Leftover babka? Never heard of it.

sacha

My thought exactly!

Jane

I've never seen it.

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Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do Jews eat babka? ›

Like many Jewish-American specialties, babka originated in Eastern Europe – Poland and Ukraine in particular – in the early 1800s. As a way to use extra challah dough, Jews there would roll up the dough with cinnamon or fruit jam and bake it alongside the challah.

Why is my bread pudding so watery? ›

Temperature Is Key

Finally, to avoid overcooking it, it's important to know when it's done. To check the inside to see if all the liquid has been absorbed, insert a knife into the middle of the pudding and create a small hole by pushing the bread to the side: If liquid begins oozing into the hole, it's not yet ready.

What nationality makes babka? ›

A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel (often referred to as simply a yeast cake: עוגת שמרים) and in the Jewish diaspora.

Can you make babka without a loaf pan? ›

Don't have enough loaf pans? You can bake some or all of the babkas directly on sheet pans instead.

What does babka mean in Yiddish? ›

borrowed from Yiddish & Polish; Yiddish babke (in sense a), borrowed from Polish babka (in sense b), literally, "old woman, grandmother," diminutive of baba "grandmother, midwife, old woman"

Is Trader Joe's babka kosher? ›

Trader Joe's Chocolate Brooklyn Babka is now O/U pareve certified. This product is Pas Yisroel and Yoshon.

Why does my bread pudding fall after bringing out of the oven? ›

Not allowing it to rest after baking

It is usual for bread pudding to somewhat collapse when it goes from the oven to the room temperature air, but you surely don't want to further contribute to it becoming flat. Therefore, don't dish it out too quickly.

How do you know when bread pudding is done? ›

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer.

Why does my bread pudding taste eggy? ›

You are probably cooking your egg dishes too hot for too long. Eggs contain a lot of water and also chains of proteins; if you could see them, the proteins would be coiled like little springs.

What is a fun fact about babka? ›

The word 'babka' means grandmother, referring to the grandmothers on Shabbat who made this out of the leftover challah. Chocolate wasn't added to babka until Jews arrived in New York. Chocolate became more affordable and accessible, so Jews started embellishing their babkas with rich chocolate instead of cinnamon.

Are challah and babka the same? ›

Babka is another braided white bread that is usually served with a cinnamon filling and syrup. But unlike challah, which includes eggs and oil, babka dough contains eggs, butter and milk, making it more airy, shiny and smooth.

What is another name for babka? ›

Babka (sometimes also called “krantz cake”) is a traditional Jewish sweet bread with fillings that can include things such as: Chocolate. Cinnamon.

Should you refrigerate babka? ›

Store your babka at room temperature in the provided packaging using the reseal tab on the back if opened; do not refrigerate. Our babkas are baked daily and, if you can resist eating them, will stay delicious for up to 5 days after purchase.

What is the best loaf pan for babka? ›

Pullman Pan

The reason is twofold: I love the resulting straight-sided and presentable sourdough babka. Second, the USA Pan has a natural silicone lining, which, combined with parchment paper, makes cleanup a snap. If you don't have a Pullman pan, a typical 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75-inch loaf pan will also work well.

How do you know when babka is done? ›

To be extra sure that your babka loaf has finished baking, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 190°F. This method is also great if you don't have a long enough toothpick to get to the middle of the loaf. Don't skip the sugar syrup at the end.

Why do Jews eat bagels so much? ›

Soon, bagels took on a variety of meanings within Poland's vibrant Jewish encalves. They were fed to women who had recently given childbirth as part of folk traditions designed to protect newborn children and became part of Jewish mourning rituals.

What does babka mean in hebrew? ›

Baka' Definition

NAS Word Usage - Total: 1. Baca = "weeping"

What is the difference between challah and babka? ›

Like challah, it is braided and made from a rich yeasted dough, but unlike challah, it is filled and glazed with a sweet syrup. While chocolate babka has grown in popularity in recent years, it has also continued to evolve. New variations include different shapes, glazes, fillings and more.

What do Orthodox Jews eat for dessert? ›

There are plenty of desserts that orthodox Jews eat like babka, Lekach, sufganiyot, rugalach, etc.

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