If you’ve ever craved a truly decadent treat that wraps chocolate, soft bread, and nostalgia all in one, The Best Chocolate Babka is your answer. This braided, chocolate-swirled bread has roots in Jewish and Eastern European kitchens, but it shines on any table with its rich cocoa ribbon and pillowy, buttery dough. Each bite tells a story: tender crumb, glossy chocolate, an irresistible sheen from its sugar syrup glaze. Whether you’re serving brunch, craving a sweet breakfast, or simply want to wow your loved ones, The Best Chocolate Babka promises a showstopping centerpiece and a serious hug for your taste buds.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for The Best Chocolate Babka are mostly pantry staples, but each one is absolutely key to creating its unforgettable texture and layered chocolate richness. Don’t skimp or swap if you can help it — even the little touches (like a hint of cinnamon) infuse the loaf with that homemade, straight-from-the-bakery magic.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of your bread, giving babka its tender-yet-sturdy crumb.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and adds a touch of caramelization to the crust.
- Instant yeast: Comes together quickly, giving the dough a reliable and impressive rise.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and sharpens all the flavors.
- Whole milk, lukewarm: Adds moisture and fat, ensuring each slice is soft and rich.
- Eggs, room temperature: Bring structure and luxurious richness to every bite.
- Vanilla extract: Elevates the aroma and adds warmth that complements the chocolate.
- Unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces (for dough): Makes the bread extra buttery and melt-in-your-mouth.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Gives those signature, gooey chocolate swirls.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Intensifies the chocolate flavor in the filling.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and smooths out the chocolate filling seamlessly.
- Unsalted butter, melted (for filling): Helps the filling spread luxuriously and adds another layer of richness.
- Ground cinnamon (optional): A subtle warmth that deepens the chocolate notes.
- Water: Needed for the syrup that gives The Best Chocolate Babka its glossy finish.
- Granulated sugar (for syrup): Makes a simple syrup for that irresistible shine and keeps the bread moist.
How to Make The Best Chocolate Babka
Step 1: Make the Babka Dough
Start by combining your flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Pour in the lukewarm milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix everything until you get a shaggy, sticky dough. Then, add your softened butter a few pieces at a time, kneading or mixing after each addition. Keep going until the dough feels smooth and elastic, which usually takes about 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a cozy, warm spot for 1 and a half to 2 hours, or until it’s doubled in size. The anticipation just adds to the experience!
Step 2: Prepare the Chocolate Filling
While your dough is rising to pillowy perfection, whip up the chocolate filling. Just mix the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon (if you love a hint of spice) in a bowl until you have a smooth, spreadable mixture. This filling is your secret weapon: it’s glossy, deeply chocolatey, and full of flavor.
Step 3: Shape and Fill the Babka
Punch down your beautifully risen dough and divide it in half — you’ll make two loaves! Roll each half into a large rectangle, roughly 9 by 18 inches. Spread half of your chocolate mixture over each rectangle, leaving a border around the edges so it won’t leak out. Roll up the dough tightly from the long end, creating a log. Take a sharp knife and carefully slice the log in half lengthwise. Now, here comes the signature babka twist: with the cut sides facing up to show off all those chocolate layers, gently twist the two halves together. Transfer each twist into a greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Let them rise for another 45 minutes. The Best Chocolate Babka is a labor of love, but every step is positively worth it.
Step 4: Bake to Golden Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once your loaves are satisfyingly puffy, bake them for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are golden and the house smells like pure chocolate heaven. While your babka bakes, quickly simmer water and sugar in a small saucepan to create the syrup. You’ll want it ready the moment the loaves emerge from the oven.
Step 5: Syrup, Cool, and Enjoy
As soon as the babkas are out of the oven, brush them generously with the warm syrup. This not only gives them that classic, bakery-style sheen, but it also keeps them soft and moist for days. Let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (if you can resist digging in right away). Now, your kitchen is filled with the aroma of The Best Chocolate Babka — and your patience is about to be richly rewarded.
How to Serve The Best Chocolate Babka
Garnishes
Dress up each slice with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or a handful of toasted nuts. Even a few flakes of sea salt on top can take the flavors to new heights, highlighting the sweet and the savory sides of The Best Chocolate Babka.
Side Dishes
Babka is undeniably the star of any spread, but it pairs beautifully with plenty of other treats. Serve it with strong coffee, a creamy hot chocolate, or tangy fruit compote. For a brunch buffet, it’s perfect alongside fresh berries or a colorful citrus salad.
Creative Ways to Present
A whole loaf on a wooden board with a bread knife looks rustic and inviting. For parties, slice the babka and stack the slices in a fan shape. If you’re gifting, wrap a loaf in wax paper and tie it with twine — The Best Chocolate Babka makes a phenomenal edible gift.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled, wrap your babka tightly in plastic wrap or foil to keep it moist and fresh. Store at room temperature for up to three days — if it lasts that long! The flavors meld and deepen overnight, actually tasting even more delicious the day after baking.
Freezing
If you want to save babka for later, just wrap it well and pop it in the freezer for up to two months. Individually sliced pieces make it easy to thaw just what you need for a quick chocolate fix. Simply let the slices come to room temperature, and you’re back in babka bliss.
Reheating
Warm slices in a toaster oven or for a few seconds in the microwave to bring back that just-baked softness and to melt the chocolate a touch. Your kitchen will fill with the inviting scent of The Best Chocolate Babka all over again.
FAQs
Can I make The Best Chocolate Babka ahead of time?
Absolutely! Babka actually develops even better flavor after resting overnight. You can bake it the day before you plan to serve, or shape the loaves and let them rise overnight in the fridge, then bake fresh in the morning for a truly showstopping treat.
Can I add nuts or dried fruit to the filling?
Yes! Chopped walnuts, pecans, or even a handful of dried cherries can be sprinkled over the chocolate filling before rolling. These additions add crunch and a burst of flavor, making The Best Chocolate Babka your own personalized masterpiece.
What if I only have active dry yeast?
If you prefer active dry yeast, dissolve it in the lukewarm milk with a pinch of sugar first, let it stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy, then proceed with the recipe as written. The rise time may be a bit longer, so just watch for the dough to double in size.
Can I halve the recipe?
Definitely! This recipe makes two loaves, but you can easily halve each ingredient to bake a single babka. The steps and baking time remain the same, and you’ll still get all the unforgettable flavor of The Best Chocolate Babka in a smaller batch.
Why is babka brushed with syrup?
The syrup locks in moisture, keeps the bread soft, and gives the loaves a beautiful, shiny finish. That touch of sweetness also highlights every chocolatey swirl and makes The Best Chocolate Babka absolutely irresistible — don’t skip it!
Final Thoughts
If you’re ready to turn a handful of simple ingredients into a memory-making masterpiece, give The Best Chocolate Babka a spot in your kitchen. There’s just something magical about baking (and sharing) this swirl-filled, chocolate-laced loaf — so gather your loved ones, pour some coffee, and enjoy every last crumb!
Print
The Best Chocolate Babka Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish, Eastern European
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Indulge in the decadent delight of homemade chocolate babka, a rich and tender yeast bread swirled with a luscious chocolate filling and finished with a sweet syrup glaze. Perfect for brunch, afternoon tea, or dessert, this babka is a showstopper that will impress your family and friends.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
Chocolate Filling:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Sugar Syrup:
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add milk, eggs, and vanilla. Knead in butter until smooth. Let rise.
- Make the Chocolate Filling: Mix chocolate, cocoa, sugar, butter, and cinnamon.
- Shape and Fill: Roll dough into rectangles, spread filling, roll up, twist, and place in pans.
- Bake: Preheat oven, bake babkas until golden.
- Glaze: Make sugar syrup, brush over warm babkas.
- Cool and Serve: Cool babkas in pans before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Babka tastes even better the next day.
- Store at room temperature wrapped tightly or freeze for longer storage.
- Add chopped nuts to the filling for extra texture if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
