Chocolate babka is a rich, tender bread swirled with layers of buttery chocolate filling. It’s soft like brioche, slightly sweet, and packed with deep chocolate flavor in every slice. While babka looks impressive, it’s made with simple ingredients and a little patience. The result is a beautiful loaf that’s perfect for slow mornings, special occasions, or anytime you want a bakery-style treat at home.
Related: Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Dough
- Active dry yeast
Helps the dough rise and gives babka its light, fluffy texture. - Warm milk
Activates the yeast and adds richness to the dough. - Sugar
Feeds the yeast and lightly sweetens the bread. - Flour
Forms the structure of the dough and gives it strength. - Butter
Adds richness and creates a soft, tender crumb. - Egg
Adds structure and richness to the dough. - Salt
Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
Filling
- Butter
Creates a rich, spreadable base for the chocolate filling. - Sugar
Sweetens the filling and helps create gooey layers. - Bittersweet chocolate
Adds deep chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. - Cocoa powder
Intensifies the chocolate flavor throughout the swirl. - Cinnamon
Adds warmth and depth that complements the chocolate. - Walnuts
Add crunch and texture, balancing the soft bread and rich filling.
Instructions
Make the bread and kneed it for 10 minutes.
Refrigerate for 6 hours
Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper
Make the filling in a sauce pan melt the butter over heat and add sugar remove from heat add the chocolate and cocoa and cinnamon.
Roll out the dough and spread the filling evenly on top. sprinkle the walnuts over it. Roll the dough up starting at a long side.
Place seam side down. Using a sharp knife cut the dough in half within 1/2 inch to the bottom. Keep the cut sides up and twist the dough together. Place it in a rough coil in the loaf pan.
Let it rise for 2 hours until doubled.
Heat the oven to 375 F and bake for 30-35 minutes
Related: Foolproof French Bread
Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2-3 cups flour
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling
- 7 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 5 tbsp baking cocoa
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Make the bread and kneed it for 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate for 6 hours
- Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper
- Make the filling in a sauce pan melt the butter over heat and add sugar remove from heat add the chocolate and cocoa and cinnamon.
- Roll out the dough and spread the filling evenly on top. sprinkle the walnuts over it. Roll the dough up starting at a long side.
- Place seam side down. Using a sharp knife cut the dough in half within 1/2 inch to the bottom. Keep the cut sides up and twist the dough together. Place it in a rough coil in the loaf pan.
- Let it rise for 2 hours until doubled.
- Heat the oven to 375 F and bake for 30-35 minutes
