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This chocolate chip bread pudding is soft, comforting, and filled with delicious pockets of melted chocolate in every bite. Made with simple ingredients and minimal effort, this easy bread pudding tranforms stale brioche bread into a warm, custardy treat that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert. Whether you’re looking for a cozy weekend breakfast or something special to serve on Christmas morning, this homemade chocolate chip bread pudding is a delicious, crowd-pleasing recipe that’s incredibly easy to make.
What makes this chocolate chip bread pudding special is its incredibly soft, custardy texture and the generous amount of chocolate that melts into every bite. The bread soaks up the rich custard mixture as it bakes, creating a tender, comforting dessert with lightly golden edges. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to prepare with simple ingredients, making it perfect for a cozy breakfast brunch, or a special Christmas morning treat.
For simple recipes, try my Greek Yogurt Cinnamon Roll Bites, Brown Butter Hot Fudge Cake and 3-ingredient Lemon Possets.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Quick & easy: Made with simple ingredients and minimal preparation.
- Soft & custardy: The bread absorbs the custard mixture, creating a delicious tender texture.
- Loaded with chocolate: Plenty of chocolate chips add pockets of melted chocolate throughout.
- Perfect for Christmas morning: A cozy breakfast and brunch dish that’s easy to share with family.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Brioche bread: For the best result use stale brioche bread or Challah or bake the bread cubes for 5 minutes if it's fresh. See FAQ's
- Semi-sweet chocolate: I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate bar or chocolate chips that 60-70%.
- Eggs: Eggs are used in the custard.
- Whole milk: The whole milk is used in the custard. You can also you a lower fat milk if you don't have whole milk on hand.
- Heavy cream: The heavy cream is used in the custard.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake this Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. This recipe just needs a large bowl, a whisk and a spatula.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 175ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven. Prepare a baking dish that's 27x20 cm (8x10.5 inch) dish or anything similar in that size by buttering the dish.
STEP 1: Cut the bread slices into about 2,5x2,5 cm (1x1 inch) bread cubes and set them aside. In a large bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste and whisk until combined.
STEP 2: Then add the whole milk and heavy cream. Melt the butter and stir it together with the remaining ingredients, while slowly pouring it in, to temper it with the other cold ingredients.
STEP 3: Add ⅓ of the bread cubes to the baking dish, press them down and add ⅓ of the chocolate. Repeat it 2 more times. Press it down so it’s well packed together.
STEP 4: Pour over the vanilla custard. Use a spoon or spatula to gently again press down the bread so all of the bread is soaked in the custard.
STEP 5: Sprinkle the sugar on top and let it rest for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter before baking to let the bread soak up the liquid. Bake it for 55-60 minutes, and it’s golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes! You can assemble the chocolate chip bread pudding the night before, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, bake it as directed, allowing a little extra baking time if it's coming straight from the refrigerator.
Brioche and challah are excellent choices because their soft, rich texture creates a deliciously tender and custardy bread pudding. Slightly stale bread works especially well because it absorbs the custard without becoming too mushy.
Yes, you can use fresh bread, but slightly stale bread absorbs the custard better and helps prevent a soggy texture. If your bread is very fresh, cut it into cubes and bake them for about 5 minutes at 175ºC/ 350ºF to remove the moisture in the bread
Chocolate chip bread pudding is done when the top is golden and the center is set but still soft. A knife inserted into the center should come out without liquid custard, although some melted chocolate or moist crumbs are perfectly fine.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 20–30 seconds, or until warmed through.
HOW TO STORE
Allow the bread pudding to cool, then cover it tightly or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. For the best texture and flavor, reheat individual portions in the microwave before serving.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding (Easy & Soft)
Equipment
- 27x20 cm (8x10.5 inch) or 23x23 cm (9x9 inch) baking dish (or something similar)
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
- 650 g brioche bread preferable stale but see TIP under instruction for fresh bread
- 4 large eggs
- 75 g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 300 ml whole milk
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 50 g butter melted 4 tbsp
- 160 g semi-sweet dark chocolate bars or chips 60-70%
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
- vanilla ice cream to serve with the bread pudding
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 175ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven. Prepare a baking dish that's 27x20 cm (8x10.5 inch) or 23x23 cm (9x9 inch) or anything similar in that size by buttering the dish.
- Tip: If your bread is not stale, either leave it out overnight or cut the bread into cubes and bake them for about 5 minutes at 175ºC/ 350ºF to remove the moisture in the bread and let it cool down.
- Cut the bread slices into about 2,5x2,5 cm (1x1 inch) cubes and set them aside.650 g brioche bread
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste and whisk until combined.4 large eggs, 75 g granulated sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Then add the whole milk and heavy cream. Melt the butter and slowly pour in the butter while stir it together with remaining ingredients, to temper it with the other cold ingredients.300 ml whole milk, 300 ml heavy cream, 50 g butter
- Add ⅓ of the bread cubes to the baking dish, press them down and add ⅓ of the chocolate. Repeat it 2 more times. Press it down so it’s well packed together.160 g semi-sweet dark chocolate bars or chips 60-70%
- Pour over the vanilla custard. Use a spoon or spatula to gently again press down the bread so all of the bread is soaked in the custard.
- Sprinkle the sugar on top and let it rest for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter before baking, to let the bread soak up the liquid.2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Bake it for 55-60 minutes, and it’s golden brown.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.vanilla ice cream
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