Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

For a Friday treat, upcoming brunch, or even Mother’s Day, you need to make this Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding! Made with a simple and quick vanilla, cinnamon, and egg custard, that soaks into chunks of Challah, with LOTS of chocolate chips throughout. It’s the simple and chocolate-y breakfast you’ve been searching for! Every bite of this bread pudding is soft, custardy, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon, but when you get a bite of chocolate…it’s just SO. GOOD. Enjoy warm with a light dusting of powdered sugar and your favorite cup of coffee. There’s really no way to not love this deliciously simple bread pudding!

About The Recipe

With April coming to a close and Mother’s Day right around the corner, we thought there would be no better time to share this SUPER simple and delicious Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding! It’s a bit of a last minute idea that I had when staring at the calendar.

I realized that Mother’s Day is NEXT weekend! Can you believe it? I know I already said it, but phew. I don’t know how April is almost over. Time is flying this year! So, with all the rush going on, it seemed like a great time to slow things down and simplify them to the bare essentials.

We shared a Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème Anglaise a little while ago, but with this, I wanted to do something a little different. You see, my mom is the most important person to me in the whole wide world. It’s been this way my entire life and, when Mother’s Day would come around, I would always make her breakfast…or try to, anyways.

Though, as a small child, I could never make anything more than just waffles or pancakes. So, every Mother’s Day, that’s what my mom got. In a way, this recipe is what I WISH I had then to bake for her. It’s special, but simple.

The custard is made from eggs, milk, cream, butter, sugar, vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon. Then, we used our leftover Challah for the bread and stirred in some SUPER dark chocolate chips. Honestly, the type of bread and chocolate chips that you use are really up to you!

And, of course, no bread pudding is complete without additives. We served this bread pudding warm, while the chocolate was still gooey and melty, with a generous pour of maple syrup, our first harvest of fresh berries from our garden, and Chantilly cream.

Sometimes, it’s good to just go back to basics and enjoy the simple things. This recipe is definitely going to be featured on our Mother’s Day menu at our home and we hope it will be on yours, as well!

Why You Will Love This Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

• It’s SUPER simple to make.
• Requires minimal ingredients.
• Great for using up stale/leftover bread.
• Any kind of chocolate chips can be used.
• Truly a crowd pleaser.
• It’s also just the perfect holiday breakfast bake all year lon!

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Rubber Spatula
• Large Casserole

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

• Large Eggs
• Unsalted Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Salt
• Vanilla Extract
• Whole Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Ground Cinnamon
• Challah
• Chocolate Chips

How To Make Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Step 1: Make the custard

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, cream, and cinnamon.

Carefully, stir in bread cubes and chocolate chips.

Step 2: Bake

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until custard is set.

Bread Pudding FAQ’s

What’s the best bread to use for this recipe?
We highly recommend using our Homemade Challah (or store-bought!). The texture holds up well, it absorbs the custard perfectly and QUICKLY. It’s definitely our favorite bread to make this bread pudding with, but you can use whatever thick sliced bread you have. Just make sure it’s a softer loaf like a challah or brioche.

All my chocolate is at the bottom of the casserole!
This does tend to happen, it’s okay! You can pull a few pieces of chocolate chips to the top, but most do sink to the bottom of the pan. Nothing is wrong! Just be sure to scoop off the bottom of the pan for all the chocolate-y goodness.

Can I refrigerate this overnight?
While you technically can, it doesn’t work nearly as well as freshly baking it. You have to set the casserole out of the fridge to come back to room temperature the next morning before baking because this casserole already takes a while to bake, but putting it in there cold increases the cook time by 30 or 45 minutes! The bread can also get super mushy and fall apart during the overnight soak.

Why did my casserole sink after baking?
This is actually normal, don’t worry! In the simplest of terms, the heat and the steam from the oven cause your casserole to rise, but as soon as it starts to cool, the casserole sinks because you’re losing all the heat and steam.

Topping Ideas

For me, a bread pudding isn’t ready to be eaten until it’s been served with toppings and fresh fruits. Here’s a quick list of our favorite toppings to serve with this bread pudding!

• Maple Syrup
• Chantilly Cream
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Powdered Sugar
• Chocolate Syrup
• Fresh Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries)

How To Store

If you have any leftovers, you can cover this casserole and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days! To reheat, you can place back in a warm oven for 10 minutes or so, or simply microwave one slice at a time!

Expert Tips

• Be sure to coat the bread ENTIRELY with the custard.
• Depending on the type of bread you use, it will vary how it absorbs the custard. Our challah was ready to bake immediately after adding it to the custard. If your bread seems to be dry and not absorbing, you may have to wait until the bread absorbs the custard to bake it.
• If you’re having trouble keeping the bread down while trying to soak it, use a slightly smaller casserole to set on top of the bread to weight it down.
• Be careful when baking this casserole! It can be hard to tell when it’s done. When it’s puffed in the middle and you can’t see any more runny custard, that means it’s done.
• You may have to cover this casserole with foil to prevent over-browning.

When you make this Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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