Boy, oh, boy do I have a good one for you today! If you have a pellet grill or smoker and you haven’t used it to bake, you’re missing out! This chocolate bread pudding recipe is like a rich, smoky, Mexican hot chocolate hug. It’s the perfect dessert to make use of your pellet grill or smoker to add an extra layer flavor to this rich chocolate bread pudding. Cinnamon and chipotle powder give this chocolate bread pudding a hint of spice and lots of warmth. It might just be the ideal cold weather dessert!
If smoky flavor isn’t your thing, or you don’t have a pellet grill or smoker, have no fear! This recipe includes instructions for using an oven. Thus, the name Smokin’ (or not) Chocolate Bread Pudding. I didn’t want to leave anyone out when I wrote this recipe! It’s just too good for someone to pass up for something like not having access to a smoker.
I had originally thought of this recipe as more of a prime grilling season dessert. Perfect to be paired with the the HIH smoked pork loin. While that’s a wonderful pairing, I ended up waiting until the holiday season to add to HIH. Why? Well, if your holiday celebrations are anything like my family’s, oven space is a HOT commodity. This recipe uses a sometimes, underutilized smoker or pellet grill something useful to do when the oven is busy. This recipe also doubles, even triples, really well! I may not have seen it that way at first, but it sounds more and more like a great holiday season recipe the more I type. I’m glad I waited!
Bread Choice
My favorite bread to use for bread pudding is what was the $1.00 Italian loaf from the Walmart bakery. Inflation has it climbing in price, but it’s still a heck of a deal! The bread you choose does not need to be fancy. The more basic the bread, the better for the purposes of this recipe. French bread, baguette, or white sandwich bread, or even sourdough would be great in this chocolate bread pudding. The key is that the bread is a bit stale. If you don’t have stale bread, I’ve got a little trick to get your bread dried out and ready to soak up the delicious spiced chocolate custard.
Chipotle vs. Chili Powder
I included a choice between these two spices to make sure this recipe could please as many tastes as possible. If you choose chipotle powder, there will be a hint of spicy heat to this bread pudding. While I love the heat of the chipotle powder paired with chocolate, it might be a little too much for some. Especially, the kiddos. Chili powder will give a similar flavor profile, without adding the heat of chipotle powder. Either way, the result is delicious!
Keys to Success
- Let the bread soak. Whether you soak the bread 15 minutes or overnight, this recipe will be delicious. The texture gets better and better as the bread absorbs the custard.
- Use a dark baking dish. If you’re going with the smoked method, you’re going to want to choose a dark, metal baking dish. The lighter the color the higher the risk you’ll discolor your dish from the smoke.
- I highly recommend going for the turbinado/raw sugar. When preparing the baking dish, granulated sugar will get the job done. If you want that something EXTRA use the turbinado or raw sugar. The courser texture of the turbinado or raw sugar gives a really nice textural component to the outer edge.
- Whisk, whisk, whisk. The cocoa powder can be a bit stubborn to mix evenly into the custard. It’s ok if there are still a dots of cocoa powder throughout the mixture as long as they’re small and around the same size. This can take a bit of whisking to accomplish. You’re burning calories so you can eat more bread pudding, HA!
Smokin’ (or not) Chocolate Bread Pudding
Equipment
- 1 8" X 8" metal baking dish or 9" metal pie pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 serrated bread knife
Ingredients
- 4 cups of day old bread cut into 1” pieces
- See step 1 if your bread isn’t stale
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon granulated or raw sugar.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chipotle or chili powder optional
- ¼ cup chocolate chips or chunks
- ½ teaspoon kosher or flake salt
Instructions
- If your bread isn’t stale, heat your oven to 225° F and spread the bread pieces in an even layer on a baking sheet and place in the hot oven for approximately 10-15 minutes. The bread should be dry on the outside, but still have a little spring to it in the center.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips, bread, and salt. Whisk together until homogenous.
- Stir in the bread pieces until coated evenly with the chocolate custard mixture. Cover and allow to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to overnight. Longer the better. Most of the custard should be absorbed by the bread.
- Preheat your smoker OR oven to 350° F
- Prepare a 9” pie pan or 8” x 8” baking dish with a thin coat of smeared butter followed by a coat of granulated or raw sugar around the sides of the pan. Transfer the soaked bread and custard into the prepared baking dish, followed by the chocolate chips and sprinkle of flake salt.
- Cook the bread pudding for approximately 30-40 minutes.
- Check the bread pudding after 30 minutes of cooking. The edges should look crisp, but the center should still have a little jiggle to it. If the recipe is doubled, add 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with whipped cream or ice cream
Nutrition
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