Chocolate Bread
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Two of life's pleasures, bread and chocolate, come together in this decadent chocolate bread recipe! Moist, tender, and indulgent, this bread owes its texture to the blend of melted butter and creamy buttermilk. Rich chocolate chips are scattered throughout for added chocolatey goodness in every bite! It's also simple to make ā the only tricky part is resisting eating the whole loaf warm out of the oven!
For a crunchy banana rendition, make this delicious chocolate chip walnut banana bread!
This chocolate bread is rich, moist, and chocolatey! You can skip the trip to the bakery with this homemade delight. Texturally, it's more like banana bread or chocolate loaf cake than a loaf of sourdough, making it ideal for pairing with a steaming cup of coffee or tea or for getting your chocolate fix as a dessert.
Ingredients notes
We are busting out all the baking staples for this chocolate chip bread! Gather these items:
- Ingredients:Ā Cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips.
- Optional: Add some espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
How to make chocolate bread
Whipping up this chocolate bread recipe is really straightforward. Just mix the wet and dry ingredients and bake it until your house smells like a bakery! This is how it's done:
- Prep: Get your loaf pan ready while the oven heats up! Grease it up and give it a light dusting of cocoa powder.
- Dry ingredients: Sift your cocoa powder into a big bowl, then add the rest of the dry items. Give it a good whisk to blend it all together.
- Wet ingredients: Melt your butter, mix it with your buttermilk, and gently heat until it's silky. Then, whisk in your eggs and vanilla until everything's well combined.
- Mix it together: Pour your wet ingredients into the dry mix, stir everything together, then toss in some chocolate chips!
- Bake: Transfer the mixture to your loaf pan and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top. Pop it into the oven until a toothpick comes out clean, then let it cool, and enjoy!
Variations
This chocolate bread dough is versatile, allowing you to customize the taste with a variety of delicious add-ins. Fold them into the batter before baking so the ingredients meld into the rich chocolate flavors. Here are some of our top picks:
- Mocha bread:Ā Add some extra espresso powder for a mocha-inspired bread. The little we use in the recipe helps to deepen the chocolate flavor. But add more and the sweetness of the chocolate will meld with the bitterness of the espresso, balancing and complementing each other. It's the ultimate afternoon pick-me-up!
- Chocolate nut bread: Sprinkle some walnuts or pecans through the batter before baking to add a satisfying crunch to your loaf.
- Cranberry chocolate bread: Fold in dried cranberries along with the chocolate chips for a sweet and tart flavor contrast. The tanginess of the cranberries complements the rich chocolate beautifully.
- Double chocolate: Throw in another type of chocolate, like dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or other chocolate chunks to ensure everyone gets their chocolate fix!
- Chocolate Orange Bread: Add orange zest or orange extract to the batter for a refreshing citrus twist.
- Peanut butter cup bread: Swirl peanut butter into the batter before baking to get a tasty chocolate peanut butter combo!
What to serve with chocolate bread
This chocolate bread is perfect for tea and coffee time, as a sweet-treat afternoon pick-me-up, or after dinner as dessert. If it's coffee time, serve it up beside a nutella latte with a bit of coconut whipped cream, toasted caramel ice cream, or salted caramel ice cream! Add some fresh berries or a drizzle of caramel ā you deserve it!
Recipe FAQs
How do I store chocolate bread?
Store any leftover chocolate bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also pop it in the freezer for up to two months.
Can I use dutch-process cocoa powder?
You can. However, you should be aware that it has been treated with an alkalizing agent, meaning it has a milder flavor and a darker color than regular powder.
Why is the espresso powder optional?
Adding a little espresso powder to chocolate desserts makes the chocolate flavor more pronounced, even though you don't taste the coffee. You can also use instant coffee. If you don't have any on hand, or don't want the little bit of caffeine it adds to the recipe, you can simply omit it.
Chocolate Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- Ā¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 Ā¾ cups all-purpose flour
- Ā½ cup brown sugar
- ā cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: baking soda and baking powder
- Ā¼ teaspoon salt
- Ā½ cup melted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup chocolate chips (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a 9Ć5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the loaf pan and then dust it with cocoa powder.
- Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, espresso powder if using, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk well.Ā¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 Ā¾ cups all-purpose flour, Ā½ cup brown sugar, ā cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, 1 teaspoon EACH: baking soda and baking powder, Ā¼ teaspoon salt
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized bowl in your microwave ā you can also do this in a pot on the stove. Add the buttermilk (the butter will become lumpy) and heat it for another 30 seconds in the microwave ā just until the butter is melted again. Make sure it is not too hot and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.Ā½ cup melted butter, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in Ā¾ cup of the chocolate chips.1 cup chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smooth out the top, and sprinkle the remaining Ā¼ cup of chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our bread recipes and chocolate recipes!