This Chocolate Babka recipe was developed after months of careful research. My goal was to produce a classic babka recipe that works every time. Learn to bake tender, delicious homemade chocolate-filled babka with this illustrated step-by-step tutorial.
When I started the process of developing this recipe, I realized that just good babka wasn’t enough. It had to be great babka, foolproof and irresistible with perfect texture and spot-on flavor. High standards? Maybe. But babka is labor-intensive. If you’re going to the trouble to make chocolate babka, it’d better be amazing.
Thanks to a gentle nudge by online friend and Kveller editor Tamara Reese, I decided to tackle this whole babka thing. My assistant Ashley and I spent days testing chocolate babka recipes to create our own “ultimate” version. After lots of trial and error– baking is a bit of a science, after all– we incorporated the textures and flavors we loved most. The result is the recipe you see here.
Babka is an Eastern European cake-bread. Modern babka is similar in texture to challah, but slightly more cake-like. The name comes from the Slavic babcia, meaning grandmother, which is closely related to the Yiddish bubbe. The word babka translates to “grandmother’s cake,” inspired by the shape of an old woman’s skirt. Babka was originally baked in fluted Polish baking pans and typically made by grandmothers.
Jewish babka first appeared during the early 1800s when Polish housewives would prepare extra egg challah dough to be filled with cinnamon or jam, then rolled up and baked alongside the Shabbat challah. It was served to hungry children during busy Shabbat preparations or reserved as a special treat. Streusel toppings came along during the mid 1900s.
Here is our recipe for Chocolate Babka. After much consideration, we decided to give it a streusel topping– because, well, why not make a good thing even better?
Recipe Update: I originally launched this recipe in 2015. Since that time I’ve had multiple readers test it with great results. Throughout the years I have made some minor adjustments that help make this Chocolate Babka recipe even more bulletproof. I’ve incorporated those adjustments here, along with pretty new pictures and a few tips from Kelly Jaggers. Enjoy!
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp
- 2/3 cup whole milk warmed to 110 degrees F, plus 1 additional tbsp for egg wash
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 tsp for yeast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil (grapeseed is an option)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks reserve 1 egg white for egg wash
- 2 1/2 - 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (flour amount detailed in instructions below)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Chocolate Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups finely chopped, good quality dark chocolate (two 4 oz. bars of dark chocolate)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter cold
Streusel Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
NOTES
Instructions
- To prepare the dough: Start by dissolving the yeast in the warm milk along with 1 tsp sugar. If you do not have a thermometer, the milk should be warm to the touch but not hot. Whisk the yeast into the milk along with 1 tsp sugar to dissolve. Over the next few minutes, the milk/yeast mixture should become foamy as the yeast begins to grow. If it doesn't, this likely means that your yeast has expired or the milk was too hot, causing it to die. Get some fresh yeast and try again, otherwise your babka won't rise... and that would be a major bummer.
- While the yeast proofs, cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment.
- Once the butter and sugar are well combined, add the oil and vanilla extract and mix well at low speed. Add egg yolks 1 at a time and increase the mixer to high. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer back to low speed and add 2 1/2 cups flour and 1 tsp salt, then add the foamy yeast mixture. Be sure to give the yeast mixture a final whisk before adding it in, especially if it is very foamy.
- Mix until just combined, then replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook. Continue to mix, adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time, just until a soft dough forms. The amount of flour you need will vary based on humidity and altitude; best to add flour slowly and check texture as you go. You want a dough that is soft a pliable, not stiff. The dough should be tacky, but not wet or sticky, and shouldn't cling to the skin. Do not walk away during this part, you also want to keep an eye on the dough to make sure that you do not over mix it. It should be easy to form into a smooth ball.
- Once a soft dough forms that can easily be removed from the hook by hand, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead several times, or until you have a smooth ball of dough. Do not over-knead.
- Place the ball of dough into a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. I usually let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, but if you prefer you can let it rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until it has just about doubled in size.
- To prepare the chocolate filling:In a mixing bowl, combine the grated or finely chopped chocolate, cinnamon and butter. Mix with hands until well combined, it should have a chunky texture. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Once the dough reaches room temperature, roll it on a lightly floured surface until you have a 14x18 inch rectangle.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving an even 1-inch border around the edge. Then, starting with the long side, roll the dough into a tight log.
- Roll the log back and forth several times, gently spreading it out until the length of the log is about 20 inches.
- Twist the dough into a figure 8 and pinch the ends together. Sometimes using a bit of water will help the ends to stick. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, then lightly spray the parchment with nonstick cooking oil spray. Transfer the dough to the lined loaf pan. Cover the pan with a tea towel, or loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until the babka completely fills the pan. It will get pretty big!
- While the dough is rising, prepare the streusel by combining the ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined and crumbly.Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using a very thin skewer, poke a few holes into the babka. This allows steam to be released during baking so that you aren't left with very large gaps between the dough and the filling.
- Brush the babka with an egg wash made from 1 egg white whisked together with 1 tbsp of whole milk.
- Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the babka. It will collect more in the crevices, but this is fine. Babka should have a rustic look.Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees and cook for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees F in the thickest center part of the babka. The babka will be golden brown and should have a hollow sound when tapped.
- Allow the babka to cool before slicing. This is truly the hardest part of the whole process, but trust me - cutting into it while it’s still hot will leave you with quite a mess. The filling needs time to set up a bit. Even after cooling it will crumble a bit when you slice it. That's part of the charm. Serve with coffee or tea and enjoy your babka bliss!
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources:
Marks, Gil. Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2010. Print.
Other Great Recipe Ideas
Carl says
I made this babka recipe a couple of years ago and loved it. Your instructions, illustrations, and tips are the easiest to follow. I since made other recipes and have come back to yours – still the best. Thank you for sharing your skills! I have also made your rugelach which has made me very popular with friends and family.
Tori Avey says
Fabulous 🙂
Nida says
Hi Tori
I would love to try your recipe and I just have one question.
Can I shape it the plaited way; cut it from the center of the log and plait it?
Tori Avey says
Hi Nida, I haven’t tried it that way – but I don’t see why not.
Michelle J. says
Glad to find your site. In Romanian is called Cozonac. It’s not only in Eastern Europe. You can find it called Panetone in Italian cuisine, as well.
Stephanie Meagher says
This was so delicious! It was my first time making Babka and I am VERY happy with how it turned out. I did, however, make two small loaves instead of one big one.
Stephen says
DARLIN! I made this recipe, my first babka! A huge hit. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Much easier than I thought to pull off. Will do it again.
Tori Avey says
Yay! 🙂
Fiona says
Excellent recipe. I started making the babka as soon as I read the recipe because it’s cold and rainy and I’ve got cabin fever. I had to improvise some of the ingredients because the aforementioned weather meant I wasn’t about to change out of my pajama to run to the store. Instead of Nutella, I used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 5 Flake bars ( You Brits know what I’m talking about). Finished product is great. I may make another if this weather keeps up and fill the babka with the remaining Christmas mince (Delia’s recipe). Who knew that babka is the taco of the bread world: fill it with just about anything!
Marc Leavey says
Looks great, but my search has been for a parve recipe. I have yet to find one that is worth serving for a Shabbat dessert. The bakery seems to do it so much better. Any suggestions?
Tori Avey says
I have not made this recipe parve, but other readers have had luck substituting the milk for almond or soy milk, and the butter for Smart Balance. While I haven’t tried it myself, my guess is those subs will work just fine.
Anne Small says
Hi,
This recipe looks great. Can it be baked in a fluted pan like a bundt pan?
Tori Avey says
Yes it can!
Laura says
Tory I love your recipes but I keep kosher and would love to serve this on shabbos with meat meals. What can I use to substitute for milk and butter. I can not use margarine ,can’t wait to hear your reply.
Tori Avey says
Hi Laura, I have never made this recipe parve. Theoretically you should be able to substitute butter for margarine (I prefer Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks) and almond or soy milk for the milk. You say you cannot have margarine, though. Without testing an alternative, I don’t have any other recommendations… and again, I haven’t tested this parve, so no promises on the result.
Theress says
Can you substitute with semisweet or milk chocolate? I dislike dark chocolate very much.
Tori Avey says
Yes no problem.
Marie says
Can I make this in bread machine on dough cycle??
Tori Avey says
Hi Marie, I don’t own a bread machine, so I’m not sure. You might want to search through comments to see if another reader tried it that way.
Melissa says
Serious yummmm and thank you! When I make this fresh from scratch, it’s amazing. When I work with frozen dough that I defrost, it’s a nightmare. I can’t get it to rise after “braiding”. Am I not letting it get warm enough before rolling out? I let it sit a good 45 min plus after filling and braiding before baking
Tori Avey says
Hi Melissa! You need to make sure you give frozen dough ample time to defrost. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it return to room temperature before rolling out. Hopefully that will help with the rising issue. Good luck!
Mary Murphy says
Hey, I want to bake two loaves, do I just double everything?
Thanks
Tori Avey says
Doubling baked recipes can be tricky. I have never doubled this particular one myself. Without testing it first, I can’t say for certain if it will work. Theoretically it should, but I’ve also had baking disasters when trying to make multiple batches at once.
Lorin says
Tori – Two questions.
1 – Have you tried this with margarine rather than butter? I’m going to someone’s house this Friday night and would like a parve dessert.
2 – Can you see any issues with the second rise being overnight? I’d like to prep Thursday and bake Friday.
Thanks.
Tori Avey says
I have never made this with margarine. Theoretically there shouldn’t be an issue if you use unsalted. I almost always do the second rise overnight in the refrigerator, that is in the instructions. 🙂 Good luck!
Carrie Finestone says
Tori,
This is the best recipe for babka and probably the best babka I have ever had. I have made it twice and it is absolutely amazing. Everyone wants to take some home. Your photos help perfect it, especially the figure eight. I do have one question: it seems to need to bake longer than an hour, but I didn’t want to dry it out. So far I have managed to gauge when it is done, but the last time I did worry that the middle might be a little undercooked because it did not read out at 185 degrees. Thank you for all your great recipes!
Tori Avey says
Hi Carrie, so glad you are enjoying this recipe. It’s difficult to advise on this because everybody’s oven is calibrated slightly differently. Really the best way to test for doneness is to take the internal temperature of the babka, as you did. Err on the side of baking it to full doneness, it has plenty of moisture from the chocolate filling and won’t quickly dry out if you over-bake it just a bit.
Roberta Harris says
Hi Tori
I have been wanting to tackle this recipe and yesterday I did! I was concerned that my yeast didn’t foam … but the bread rose during baking. The streusal top is hard to cut through, though. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your amazing recipes and instructions. Hamentashen are just around the corner!
Roberta
Tori Avey says
Hi Roberta! It’s a fine balance between a streusel that will hold together, and one that is too crumbly. We have tried to strike that balance here. While it shouldn’t be hard, it should hold together nicely. For a more crumbly texture, you can try adding a little less butter. Just know that the less butter you add, the more crumbly it will become.
anne says
When you take it out of the oven, do you let it cool in the pan? when do you remove it from the pan?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Anne, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Yes, you should allow the babka to cool in the pan until it is cool enough to remove with your hands.
Kristin says
Thank you sooooo much for the visual step-by-step tutorial! It certainly helped me see what it should look like. I was inspired to try Babka when I read one of Jodi Picoult’s amazing novels, and the main character baked these. I’m pleased to say that my Babka turned out fairly well, although it doesn’t seem to be as tender as what you describe. I tried not to knead it too much, as you indicated, and I did notice that my yeast didn’t bubble up quite as much as yours, even after 10 minutes. Maybe that’s where I went wrong? It still rose pretty well after baking, but it’s quite dense. Is it supposed to have a lighter, fluffier texture? I wish I had the “real deal” Babka to compare mine to! At any rate, it’s at least edible—the flavor is amazing! I will definitely try this again. Hopefully my technique improves each time I make it ?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Kristin, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. The issue may be due to flour – you should only add as much as you need to make the dough tender and pliable. Adding more can cause the dough to become dry and dense. The amount needed varies based on humidity and altitude. We have updated the instructions to provide more clarity on this issue.
anne says
Can i make this in the bread machine on the dough setting. Take the dough out and proceed by adding the filling and baking?
Beverly Spiegel says
Hi Tori
Can I make and freeze the dough and if yes how long can it remain frozen before using? Once Babka is made can finished product also be frozen for a few days? Thanks!,,
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Beverly, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You can freeze the dough for up to 4 weeks and you can also freeze the babka once it has finished baking and returned to room temperature.
Lydia says
Thank you! With a couple minor alterations (no stand mixer…used vanilla bean b/c I’m out of vanilla…didn’t do the struesel b/c that seemed so terribly modern, ha ha) this was exactly what I wanted. I was worried the crumb would be too dry or flaky because it rose so much, but I think because of the butter-oil combo it was nice and rich without being dense or doughy. There’s enough chocolate that you wouldn’t want it any more gooey than it is. Incredible. You rock.
Monique says
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it twice now and the dough is so soft and easy to work with. Best of all, the end product is delicious!
Larry says
Hi Tory,
What is the difference in the baking process and or recipe to make a Kokosh cake (Chocolate/Cinnamon Flat roll cake) vs the high rise Babka
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Larry, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We have never made a Kokosh cake, so unfortunately I’m not sure what the difference would be with the baking process.