Decadent Chocolate & Cream Cheese Bread Pudding: Gooey Perfection Recipe
This Decadent Chocolate & Cream Cheese Bread Pudding is the ultimate comfort dessert featuring soft, sweet bread soaked in a rich custard, studded with creamy cubes of cream cheese and melted dark chocolate chunks for a gooey, indulgent center. Perfect for a cozy gathering or special treat, it combines the buttery richness of brioche or challah with luscious chocolate and cream cheese in a warm, golden-baked dish that is sure to delight.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes (including soaking; actual hands-on time about 20 minutes)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 1 loaf (about 1 pound) sweet bread (like brioche or challah), torn into 1-inch pieces
Custard
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Fillings
- 8 ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips, divided
Others
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
- Prepare the bread: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with unsalted butter. Scatter the torn bread pieces evenly in the prepared dish to form the base of your pudding.
- Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined, creating a rich custard.
- Soak the bread: Pour the custard evenly over the bread pieces in the baking dish. Gently press down on the bread to ensure it is fully soaked and submerged in the custard. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight for best results. This soaking step is essential for a moist and gooey center.
- Add the fillings: After soaking, gently fold in the cream cheese cubes and 1 cup of the dark chocolate chunks so they are evenly distributed throughout the bread and custard mixture.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chunks over the top of the pudding. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set but still slightly jiggly when gently shaken—avoid overbaking to maintain the gooey texture.
- Cool and serve: Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes. This resting time allows the creamy center to settle perfectly. Serve warm to enjoy the decadent, gooey layers of chocolate and cream cheese.
Notes
- For the best gooey center, ensure the bread soaks in the custard for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Do not overbake; the pudding should be slightly jiggly in the center when removed from the oven as it will continue to set while cooling.
- Use high-quality dark chocolate for the best flavor and texture.
- Chilling the cream cheese before cutting helps it maintain shape during baking.
- Feel free to use either brioche or challah as they both provide a rich, tender bread base.
Keywords: chocolate bread pudding, cream cheese dessert, baked custard pudding, decadent dessert, comfort food, brioche bread pudding, challah bread pudding
