This chocolate vegan babka needs just 9 ingredients and is super easy to make despite it’s intricate details. Serve for dessert or breakfast!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week.
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!
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
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
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.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
I’ve made this several times and it’s always amazing! I want to gift one to a friend at Christmas, can I freeze the completely load?
I think you mean completed loaf and yes you can
Could you freeze the Babka at some point before baking? Have you tried this? I’m trying to get a jump on Thanksgiving food!
Yes! As soon as you mix the dough, before rising, cover and put in the fridge. Then pull out the next day and let proceed (let doubling). Alternatively, you could make the bread, and place into the dish and then cover and place in the fridge. Then pull out the next day and let rise. Hope this helps
I made this and I still can’t get over it! First of all, it’s gorgeous. So if you need to bring something to a dinner or whatever, this is perfect. Second, it’s delicious! It is a very easy recipe, especially for the reward!
So glad to hear that!
does the milk need to be at room temperature or warm when mixed with the yeast and flour?
No neither for this recipe. It can be though if you’d prefer
hi.
I made bread very good. Next time i will put in loaf pan. I was helping my daughter pack it was already in box. So i use a cookie sheet it turn out ok but the but all ran out and started to burn on cookie sheet. Will make again. Love all your recipes. Since i just found i have to be dairy free plus i cant have Xanthan gum. And a lot of dairy free stuff have it in the stores.
Ahh yes, the loaf pan will definitely help
Your Babka Recipe caught our attention, so we added it to our list.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe. Keep up the good work!
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.
So happy you enjoyed it
My husband and I were watching Seinfeld for the hundredth time. Chocolate babka was mentioned. So I decided to look up a recipe. Of course I had to click the MIDF link! Great recipe to follow. I had to split my babka into 2. Turned out great (as your recipes always do!) I’ve already shared the recipe with several non-vegans!!
YAY! Love that