This warm chocolate bread pudding with dark chocolate chunks is the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion.
Dark Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
I love bread pudding, it’s a dessert I can’t resist and so easy to make at home, a little lighter! This chocolate version uses cubes of brioche, baked in a chocolate custard, topped with melted dark chocolate combine for a festive dessert that’s rich and comforting. It’s easy to make and perfect for serving to someone special. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
Why This Recipe Works
Did you know that eating chocolate gives you the same sensation you feel when falling in love or being kissed? No wonder people are so addicted to chocolate! I first made and shared this recipe many years back, and it’s become a favorite when I have leftover challah bread. Dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants and flavanols.
Here’s a few reasons I love this bread pudding:
- Dessert of Two: Perfectly portioned for two or easy to scale up
- Chocolate Delight: rich dark chocolate in every bite that’s low in added sugar
- Easy and Make Ahead: easy but feels special
- Baked in Individual Ramekins: Baking in ramekins makes portion control simple
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this healthy chocolate chunk bread pudding. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Challah is the best bread for chocolate bread pudding because it absorbs the chocolate-milk mixture. It doesn’t have to be fresh–day-old bread works better.
- 1% Reduced-fat Milk keeps the dessert light yet still creamy.
- Monk Fruit Sweetener sweetens the chocolate without adding calories.
- Unsweetened Cocoa adds rich chocolate flavor without extra sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract adds warmth and enhances the flavor.
- Egg: The egg thickens the chocolate custard.
- Cooking Spray to grease the ramekins and prevent the pudding from sticking.
- Dark Chocolate: Buy any dark chocolate bar and chop it into chunks. One of my favorites is the Green & Blacks 70% bar. If you don’t like dark chocolate, use semi-sweet or sugar-free chocolate.
- Whipped Topping is optional but a fun touch for a special occasion. For a healthier alternative, make homemade yogurt whipped cream or whipped coconut cream.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
As with stuffing, using dried-out or even stale bread is essential for the best bread pudding. Drying it in the oven prevents it from becoming too mushy or soggy. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Dry out the bread cubes: Bake them for about 5 minutes at 350°F. The bread should be toasted but not hard. We don’t want croutons!
- Make the milk-chocolate mixture: Whisk the milk, monk fruit, cocoa, vanilla, and the egg in a bowl.
- Chill the bread. Coat the bread in the milk, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours to allow the chocolate flavor to be absorbed.
- Fill the ramekins: Divide the bread mixture among the greased ramekins and sprinkle with chopped chocolate.
- Bake the bread pudding in a water bath: Place the ramekins in an 8- inch square baking pan and add 1 inch of hot water. The water bath cooks the bread pudding more gently, preventing the custard from curdling and improving the texture. Bake at 325°F for about 35 minutes.
Chocolate Tips
- Use high-quality chocolate and cocoa powder for the best results.
- Chop the chocolate into large pieces so you’ll have nice-sized chunks to bite into.
Variations
- Bread: Brioche is another delicious option for bread pudding. Readers also had success with French bread, croissants, and Hawaiian rolls.
- Milk: Use 2% or whole milk.
- Add a liqueur: This recipe was inspired year ago from Cooking Light which called for Kahlua, which I omitted, but feel free to add a tablespoon to the milk mixture.
- Dairy-free bread pudding: Substitute almond milk and dairy-free chocolate, and confirm that your challah contains no dairy.
- Sweetener: Feel free to use granulated sugar if you don’t have monk fruit on hand.
- Reduce added sugar further by using Lily’s chocolate chips or Lakanto chocolate chips, which are sweetened with monk fruit.
- Chocolate options: If you don’t love dark chocolate’s bitterness, you can use a milk chocolate bar. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips, which are less rich than a 70% dark chocolate bar.
- Add a pop of red for Valentine’s Day! Top each ramekin with fresh raspberries or strawberries before serving.
What if I don’t have ramekins?
If you don’t have ramekins or other small oven-safe bowls, bake the bread pudding in the smallest ovenproof dish you have. If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, an 8×8-inch baking dish works. If you’re making 4x or 5x, use a 9×13-inch dish.
Time Saving Tip
If you’re multiplying the recipe to make more, an easy way to determine how much of each ingredient you need is to increase the “Yield” located above the “Ingredients” on the recipe card below. It will do the math for you, so you know exactly how much you need!
Storage
This dark chocolate bread pudding is delicious warm, straight out of the oven, but it reheats well, too.
- Refrigerate: Let the bread pudding cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the leftovers in the microwave until warm. Or, if you have more time, pop the ramekin back in a 350°F oven and bake for about 5 to 10 minutes, until warm.
More Valentine’s Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
For more dessert ideas, check out my Valentine’s Day recipe collection, plus these five delicious chocolate treats to celebrate the holiday!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 pudding
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325F.
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Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
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Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.
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Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to pan.
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Bake at 325F for 35 minutes or until set. Serve warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 pudding, Calories: 224.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 11.5 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 106 mg, Sodium: 140.5 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 9 g
