Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding

Name: Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Cuisine: jewish
Ingredients: Butter for pan; 1/2 loaf challah, at least 1 day old; 1/2 loaf chocolate or cinnamon babka, at least 1 day old; 8 eggs; 3/4 cup sugar; 2 cups whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; Pinch of salt

Recipe from Baz Bagel & Restaurant

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding — Sasha Maslov for The New York Times

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 4(254)
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

Featured in: Everything New Is Old Again

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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
⅛teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

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.
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.
Step 3
Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares or scoop with a large spoon.

Ratings

4 out of 5

254 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Alex6 years ago

Leftover babka? Never heard of it.

sacha6 years ago

My thought exactly!

Helou6 years ago

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.

Stella6 years ago

Trader Joe has a delicious chocolate Babka!

Jane6 years ago

I've never seen it.

pam4 months ago

This was easy and good for a small crowd. If I did again, I would make a Creme Anglais to serve with. Ice cream doesn’t add much.

pam4 months ago

This turned out great. Simple, quick, delicious dessert for a small crowd. I think better with creme anglais than ice cream.

Judy2 years ago

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!

Jayne3 years ago

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.

Russell3 years ago

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

MloM4 years ago

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.

Jeanne5 years ago

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 Newman6 years ago

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.