Vegan chocolate babka - this amazing vegan chocolate swirl bread consists of a soft, brioche-like dough swirled with a rich chocolate filling and soaked in syrup. It is incredibly soft, moist, chocolatey and very, very moreish! NO egg replacers or weird ingredients!
This vegan chocolate babka is sinfully good. A soft, eggless and dairy free brioche style bread dough is swirled with a thick layer of rich chocolate filling, plus extra chocolate chips because the more chocolate the better right?
Once baked the babka is brushed generously with sugar syrup which not only makes it beautifully shiny, but also helps to keep it lovely and moist, preserving it for several days.
It is totally indulgent, utterly delicious and makes an amazing treat with a cup of tea or coffee.
It does take a little while to make but it isn't difficult, and most of it is hands off time. I recommend making it over two days if possible - making the dough one day and letting it rise overnight in the fridge, then shaping the babka, letting it rise again and baking on the following day.
It is possible to do it all in one day if you prefer, but the overnight rise improves the flavour and firms up the dough, making it easier to roll out and shape.
What Is Babka?:
Babka is a sweet, cake-like braided yeast bread which developed in the Polish Jewish community in the early 19th century. It may also be referred to as a krantz cake.
It generally consists of a soft, brioche-like dough that is rolled out and spread with a filling such as cinnamon, chocolate or fruit then rolled up and braided before baking.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Babka:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
Ideally you should start the day before you want to bake the babka. Place the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix to combine.
Add the lukewarm milk and mix to form a rough dough. Knead until it forms a smooth ball.
Add the softened vegan butter. Continue to knead until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic. It may seem greasy and messy at first but keep kneading and I promise you the butter will all mix in and the dough will become smooth.
Once the butter is fully incorporated the dough should look smooth and silky and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.
It should still be soft and slightly sticky but if it seems too wet then you can knead in a little more flour; be careful not to add too much however, you don't want dry babka.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place it in the fridge to rise overnight.
The following day the dough should have doubled in size. Remove it from the fridge and set aside to warm up a little while you prepare the filling.
Place the butter, chopped dark chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small pan over a low heat. Stir constantly until melted and smooth then remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
It should thicken slightly but still be spreadable. If it gets too firm then you can rewarm it very gently until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
How To Shape Vegan Chocolate Babka:
Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 30x40cm / 11x15in.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1cm border. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate or pecans and press them down gently.
Roll the dough up tightly from one of the long edges into a sausage. Use a sharp knife to cut the sausage in half lengthwise, exposing the filling. Twist the two halves together into a braid.
Grease an approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in 2lb loaf tin and line it with baking parchment. Place the babka in the loaf tin, squishing it to fit if need be.
Loosely cover the tin and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ - 2 hours depending on how cold it is.
Bake the babka for about 35-40 minutes until deep golden. A probe thermometer inserted into the centre should reach about 90°C/195°F.
When the babka is baked, brush it generously with sugar syrup then allow to cool before slicing.
Top Tips:
For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
You can use either bread flour or plain flour. Bread flour will give the babka a slightly more chewy texture but both are good. You can also use a combination of the two.
The syrup helps to keep the babka moist for a few days so don't skip it. It may seem like a lot of liquid but trust me and use it all!
The best way to tell if a loaf of bread is cooked in the middle is to use a probe thermometer. It is impossible to give a one-size-fits-all baking time as ovens vary so much. The babka should be done when it reaches 90°C / 195°F.
I know it's hard, but you really should wait for the babka to cool completely before slicing it. It carries on cooking as it cools and slicing it too soon can cause it to be dense or gummy in texture.
What Kind Of Yeast?:
I always use fast action yeast which is also known as instant or easy yeast as it doesn’t need to be activated first, you just add it straight to the flour.
If you only have active dried yeast then you can still use it, but you will need to mix it with some of the warm milk and a pinch of the sugar first. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes until it has become bubbly then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
How To Store Vegan Chocolate Babka:
As with most home-made bread, this vegan chocolate babka is best eaten on the day it is baked. The syrup helps to keep it moist and soft for about 3 days however. It is nice if you warm it up gently before serving to refresh it.
Store it in an airtight container or bread bin at room temperature. It should not be placed in the fridge as that can make it go stale faster.
Can I Freeze It?:
Yes! You can freeze this vegan chocolate babka either whole or in slices. Place it in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to three months. Ideally it should be frozen on the day it is baked to preserve freshness (allow it to cool completely first).
Allow to defrost at room temperature and warm through gently to refresh it before serving.
More Vegan Bread Recipes:
Vegan wholemeal maple cinnamon rolls
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Vegan Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
Dough:
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour or white bread flour plus extra as needed
- 40 g (3 Tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar
- 7 g (2 ¼ teaspoons) instant/fast action yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best) lukewarm
- 80 g (⅓ cup) vegan butter/margarine softened
Filling:
- 60 g (¼ cup) vegan butter/margarine
- 60 g (2 oz) dark chocolate chopped
- 20 g (2 Tablespoons) cocoa powder
- 30 g (2 ½ Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- pinch salt
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate or pecans
Syrup:
- 60 g (¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water
Instructions
- Ideally you should start the day before you want to bake the babka. Place the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix to combine.
- Add the lukewarm milk and mix to form a rough dough. Knead until it forms a smooth ball then add the softened butter.
- Continue to knead until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic. It may seem greasy and messy at first but keep kneading and I promise you the butter will all mix in and the dough will become smooth.
- Once the butter is fully incorporated the dough should look smooth and silky and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. It should still be soft and slightly sticky but if it seems too wet then you can knead in a little more flour; be careful not to add too much however.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for an hour or so at warm room temperature, until the dough has almost doubled in size, then place in the fridge to rise overnight.
- The following day remove the dough from the fridge and set aside to warm up a little while you prepare the filling.
- Place the butter, chopped dark chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small pan over a low heat. Stir constantly until melted and smooth then remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. It should thicken slightly but still be spreadable. If it gets too firm then you can rewarm it very gently until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 30x40cm / 11x15in.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1cm border. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate or pecans and press them down gently.
- Roll the dough up tightly from one of the long edges into a sausage. Use a sharp knife to cut the sausage in half lengthwise, exposing the filling.
- Twist the two halves together into a braid. Grease an approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in 2lb loaf tin and line it with baking parchment. Place the babka in the loaf tin, squishing it to fit if need be.
- Loosely cover the tin and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ - 2 hours depending on how cold it is. It is ready to bake when it looks puffy and if you gently press some of the exposed dough with a finger it springs back slowly most of the way but leaves a small indentation. If it springs back quickly and fills in completely then it isn't ready yet.
- When the dough has nearly finished rising, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Bake the babka for about 40-50 minutes until deep golden. A probe thermometer inserted into the centre should reach at least 90°C/195°F.
- While the babka is baking prepare the syrup. Place the sugar and water in a small pan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup comes up to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- When the babka is ready, remove it from the oven and brush generously all over the top with the syrup. Keep going until you have used all of the syrup.
- Leave the babka to cool in the tin for 15-20 minutes while it absorbs the syrup then turn it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
- You can use either bread flour or plain flour. Bread flour will give the babka a slightly more chewy texture but both are good. You can also use a combination of the two.
- The syrup helps to keep the babka moist for a few days so don’t skip it. It may seem like a lot of liquid but trust me and use it all!
- The best way to tell if a loaf of bread is cooked in the middle is to use a probe thermometer. It is impossible to give a one-size-fits-all baking time as ovens vary so much. The babka should be done when it reaches 90°C / 195°F.
- I know it’s hard, but you really should wait for the babka to cool completely before slicing it. It carries on cooking as it cools and slicing it too soon can cause it to be dense or gummy in texture.
Lauren
One of the best things I've ever baked! Tastes amazing and looks so effective but is simple to make 🙂
Sally
Hi, can I rise the babka overnight once I have braided it and put it in the tin? Want to serve it for breakfast. Thank you!!!
Hannah
Hi Sally, I haven't tested that I'm afraid. I suspect that it would work though. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Chloe
Will it make a big difference to the end product if I prove in at room temperature for a few hours rather than in the fridge overnight?
Hannah
Hi Chloe, it shouldn't make a big difference; the overnight prove makes the dough easier to roll out but it is certainly doable in one day if needed.
Aaron
Hi, I've tried to make this twice and have ended up with a hard, unrisen dough each time after resting overnight. Do you know what I could be doing wrong? Really want to make this as it looks delicious! Thanks
Hannah
Hi Aaron, it could just be that your fridge is a bit too cold. You can let the dough rise at warm room temperature for an hour or so until it is puffy before refrigerating it overnight. You may also want to check that your yeast is still in date and active.
Danielle
Amazing recipe- I only had orange flavored chocolate but it was delicious. I let it rise till doubled then braided, then waited another hour and a half before baking and it was superb, vegan heaven! So moist and juicy. Thank you!!
Lena
Incredibly good. I made it for my daughter, who is vegan. Can it be made using regular milk and butter for those non vegan?
Hannah
Hi Lena, glad you enjoyed it! Yes that will work.
Daniella
Made this a few times and each time it came out fabulously!
I want to make it for an upcoming event and I was wondering if it’s ok to leave the dough in the fridge for around 24 hours rather than overnight?
Hannah
Hi Daniella, Yes that should be fine. I wouldn't leave it longer than 24 hours though.
Daniella
Thank you so much! Will let you know how it turns out ❤️
kirth
I had never made a babka before and my dough looked pretty questionable throughout the process so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but it came out amazing! easy and delicious 🙂 thanks!
Dinesh
Seriously, Brilliant. It looks delicious. I finished at 9pm so will try tomorrow morning.
Erin
the babka turned out perfect! soft, fluffy bread with a bittersweet filling — my friends couldn't believe it was vegan. the dough did smell a bit yeasty after the overnight rise, but the final baked loaf didn't have any of that fermented flavour at all 🙂 thank you for a great recipe
Yael Mor
HI, IF I DONT HAVE A MIXER- IS THAT A PROBLEM?
Hannah
Hi Yael, no problem, you can knead the dough by hand it is just a bit of a messy process.
Faye
Could I make this with dairy products? My son is allergic to eggs so this recipe is good for that..but we are okay for dairy.
Hannah
Hi Faye, yes that will work fine.
Rachel S
Thank you so much for making a vegan Babka recipe. I have so many fond memories of eating this and it’s so nice to still be able to enjoy it as a vegan. It’s certainly a weekend project but not that much active time. I made sure to add the butter into the dough 1 tablespoon at a time. I did think it was a little bit on the sweet side and I only used half the syrup. I think the filling needs a little bit more salt to balance it out. Other than that this was an amazing recipe, thank you so much Hannah!
Also love that the ingredients are in grams, makes it so much easier.
Sasha
Seriously amazing!!! This was my first attempt at babka and it was just perfection! I wonder if this might also work with a store bought vegan Nutella type spread, just not sure if it needs a specific moisture content or something?
Hannah
Hi Sasha, Thank you! Yes that would work fine 🙂
eliza
This was so good! I accidentally added the butter for the bread + an additional 50g for a cinnamon filling all into the batter... ended up totally fine. I used a cinnamon filling from a different recipe and it turned out delicious.
Maïna Parent
Ok I must say : I was certain this wouldn't turn out good. The dough was to fatty, there was to much chocolate, I thought it didn't rised enough... and wouldn't you know it, it was the BEST babka I've ever tasted! So moist yet perfectly baked, not too sweet but super decadent... honestly incredible recipe, thank you so much!!!
Felice
I made this for the first time, starting last night and finishing it today. As you said, it looked like a mess as the dough was coming together. I used a softened vegan margarine from a tub, which was probably a mistake because of there being more moisture in it, but nonetheless, with a little added flour, the dough came together, rose beautifully, and the babka was absolutely out of this world. I was skeptical about the syrup, but the cake was perfect with it, moist with great texture, and the babka came out of the pan easily. Great recipe and excellent notes and instructions. This is a real winner, competitive with any babka I've eaten. It will be a real go to recipe for me.
willow
truly the best vegan babka recipe out there!
ive made this recipe a few times and Its absolutely incredible! serving it up for breakfast this morning!!
Natasha
This was my first time baking babka and it tasted great, but mine sunk in the middle 30 mins after it came out of the oven.
When I took out the dough from the fridge, it didn't look like it had risen much but then it doubled in size on the second rise. Do you think this was the problem? (I also used a scale for all of the ingredients)
Hannah
Hi Natasha, it is actually pretty common for babka to sink a bit as it is so enriched. There are a few things that could have caused it: 1: the dough wasn't kneaded for long enough leading to not enough gluten development. 2: The dough was over-proved before baking. 3: The bread was under-baked.
Natasha
I'm definitely going to be making this again so I'll keep these tips in mind. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Elisa
Am very excited to have discovered your site and make this babka! Will oat milk work, please?
Hannah
Hi Elisa, yes, oat milk will work 🙂
Claire
Hi there! I decided to make this dough tonight to have babka tomorrow. However, my dough would just not come together at all as I was kneading (I was using a hand mixer with dough hook attachments). It was very sloppy, no elasticity at all, no matter how long I had the mixer going. I had to add extra flour just to bring it together and even then it didn't feel like it had much structure. My yeast was new, I had only purchased it a few days ago. Any idea what I was doing wrong? I'd appreciate the help!
Hannah
Hi Claire, I've never had much success kneading dough with a hand mixer, I don't think they are really powerful enough. If you don't have a stand mixer then the dough can be kneaded by hand, it's just a bit messy! It is a fairly soft, sticky dough but you can add a bit of extra flour if you feel it needs it. It can also take a while to fully combine the butter and the dough will be sloppy for a bit but it does eventually come together.
Claire
Thanks for the response! I tried it again shortly after my first comment, used a little less butter and bit more flour, and kneaded it by hand and that seemed to come together a bit better. Cheers!
Siobhan
I’ve made this twice now and both times were great!
First time I made the choc babka but only had 1.5 hours for both rising sessions. Worked great.
The second time I did overnight in the fridge (covered in a tea towel, I’ll seal the bowl properly next time so it doesn’t make a skin) and made cinnamon scrolls and pizza scrolls. They’re delicious too! A great dough to make lots of yummy things!