This recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce is a variation of a maple-raisin version I recently posted. I thought the maple-raisin version seemed brunch-oriented, but this chocolate-cherry version is a solid dinner dessert.
8
servings30
minutes1
hour1
hour30
minutesIngredients
1 challah loaf, about 1 lb., torn into bite-size (1½-inch) pieces
¾ cup dried cherries
3½ oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 very ripe banana, peeled
4 eggs
3 cups milk (2%)
1 cup sugar
1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Butter
Directions
- Place the bread pieces in a large bowl. Add the cherries and chocolate and mix with your hands to distribute them evenly.
- Place the banana into the bowl of a stand mixer, and use the paddle attachment to mash to a purée, 1 minute on low speed (setting 2 out of 10). Change to the whisk attachment, and whisk in the eggs, same speed, until blended, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, all but 1 Tbs. of the sugar, 1 tsp. of the cinnamon and the vanilla, same speed, until well mixed, about 1 minute. Pour evenly over the bread. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan.
- Spoon the soaked bread mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top to level it. It will reach the rim of the pan. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the pudding.
- Bake the pudding until it has puffed about 1 inch above the rim of the pan, the top is medium brown and a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool until mildly warm.
- Cut into wedges. Top each wedge with 2 generous Tablespoons of custard sauce.
This pudding delivers a showstopping, celebratory look with its naturally ragged, artful top. Yet it’s lighter than most bread puddings—so don’t expect something overly rich or coma‑inducing after a big meal. What it lacks in heaviness it more than makes up for in warmth, coziness, and that deeply satisfying comfort‑food quality you want from a great bread pudding.
Because this pudding is on the lighter side, it takes well to large, custard-drenched portions.
Even if the cream sauce makes it seem fancy, this chocolate-cherry bread pudding carries the kind of hominess that feels like stepping into a warm kitchen on a cold evening. There’s something about the soft, custardy center and the toasty, irregular top that evokes hand‑me‑down recipes and family gatherings. It’s unpretentious, comforting, and deeply familiar—the sort of dessert that makes a house feel lived‑in and a meal feel complete.
Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce
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Chocolate and cherry is SUCH a great combination, I love this. Printing it now!
Thanks!
C’est une belle gourmandise qui donne très envie
Bonne soirée
Thanks!
Oh how wonderful! I love cherries anything, and with chocolate, even better!
Me too!
Oh man.. that looks soooo good.
Thank you!
I have been banned from making bread puddings… so I wait for Mark to go away and then all hell breaks loose! 😉 This looks great, Jeff.
Thank, David! I have foods like that, too – like anything with walnuts. Of course, he always says, “Oh, go ahead and put walnuts in that cake. I know you love them.” One of these days, I’ll actually do it, and then when he sits there while I eat all the cake, we’ll see if he changes his mind. 🙂
Such a warm and comforting dessert, Jeff! I love that classic chocolate and cherry combination with the vanilla custard sauce – so rich, nostalgic, and inviting.
Thank you, Ben!
Honestly, it reads like the perfect cold‑evening bake, unfussy, nostalgic, and deeply satisfying in that “I deserve this” kind of way.
We do deserve it!
Oh this looks so delicious! I’m a cherry lover! Have a nice day
Thanks!
I am such a huge fan of bread puddings and have a few such recipes on my blog. I’ve not made one with a chocolate cherry combination before, so really must give this a try Jeff, it looks amazing. Chocolate and cherry is a combination made in heaven!
Thanks, Neil!
Love every part of this recipe, down to the delicious sauce.
Thank you, Karen!
This is calling to me — maybe actually yelling! 😉 — I want it. I love everything about it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
Bread puddings are so easy to make- no fancy dough prep and it’s almost impossible to ‘flub up’! With your recipe, I’m sure I couldn’t stop at eating just one (or two) servings!
Thanks, Fran!
Stunning! One of my favorite desserts of all time and you have nailed it! Now I want a nice big bowlful! 🙂
Wish I could bring some over!