Chocolate babka made with a soft brioche dough and rich chocolate swirls for a buttery, tender loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat.
This chocolate babka recipe is made with a soft homemade brioche dough and a rich chocolate filling twisted into beautiful swirls.
I’ve tested this babka to keep the crumb soft and buttery, with a chocolate filling that stays rich and defined in every slice.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Soft buttery crumb with rich chocolate swirls
- Beautiful braided loaf that looks impressive but is doable at home
- Perfect for breakfast or dessert and slices beautifully
Ingredients You Need
- Flour: All-purpose flour or bread flour for a soft, slightly chewy brioche texture
- Sugar: White granulated sugar
- Butter: Unsalted butter, softened
- Egg: Large, at room temperature
- Milk: Whole or semi-skimmed milk, lukewarm
- Yeast: Active dry yeast or instant yeast
- Salt: Fine salt
- Cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Brown sugar: For a richer, slightly caramelized chocolate filling
- Chocolate: Semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped or chips
Tips before you start
- Use lukewarm milk - Helps activate the yeast for a better rise
- Use room temperature ingredients - Gives a smooth brioche dough and even texture
- Knead until soft and elastic - Ensures a light and fluffy chocolate babka
- Let the dough rise fully - Creates a soft, airy crumb
- Use a thick chocolate filling - Keeps clean chocolate swirls inside the loaf
How to Make Chocolate Babka
In a bowl, mix yeast with warm milk and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and egg, then add yeast mixture and butter and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
In a bowl, melt chocolate, cocoa, butter, and brown sugar until you get a thick spread.
Roll out dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle, then spread chocolate filling evenly.
Roll into a log, then slice lengthwise and twist into a braid to create the chocolate swirls.
Place in a lined loaf pan, cover, and let rise again for 1 hour, then brush with egg wash.
Bake at 350°F / 180°C for 20–30 minutes until golden and puffed.
Let cool in the pan before slicing and serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve slices slightly warm for the best soft texture, with coffee or milk for breakfast or brunch.
Add a drizzle of my chocolate glaze on top for an extra rich and indulgent finish.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze slices up to 2 months.
Variations
- Chocolate chip babka: add extra chocolate chips in the filling
- Nutella babka: swap the filling for Nutella
- Cinnamon chocolate babka: add cinnamon to the chocolate filling
- Orange chocolate babka: add orange zest for a citrus twist
- Peanut butter chocolate babka: swirl peanut butter with chocolate
Recipe Questions
What is chocolate babka?
A soft brioche bread filled with chocolate and twisted into swirls.
Why is my babka dry?
Overbaking or too much flour can make it dry.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, refrigerate overnight before baking.
Can I freeze babka?
Yes, slice and freeze up to 2 months.
More Brioches Recipes
I hope you’ll love this recipe. If you try it, feel free to leave a comment. Happy baking!
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Chocolate Babka
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 parts
Description
Soft chocolate babka recipe with a rich chocolate filling and beautiful swirls (10-inch / 25 cm loaf – 8 to 10 slices)
Ingredients
Dough
- 285 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 40 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 100 ml (⅓ cup) lukewarm milk
- 50 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate filling
- 120 g (⅔ cup) semi-sweet chocolate
- 50 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Mix yeast with warm milk and let sit for 10 minutes until slightly foamy.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and egg, then add yeast mixture and knead for about 3 minutes until combined.
- Add softened butter gradually and knead 5–7 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- In a bowl, melt chocolate, butter, brown sugar, and cocoa until smooth and spreadable, then let cool slightly.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, then spread the chocolate filling evenly over the surface.
- Roll into a tight log, then slice lengthwise to expose the chocolate layers.
- Twist the two strands together into a braid, keeping the cut side up, then place in a lined loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
- Brush with egg wash, then bake at 180°C / 356°F for 20–30 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool in the pan, then remove, slice, and serve.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze slices up to 2 months.
Tips:
- Use lukewarm milk to activate yeast properly
- Knead until elastic dough forms
- Let dough rise fully for a soft texture
- Use thick chocolate filling for clean swirls
- Twist tightly for defined layers
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: bread, cake, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Calories: 224
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 26
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 19
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