This chocolate vegan babka needs just 9 ingredients and is super easy to make despite it’s intricate details. Serve for dessert or breakfast!
If you have never heard of Babka before, the hold on to your seat, because you’re in for one of the most delicious recipes. This chocolate vegan babka tastes just as delicious without milk and eggs.
Babka is a braided sweet bread that is of Jewish decent. It became widely popular in the United States in the 2010s with the success of Breads Bakery in NYC and Instagram.
Babka means grandmother and refers to grandmothers who made this recipe from leftover challah after Shabbat, from our research. They would twist the bread with seeds and nuts.
Traditionally, it was filled with cinnamon. However, when Jewish people arrived in New York city, chocolate was added.
People have been known to add in apples or cheesecake, or make even savory versions. There are also similar versions to other cultures.
Essentially, it is a made very similar to how you would make cinnamon rolls, but instead of slicing circular pieces and placing them in a cake pan, you slice the roll length wise and do a double braided twist and then place in a loaf pan.
The end result of chocolate vegan babka is this stunning masterpiece of woven chocolate, like marbling, through the bread. Eat it in slices or you can even make french toast with it!
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What ingredients do you need to make chocolate vegan babka?
You only need nine ingredients for this super easy vegan babka dough.
The ingredients that you need are:
- Flour
- Instant yeast
- Salt
- Dairy Free Milk (we like Oat)
- Maple Syrup
- Vegan Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Vegan cane sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Vegan Chocolate Chips, optional
That’s it! Can you believe that’s all you need?
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHOCOLATE VEGAN BABKA?
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Then, add in the dairy free milk and maple syrup.
Using a spatula, fold until mostly combined. Sprinkle a little more flour if you need to not be sticky and form a ball.
Once your ball is formed, you will want to grease the same bowl you mixed in and place the dough ball back into the bowl.
Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 60-90 minutes in a warm, draft free place.
In a small bowl combine the sugars and cocoa powder together.
Once doubled in size, lightly flour a surface and roll dough out until approximately 12×15 rectangle.
Brush the butter across the entire surface and evenly sprinkle the cocoa sugar mixture across the dough. If adding, sprinkle chocolate chips across.
Starting on one side, roll the dough into a log. Cut the log length wise carefully so you have two long pieces.
Starting at one end, pinch the ends together and then braid the two pieces together and pinch together again at the end.
Carefully place in a well greased loaf pan.
Preheat oven for 350 degrees
Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until done.
While baking, add sugar and water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir and let boil until all sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
When the bread is done, brush the simple sugar syrup onto the bread. Let cool and serve.
Can you make this a Top 8 Allergen Free Babka Bread?
We do not currently have a gluten free dough recipe to recommend, although we are working to create one.
For the remaining ingredients, yes you can. We recommend oat milk which is allergen friendly.
And ensure that you are use a soy free, dairy free butter. We use Earth Balance Soy free that comes in a red tub.
If adding optional chocolate chips, use one like Enjoy Life that is Top 8 Free.
Nothing else included in the recipe contains a Top 8 allergen.
Can I prep vegan babka ahead of time?
This bread can be made and stored in an air tight container for 5-7 days.
Also — when making the dough, once you put cover the bowl to rise, Instead of leaving in a warm place, you can place the bowl in the fridge up to 2 days before you plan to use it.
Just make the recipe as written, cover and place in fridge until ready to use.
Can this dough be used to make other recipes?
For this chocolate vegan babka, we are using our vegan everything dough recipe. The possibilities are really endless for this dough. Some recipes that we have created are:
- Vegan Raspberry Cinnamon Rolls (pictured above)
- Vegan Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread (some places call this Monkey Bread)
- Easy Vegan Soft Pretzel Bites
Chocolate Vegan Babka
Ingredients
- 3 ½ – 4 cups flour (we prefer bread, can use all-purpose or whole wheat – see post for details)
- 1 package instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups dairy free milk (we like oat – can use any non-strongly flavored dairy free milk)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (see post about other sugar source options)
For chocolate filling
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, softened
- ⅓ cup vegan cane sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips, optional
Simple Syrup
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup vegan cane sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 ½ cups flour, yeast, and salt.
- Then, add in the dairy free milk and maple syrup.
- Using a spatula, fold until mostly combined. Sprinkle a little more flour if needed to not be sticky and form a ball.
- Once ball is formed, grease the same bowl mixed in and place the dough ball back into the bowl. *If you are oil free, then just make sure sides of bowl are floured, or use a silicone bowl to easily get it out
- Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 60-90 minutes in a warm, draft free place until doubled.
For the filling
- Preheat oven for 350 degrees
- In a small bowl combine the sugars and cocoa powder together.
- Once risen, lightly flour a surface and roll dough out until approximately 12×15 rectangle.
- Brush the butter across the entire surface.
- Evenly sprinkle the cocoa powder and sugar mixture across the dough. If adding, chocolate chips, evenly sprinkle across.
- Starting on one side, roll the dough into a log.
- Cut the log length wise carefully so there are two long pieces.
- Starting at one end, pinch the ends together and then braid the two pieces together and pinch together again at the end.
- Carefully place in a well greased loaf pan.*If your babka is not at the top of your pan, cover it and let it rise until it is. If it is, proceed with baking.
- Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until done.
For Simple Syrup
- While baking, add sugar and water to a small pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir and let boil until all sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- When the bread is done, brush the simple sugar syrup onto the bread. Let cool and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Let’s see your creations!
Share to Instagram and tag us @makeitdairyfree so we can see and share it!
Chani Y.
This recipe is beyond delicious.
I used spelt flour and came amazing.
Love the idea of putting chocolate chips, too.
Will definitely try more of your recipes.
Thanks for working hard to create a recipe that loves your body back and is healthy.
LarishaBernard
So happy you enjoyed it
Maria
Made this 2 days ago. It was a HUGE success! I didn’t have vegan butter, so I used coconut oil instead, it worked great.
Your recipes are always delicious and easy. Thank you, guys, for sharing so much with us. Best vegan content on the internet!
Greetings from Brazil
Lori
Has anyone tried with gf flour?
LarishaBernard
We don’t have a recommendation for this at this time as we haven’t had a ton of success during other dough recipes GF
Marisol
So grateful for you guys and this recipe! I am not a baker, and bread recipes intimidate me. However, your recipe was easy to make. We don’t have a loaf pan, so I just ended up cutting the twisted log in two and baking it on a sheet pan. It was so delicious, and my husband even commented that it tasted like something from a bakery!
LarishaBernard
So glad you loved it and it worked well!
Patricia L
I have been craving a babka for over a year now and I was avoiding making one because I thought it was going to be difficult. However, I decided to give this recipe a try and holy moly macaroni I think I am in love. What an amazing recipe, sooo easy and amazing. The dough is so fluffy and rich and the chocolate filling is not overwhelming. It didn’t make it more than a day in my house! Will definitely try all of the other recipes suggested with your Everything Dough because it is insanely good!!!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Glad you gave it a try
Jen
This is the Babka recipe that I go to of the many online…Easy to follow and it turns out delicious..Thank you!
LarishaBernard
We’re so happy to hear that! Thanks for leaving a review!
Edi Dabbs
You can trust Make it Dairy Free recipes! To me, they are always tasty. Can’t say that about every vegan recipe.
LarishaBernard
Aww thank you, we’re so happy to hear that!
Jocelyn
So good! my mom loved it
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that!
Sara
That babka is THE BOMB! 😍
LarishaBernard
We’re so happy to hear you like it
Sophia
WOW!! My family and friends are blown away! I might say this is the best dessert I have ever had…!! I have made this four times, and decided I liked agave better than maple but either worked! And I also end up baking it for about 5-10 extra minutes than directed, I doubled it this last time and gave loaves to my friends families! This is the best, most indulgent, chocolate croissant tasting, yummy bread you will ever try!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that. Thanks for taking time to leave a review! We truly appreciate it. Thanks for feedback on the agave
Cyndee
Tried it yesterday and love it! I love the idea of everything dough! I did make the mistake of adding a raspberry preserves layer over the chocolate layer. When baking, it overflowed and made a bit of a mess. I think if I want choc-rasp, I need to mix it into the choc filling, then spread it.
Would love a list of recipes that can be made with the everything dough!
LarishaBernard
We’re so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review. Yes, likely too much liquid in the middle. You could try just fresh raspberry in the middle next time! Or half and half. Here’s a list of some of the recipes even though there’s so much more: https://makeitdairyfree.com/how-to-use-vegan-everything-dough-recipes/
Sophia
This is the best dessert I have ever had!! If you are hesitant to make this… make it!!!! It was so easy and my whole family and friends are so obsessed. The first time I made it I didn’t have maple so I used light agave and couldn’t tell any difference from the next time! I will make this for the rest of my life!
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear everyone is enjoying it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! We appreciate that
Teresa
So I just made this tonight and while it tasted great and was kid approved. It didn’t stay together when sliced. I would love make it again but would appreciate any tips or thoughts to keeping it together.
LarishaBernard
Tucking the ends under helps!
Aneta
What can I use to replace maple syrup?
LarishaBernard
vegan cane sugar, agave or coconut sugar