Chocolate Bread Pudding

This Chocolate Bread Pudding is easy, feeds a crowd and tastes like a giant molten brownie!

This chocolate bread pudding is the ultimate dessert for the chocolate lovers with triple the chocolate and triple the pleasure!  This upgraded bread pudding recipe combines buttery brioche bread, rich chocolate custard and chopped chocolate into one decadent dessert all drizzled with chocolate ganache.  As the bread pudding bakes, the custard soaks into the pillowy bread, the chopped chocolate melts into fudgy pockets and the crowning ganache pools in the crevices.  The resulting chocolate bread pudding tastes like a heavenly pan of warm fudgy brownies, lush and creamy with a golden, tender crisp top.  Dive into the warm bread pudding fresh out of the oven or top with raspberries, whipped cream, or ice cream, because there’s no wrong way to eat this chocolate bread pudding – except to not eat it at all.

Raise your hand if you love chocolate desserts!  Chocolate is the rich, indulgent treat perfect for special occasions or to treat yourself just because.   Some reader favorites include chocolate lava cakes, chocolate raspberry cake, German chocolate cheesecake, chocolate éclair cake and chocolate mousse cake.

how to make bread pudding video

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BREAD PUDDING recipe

After I showed a snippet of making this bread pudding recipe on my IG stories, my DMs blew up!  So, without further ado, I’m excited to share this chocolate bread pudding recipe with you!  This bread pudding is an easy Mother’s Day dessert – or dare I say breakfast? – that anyone can make!  It’s slightly crisped on the edges, giving way to a luxuriously creamy, chocolaty and oh-so irresistible center.

And if you’re not sure you like bread pudding, let me put your mind at ease.  I didn’t know I loved bread pudding.  I had long harbored the misconception that bread pudding was just soggy bread.  I was so wrong.  It wasn’t until forkfuls of dreamy bread pudding at a restaurant that my misconception vanished and its place was filled with the regret for my lost opportunities of glorious bread pudding. So, please don’t make my same mistake – make this chocolate bread pudding!  

Bread pudding is much like an upgraded French toast, with the warm, custard-soaked bread, soft in the middle and crunchy around the edges.  It’s often served at fancy restaurants, but this sinfully luxurious, rich dessert is the ideal make-at home dessert because it’s:

And if you need one more reason to make this bread pudding recipe – my foodie critic husband was obsessed! “100 out of 10.” I’ll just leave that right there.

What Is Bread Pudding?

Sweet bread pudding is an elegant dessert that hails from humble origins (see below), but is now featured at upscale, trendy restaurants all over the world.  Sweet bread pudding has stood the test of time because it’s so decadent, rich and fabulous – but so simple! It transforms cubed stale bread and an effortless custard into an exquisite baked dessert that practically makes itself. To make, a sweetened custard made of half and half, sugar and eggs is combined with stale bread in a baking dish then baked until soft and creamy with a tender crisp top. It is often served with vanilla, praline or bourbon sauce – but in this recipe, it’s all about the glorious ganache!

Bread pudding is extremely versatile as seen in this chocolate bread pudding recipe in which melted chocolate and cocoa powder is added to the custard, but most often, it contains raisins and nuts and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.  It can also contain other fruits such as apples, cranberries, oranges, and raspberries.  Moral of the story, pour custard over stale bread with whatever mix-ins your heart desires, and magic happens.

Bread Pudding Origins

Today, bread pudding can be found on the menu of the trendiest restaurants, but it was originally invented to use up old, stale bread!  Bread pudding can be traced back as early 11th and 12th centuries, where frugal cooks gave leftover stale bread a second chance at greatness. Instead of letting the stale bread go to waste, they poured custard over top to soften the bread.  In 13th century England, this reinvention of leftover bread became known as “poor man’s pudding.”

Eliza Smith’s The Compleat Housewife, published in 1728, was likely the first cookbook to include a traditional bread pudding recipe.  I find the account fascinating:   “Take a two penny loaf, and a pound of fresh butter; spread it in very thin slices, as to eat; cut them off as you spread them, and stone half a pound of raisins, and wash a pound of currants; then put puff-paste at the bottom of a dish, and lay a row of your bread and butter, and strew a handful of currants, a few raisins, and some little bits of butter, and so do till your dish is full; then boil three pints of cream and thicken it when cold with the yolks of ten eggs, a grated nutmeg, a little salt, near half a pound of sugar, and some orange flower-water; pour this in just as the pudding is going into the oven.”

WHAT BREAD IS BEST TO USE FOR bread pudding?

Bread pudding should be soft, creamy and custardy, but not soggy. To achieve this texture, technically you can use any somewhat stale, thick bread, but for the the best flavor and texture, you have two choices: brioche and challah, although French bread can also work.  Of these options, I believe brioche makes the best bread pudding. I recently discussed these bread types in my stuffed French toast recipe, and as luck would have it, they boast the same requirements! Here’s the breakdown:

BRIOCHE

Brioche is a classic French bread that bakes up golden, soft, and pillowy. It can usually be found by the loaf in the bakery section of the grocery store or in pre-sliced loaves in the bread aisle. For this bread pudding recipe, use a brioche loaf and slice it into thick slices between ¾ and 1 inch thick. If you can’t get your hands on a whole loaf, then a pre-sliced loaf can also work.

Brioche is ideal for bread pudding because it’s extravagantly rich, eggy and buttery, known as a Viennoiserie, which just means it’s made from a leavened yeast dough, like a croissant.  These factors result in an extra soft, fluffy bread ideal for soaking up the custard with enough structure so it doesn’t fall apart.  Additionally, brioche boasts a sweet, buttery flavor, which only makes your chocolate bread pudding experience that much more fabulous and is what truly elevates it above the rest.

CHALLAH

Challah is the second-best option for bread pudding. It’s a Kosher loaf of braided bread made of eggs, water, flour, yeast and salt.  Challah will be located in the bakery section of your grocery store.  Cut the loaf into 1-inch slices.

Challah makes fantastic chocolate bread pudding because it’s loaded with more eggs and butter than your average bread and soaks up the egg mixture very well while maintaining its structure.  The reason it’s the second choice for bread pudding after brioche is it’s not as sweet and also a little denser and drier, still good, just not as good as brioche. 

FRENCH LOAF

A long, wide French Loaf, not to be confused with a thin, long French baguette, is an okay option for bread pudding, but is missing the buttery sweet flavor and fluffiness of brioche and will be denser and chewier when baked. French bread is hard and crusty on the outside which gives it structure with a light and soft crumb which adeptly soaks up the egg mixture.  Because French bread is denser than brioche, you’ll want to soak it for a little longer in the egg mixture so it has time to really soak up the mixture. 

GLUTEN FREE bread pudding

You can make gluten free bread pudding by using gluten free bread!  Whole Foods carries Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free Bread in the frozen section (thaw first) or on Amazon here.  I have also heard good things about Udi’s Gluten Free Bread.

Ingredients for Chocolate Bread Pudding

Chocolate bread pudding requires a few simple ingredients to create the mouthwatering soft, sweet and creamy inside and buttery, crispy outside. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Bread:  You will want to use a one-pound loaf of brioche or challah for this recipe, which is roughly 10 cups of bread.  Most loaves you pick up at the grocery store will be 1-pound, but you may want to weigh it at the store. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes.  If your store only carries sliced brioche found in the bread section verses the bakery, then the sliced side will be a little thinner, but that’s okay. The key to to making bread pudding that’s not soggy is to use stale bread. Instead of planning ahead and drying out the bread on the counter, we’ll just toast the cubed bread in the oven before assembly.
• Chocolate:  You will need four 4-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate bars for this recipe:  8 ounces in the custard, 4 ounces chopped and layered in between the bread and 4 ounces in the ganache.  You can find baking bars in the baking aisle such as Baker’s brand or I prefer Ghirardelli brand.   Quality chocolate chips can also work but ONLY use Guittard or Ghirardelli.  Other chocolate brands have too many additives and will not melt nicely (see detailed notes below).  Note:  8 oz. chocolate chips is roughly 1 ⅓ cups NOT one cup.
• Cocoa powder:  Take care to use unsweetened cocoa powder that is found in the baking aisle and NOT chocolate milk mix.  It might sound obvious but it does happen 😉.   If you love dark chocolate, then you can use the extra dark cocoa powder or a mixture of the two.
• Heavy cream and milk:  We are going to create our own half and half by using half heavy cream and half milk – this way you don’t have to purchase both half and half (for the custard) and heavy cream (for the ganache) for this recipe.  If you already have half and half on hand, then you can use 3 ½ cups in the custard, but you will still need heavy cream for the ganache – the ganache cannot be made with half and half!
• Eggs: 4 large eggs and two egg yolks are beaten with the half and half, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and chocolate mixture to create the custard that soaks and softens the bread.
• Cinnamon: Is magic combined with chocolate and adds a fabulous depth of flavor.
• Vanilla:  Use quality extract for the best flavor.
• Corn syrup:  Is an optional ingredient added to the ganache and makes A HUGE difference in the final product. You can omit the corn syrup if you really are opposed to it, but the ganache will not be as smooth, shiny, flexible or overall successful.

CAN I USE CHOCOLATE CHIPS?

Baking chocolate is cooled, hardened chocolate liquor with a high percentage of cocoa butter because it’s intended to be baked with and therefore melts beautifully for baking and for ganache.

If you would like to substitute baking chocolate for chocolate chips, you will need to use high quality chocolate chips with a higher percentage of cocoa butter.  Cocoa butter is important because it comes from fermented, roasted dried cocoa beans and is where the cocoa flavor, aroma and texture comes from.  When selecting chocolate, check the label for cocoa butter; the higher the percentage of cocoa butter, the better the chocolate. This translates into the tangible qualities of richer flavor, aroma, and better melting ability.  

I recommend Guittard or Ghirardelli brand chocolate chips.  Many other chocolate brands contain less cocoa butter and will not melt as seamlessly and can leave you with stubborn chocolate pieces.

bread pudding Recipe Variations

• Use dark chocolate:  Try swapping some of the semi-sweet chocolate for dark chocolate if you know that’s how you like it.
• Mix ins:   Anything you think would be tasty in brownies, is scrumptious in chocolate bread pudding! Try peanut butter chips, toasted coconut, marshmallows, dried cherries, etc.
• Add chopped nuts:  Chocolate and nuts are a match made in heaven!  Chopped pecans walnuts, cashews, almonds or macadamia nuts would be tasty.
• Add chunks of your favorite chocolate candy bar:  Instead of mixing 4 ounces chopped chocolate into the bread pudding, try mixing in a chopped candy bar!  Butterfinger, peanut butter cups, Snickers, Twix, Almond Joy, etc.
• Add chunks of your favorite cookie:  Break or chop your favorite cookie into small pieces and mix in with the bread pudding. Try Oreos, Samoa cookies (or imitations), Dosidos, Nutter Butters, chocolate chip cookies, etc.

How to make chocolate bread pudding

Now to the main event! The process of making the chocolate bread pudding is quick and easy (watch the video) and takes far less time than actually letting the bread pudding rest! Here’s how:

• Step 1:  Melt some of the chocolate.  First, you’ll want to bring half and half to a simmer either in the microwave or on the stove.  I usually shortcut it in the microwave by heating the half and half in a glass liquid measuring cup for about 2 minutes.  Pour the simmering half and half over two-thirds of the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes in order to soften the chocolate, then vigorously whisk until the chocolate is completely smooth. Set aside until called for in the next step.

• Step 2:  Make the custard.  Add the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt to a medium bowl.  Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the chocolate mixture until smooth.

• Step 3:  Combine bread and custard.  There is too much bread and custard to combine together in the custard bowl or 9×13 pan at once without making a huge mess, so I’ve created a method to coat the bread in batches without dirtying another bowl.  To do so, add half of the bread cubes and half of the remaining chopped chocolate to a lightly greased 9×13 casserole dish.  Stir until evenly coated.  Add the remaining bread cubes and chocolate to the chocolate custard still in the bowl.  Stir until evenly combined then pour into the pan over the other bread and spread into an even layer. 

• Step 4:  Soak the bread in the custard.  Allow the custard soaked bread to sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until the bread soaks up most of the custard.
• Step 5:  Bake.  Preheat the oven the last 10 minutes or so of soaking time.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges appear set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few moist crumbs, but no raw/wet custard. 

• Step 5:  Make the ganache.  The ganache is optional, but highly recommended. Chocolate Ganache (pronounced geh-Nahsh) sounds fancy because the term “Ganache” is French, but it simply means chocolate melted into hot cream and is SO easy, very similar to the first step in this recipe.  To make, you’ll heat some heavy cream in the microwave, then pour over chopped chocolate and let stand for a few minutes.  Next, vigorously whisk in circular motions until the chocolate is melted and completely smooth.

• Step 6:  Serve.  Drizzle desired amount of ganache over entire bread pudding or on individual servings.  Serve with other desired toppings such as whipped cream, ice cream and/or berries.

How do you know when bread pudding is done?

It’s important to not overbake the bread pudding or you will dry out the custard and it won’t be as creamy.  Instead, we want to bake the bread pudding until the custard is creamy but set. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the bread pudding, avoiding the melted chocolate.  The tester should come out with a few moist crumbs, but not be overly wet.  You can also pay attention to the appearance; the center should jiggle slightly but the edges should be set.  An instant-read thermometer should read at least 160 degrees F.

What is the consistency of bread pudding?

After your bread pudding is removed from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing.  At this point, you should be able to cut it into clean slices that remain intact but are still soft, and somewhat spongy, but not soggy or wet.  If your bread pudding is wet, it needs to be popped back in the oven! 

SHOULD BREAD PUDDING BE COVERED WHILE BAKING?

Yes, you should cover this bread pudding while baking so it doesn’t dry out on top and so the chocolate chunks can melt evenly.  If you prefer a crispier top, then you can remove the foil after 30 minutes of baking and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes. 

WHY IS MY bread pudding SOGGY?

Bread pudding can be soggy if you use the wrong bread, don’t use stale bread, don’t use thick bread and use lowfat milk instead of half and half in the custard.  To ensure beautifully soft but not soggy bread pudding, follow the recipe closely as well as my cooking tips below.

COOKING TIPS FOR bread pudding

Chocolate bread pudding is easy to make but there are a few tips and tricks that deliver superior results.  Here’s what to know: 

• Toast the bread cubes before using. Soft fresh bread soaks up too much of the custard and becomes soggy quickly. Stale bread gives the bread cubes structure so they have the capacity to soak up the egg mixture without becoming soggy.  Even if your bread is a few days old, I still recommend toasting the cubes in a single layer for roughly 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• Use thick bread slices for the best texture.  Try and cut the bread 1-inch” thick. The thicker the cubes, the more egg mixture it can soak in while remaining fluffy, soft and custardy without becoming soggy.
• Use half and half for the best texture.  Half and half is creamier than milk so it creates a creamier bread pudding.  Don’t use all milk or you’ll end up with a soggy or runny bread pudding. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t use all heavy cream because it is too rich. 
• Let the bread soak up the custard.  It’s important to let the bread and custard soak for a full 45-60 minutes before baking.  This gives the stale bread time to fully absorb the custard.
• Submerge the bread in the custard. After you combine the bread with the chocolate custard in the 9×13 pan, press the cubes down with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon so that all the bread gets soaked in the custard otherwise you will end up with dry pieces.
• Let the chopped chocolate and cream soak for the full three minutes.  After you add heavy cream to the chopped chocolate for both the chocolate mixture used later in the custard and the ganache, wait the full 3 minutes to rest without stirring.  This allows the heat of the cream to soften the chocolate while bringing down the temperature of the cream. If you are over eager and whisk too soon, the heavy cream will be too hot and result in a gritty texture.  If this does happen to you, then whisk in 1-3 teaspoons vegetable oil until smooth.
• Reheat ganache to thin if needed.  If your ganache thickens too much before you’re ready to use it, whisk in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and reheat it at 50% power in the microwave at 15 second intervals. 

HOW LONG WILL BREAD PUDDING KEEP?

Tightly cover leftover chocolate bread pudding and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.  

How do I reheat bread pudding?

• To reheat in the microwave:  You can serve leftovers warm, room temperature, or cold, but I definitely prefer them warm.  To warm, microwave for 30 seconds then at 10 second intervals as needed.
• To reheat in the oven: Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the leftovers.

Can I make Chocolate Bread Pudding Ahead of Time?

The bread pudding has the best texture fresh out of the oven.  When reheated, it’s a little less custardy – still delicious, but not quite as soft and creamy.  If it’s assembled too far in advance, it has the tendency to become soggy. Therefore, I recommend prepping the components ahead of time but keeping them separate:

• Bread:  Chop into 1-inch cubes.   Dry the bread out by baking per recipe directions, let cool, then transfer to an airtight container.
• Chocolate custard:  Prep completely but don’t combine with the bread.  Cover and store in the refrigerator.
• Ganache:   Prepare according to directions.  Let cool to room temperature, then place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache so its touching.  This will stop a sugar film from forming.  Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for three weeks.  When ready to use, microwave the ganache at 50% power, stirring every 10 seconds, until it reaches desired consistency. For a creamier ganache, stir in 1-3 teaspoons vegetable oil when reheating.

Can I freeze bread pudding?  

You may freeze baked bread pudding but I don’t suggest freezing unbaked bread pudding because the eggs/cream will separate when thawing.  To freeze baked chocolate bread pudding, let it cool completely then wrap a few times in plastic wrap followed by a couple layers of foil.  Freeze for up to three months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the oven until warm throughout, about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the leftovers.

Can I make bread pudding in ramekins?

Yes!  You can divide the bread and custard among individual ramekins and adjust baking time accordingly, closer to 30-40 minutes.

HOW TO SERVE chocolate bread pudding

We love this chocolate bread pudding drizzled with ganache and topped with raspberries.  It would also be tasty with other berries, strawberry sauce or caramel sauce in place of the ganache.  You can also go crazy with the toppings!  Try banana slices, chopped walnuts or pecans, powdered sugar, whipped cream or ice cream.