Vegan Chocolate Babka

5 from 18 votes

Recipe for the perfect vegan chocolate babka! This eggless and dairy-free version of the popular Jewish dessert bread is tender, rich and perfectly flaky with layers of flavor from a fudgy chocolate filling, chocolate streusel and sugar syrup.

Prep Time45

Cook Time50

Total Time1 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Jewish, Vegan, Vegan Desserts

Diet: Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: slices (12 per loaf)

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Stand mixer or large bowl
Two 9-inch loaf pans

Ingredients

For the dough

4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
½ teaspoon salt
1 packet instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
⅓ cup sugar
¾ cup dairy-free milk (lukewarm. You can use any dairy-free milk of your choice, including oat milk, almond milk and soy milk).
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
Zest of 1 lemon (or lime)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons vegan butter (softened, at room temperature)

For the chocolate filling

1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons vegan butter

For the optional chocolate streusel

¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
¼ cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vegan butter (at room temperature)

For the sugar syrup

⅔ cup sugar
⅔ cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the babka dough

Place the all-purpose flour, corn starch, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Whisk together to mix.
Add the wet ingredients: lemon zest, non-dairy milk, applesauce and pure vanilla extract. Mix in the stand mixer with the dough hook attached, on medium speed, until a dough forms.
Add half the room temperature vegan butter and knead, at medium speed, until the dough absorbs all the butter and is smooth again. Then add the remaining butter and knead again until smooth. It will take about four to five minutes for all the butter to incorporate into the dough.
Once the dough has absorbed all the butter continue to knead for a couple more minutes. Remove the dough from the stand mixer bowl. It will look tacky but it will be smooth and shouldn't stick stubbornly to your fingers.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball. Place it in an oiled bowl and let it rise two hours until doubled. Punch down the dough, shape into a ball again, and let it rise for a second time, this time in the refrigerator, for six hours or overnight. This helps the flavor develop. The dough should have more than doubled after the second rise. Leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes so it is easier to handle.

Make the chocolate filling

About an hour before you pull the babka dough from the refrigerator, make the chocolate filling. Place the sugar and non-dairy milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium low heat. Stir until the sugar has melted.
Stir in the vegan butter and mix.
Add the chocolate chips and turn off the heat. Mix with a spatula until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
Stir in the pure vanilla extract. Place the filling in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes so it can thicken up and is easier to spread.

Make the optional streusel

Place all streusel ingredients in a food processor. Process until large crumbs form. Set aside.

Shape the chocolate babka

Divide the risen dough in half. Shape one of the halves into a round or rectangle. Place on a floured surface and flour a rolling pin.
Roll the babka dough into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Spread half of the chocolate filling over the rectangle of dough in an even layer.
With your fingers, roll the dough like a jelly roll along the longer edge. Pinch in the seams.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the roll into half. Place one half over the other at an angle and then twist the lower half and the upper half of the dough on the bottom over the dough on top. Continue twisting until you've formed a braid.
Tuck in the ends of the braid and lift the loaf into a 9-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat the process with the other half of dough to form a second loaf.
If you are using streusel, sprinkle it on top of the loaves at this time. Set the loaves aside, covered, in a warm spot for 90 minutes.
About 10 minutes before the loaves have finished rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius. Bake the loaves for 50 minutes. Then remove to a rack.

Make the sugar syrup

About 10 minutes before the chocolate babka loaves come out of the oven, place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. When all the sugar has melted, turn off heat.
As soon as the babka loaves come out of the oven, poke holes all over them using a toothpick or thin skewer. Immediately pour the sugar syrup over the loaves, covering the top evenly. Wait five minutes for the loaves to absorb the syrup, then, carefully, using the parchment paper handles, lift the loaves out to the cooling rack and continue to cool.

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