Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding
Calling all chocolate lovers! When you really want to take your love for all things chocolate to the next level, this Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding is the decadent dessert you have been waiting for. This upgraded bread pudding combines challah bread and rich chocolate custard with the light, crunchy and delicate flavors of finishing sea salt.
It doesn’t take much of an excuse for me to indulge in one of my all-time favorite desserts — bread pudding. And although bread pudding is fantastic as-is, there are so many ways to make it. But there is just something about chocolate and sea salt that makes this version one for the books.
My grandmother would only make her bread pudding twice a year, and you better believe I was pretty close to the kitchen. The difference between this recipe and my grandmother’s is most definitely the chocolate and sea salt. And we all know what chocolate and sea salt add to any recipe.
A little background on bread pudding…
Bread pudding actually goes all the way back to the 11th and 12th centuries, when it was used in sweet dishes so stale bread would not go to waste. The dessert would be coined “poor man’s pudding” due to the nature of its humble beginnings during those times. This dessert is now enjoyed in many homes and restaurants and is a staple in Creole cuisine.
Ingredients you’ll need to make chocolate bread pudding:
- The secret to a great bread pudding is the bread. I typically use challah or brioche for my bread. However, French bread will work as well. Whichever bread you choose, you’ll want it to be stale before using it. Allow it to sit overnight, and the next day it will be ready to soak up all that chocolate custard goodness.
- Chocolate bread pudding needs lots of chocolate, and for this, you’ll need semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add a bit in between the cubes of bread before layering on the chocolate custard and use some in the end to layer on top.
- To create your custard sauce, combine evaporated milk, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and ground turmeric.
- The ingredient that brings this dessert together is sea salt. It is the perfect finisher for this bread pudding and enhances its flavor, texture, and overall experience.
How to make chocolate bread pudding:
Prepare the challah. You want to make sure your challah bread loaf sits for at least a day before starting this recipe. Cut the bread loaf into cubes and set to the side.
Make the chocolate. Add the butter and chocolate chips to a warm cooking pot on low heat and stir until melted. Once the chocolate is smooth and creamy, remove from heat. In a large bowl, add evaporated milk, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and ground turmeric. Whisk (paid link) until well combined. Fold this mixture into the melted chocolate.
Prepare the bead pudding before baking. Place the bread pieces into a casserole dish (paid link) along with a handful of chocolate chips dispersed evenly in between the bread cubes. Pour your chocolate custard sauce evenly over the bread pieces and cover. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Bake. When it’s ready for the oven, sprinkle on a few more chocolate chips. Bake this dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then remove from heat.
Finish. Sprinkle the finishing sea salt evenly over the top of the dish to enhance the flavor profile and texture. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then serve.
What is the consistency of bread pudding?
When your bread pudding is removed from the oven and cooled when you cut into the desert, it should be moist, soft, somewhat mushy/wet, but remain intact (and whole) when removed from the baking dish. The key is to make sure your bread is completely soaked before baking.
If you’re a chocolate lover and a fan of bread pudding, this Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding will be right up your alley.
You can serve this warm topped with vanilla ice cream or simply with a dollop of whipped topping. Either way, you feel like you are eating a dessert made special for you that is perfect for the holidays. Enjoy!
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Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This decadent Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding combines challah bread, rich chocolate custard, & sea salt for a dessert fit for chocolate lovers!
Ingredients
- 1 lb challah bread loaf
- 8 tbsp butter
- 14 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 cups evaporated milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp gound cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp finishing sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the challah bread into cubes then set to the side.
- Add butter and 12 oz. chocolate chips to a warm pot on low heat and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, sugar, brown sugar, honey, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, and eggs. Mix together until smooth. Combine this mixture with the melted chocolate until blended.
- Add bread cubes into a casserole dish (paid link). Add 1 oz. of chocolate chips in between the bread cubes. Cover evenly with the chocolate custard. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Before baking, add the remaining 1 oz. of chocolate chips over the top of the dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the top of the dish and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
This salt is really just a finisher and is used to brighten the chocolate a bit. One 1 tsp. sprinkled over the entire casserole should be plenty.
I used a 9×13 baking dish in this recipe, but a 9×12 baking dish will work just fine.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 813
- Sugar: 74g
- Sodium: 667mg
- Fat: 36.9g
- Carbohydrates: 103.4g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Protein: 19.1g
- Cholesterol: 160mg
Keywords: Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding, Chocolate Bread Pudding, Bread Pudding
Just put this all together for a party tomorrow. I know it says to cool for 1 hour which it’s now doing. My question is can this be baked tomorrow or needs to be baked today? If today what do I do tomorrow for serving it?
Thank you and it smells heavenly
Hi Doreen! Yes, you can store this soaked bread pudding overnight and bake it tomorrow. I have actually done that in the past, and it turns out great.
Oh my gosh, this was sooooo delicious! I highly recommend this recipe; it’s such a keeper! My one comment is that “fold” is sort of a strange direction for combining the milk & eggs with the melted butter. Adding a little bit at a time and stirring thoroughly worked better for me to avoid the chocolate seizing too much. It didn’t matter in the final product, but just a suggestion to avoid anyone panicking.
Hi, Sasen! So awesome! Yes, we find that folding emphasizes a slow way to combine the wet ingredients (they are all mixed together first) with the melted chocolate. We will make sure this is more clear in our instructions. Depending on the timing in between those steps, the chocolate may have hardened making a faster “mix” quite messy. 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion for others who may come across a similar situation.
This recipe is unforgettable! That salted chocolate with the bread made this a recipe I’ll be making over and over! So delicious!
So I’m not a big chocolate person but am a sucker for bread pudding and this one looked so good I had to try. The step-by-step videos were a huge help and mine turned out perfectly. Thank you!
This was INCREDIBLE. I had never tried chocolate bread pudding and my eyes have been opened! And that fleur de sel on top was just perfect. Thank you so much for your clear instructions and videos — they helped it come out so beautifully!
I thoroughly enjoyed this chocolate bread pudding! I loved the combination of the chocolate and sea salt! Thank you for including a video clip for each step!
The best Bread Pudding I ever had was at Muriel’s in New Orleans a few years ago. So, I’m excited to say there’s a new champion of my affection. Incredible.
The salt gives the balance this chocolate bread pudding needs! I loved the Challah bread in it as well! Great recipe, will definitely try again.
I’m a chocolate lover and this bread pudding recipe is what dreams are made of. The flavor and texture are just perfect. Will make it again!
I could seriously live off the recipes on this site. This bread pudding was a hit with the entire family!
This recipe without a doubt is any chocolate lovers dream. The challah bread made us holla!
Okay, I have a question: why did I have to explain to my family that it was totally acceptable for me to eat this amazing salted chocolate bread pudding for breakfast?? I almost fought somebody.