This gluten-free chocolate babka is a tender, enriched bread rolled with generous swirls of chocolate and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. Think of it as a yeasted coffee cake with dramatic chocolate ribbons—soft, rich, and deeply satisfying.
Originally posted May 10, 2019. This version has an updated filling, a silky glaze, new photos, and a full-length step-by-step video.
A quick note: some readers first discovered babka through popular culture. It’s a wonderful pastry—dense and tender, with layers of sweet bread and sticky chocolate filling. Chocolate and cinnamon are the classic flavor pairings, and this recipe focuses on a chocolate-filled version with a smooth chocolate glaze.
What Is Babka?
Babka is a traditional Jewish sweet bread that sits between a cake and a loaf: enriched, slightly dense, and sliced to reveal beautiful ribbons of filling. In bakeries you’ll find versions topped with sugar syrup, streusel, or glaze. This recipe uses an enriched gluten-free dough and a chocolate filling made with melted chocolate and chocolate cookie crumbs for texture, finished with a shiny chocolate-butter-honey glaze.
Here’s what you’ll need for gluten-free chocolate babka
Dough and Filling Ingredients
- Gluten-free sweet dough — use your preferred enriched sweet dough recipe prepared through the refrigeration step.
- Chocolate cookie crumbs — made from chocolate shortbread cookies (recipe below) or replaced with a store-bought gluten-free chocolate cookie, crushed.
- Milk and semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate — use good-quality baking chocolate or chopped chocolate bars for a smooth, flavorful filling.
- Butter and honey — add richness and help bind the filling into a spreadable consistency.
Glaze Ingredients
- Milk chocolate and bittersweet/semi-sweet chocolate — combining both yields depth of flavor.
- Butter — makes the glaze glossy and smooth (dairy-free butter may be substituted).
- Honey — adds shine and a subtle sweetness.
Chocolate Shortbread Cookie Ingredients
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- A pinch of baking soda and fine sea salt
- Butter and granulated sugar for a crisp, buttery cookie
How Do I Make Babka?
- Make chocolate shortbread cookies and allow them to cool. Crush into fine crumbs using a food processor or a rolling pin in a sealed bag.
- Melt milk and bittersweet chocolate with butter in a microwave or over a double boiler. Stir in honey and the cookie crumbs. Let the filling cool until spreadable.
- Prepare the gluten-free sweet dough and refrigerate overnight as directed in your dough recipe.
- Divide the chilled dough in two. Roll each portion into a large rectangle roughly the size of a half-sheet pan. Spread half the filling across each sheet, leaving a small border along one short edge.
- Roll each sheet tightly, sealing the seam. Cut each roll in half lengthwise to expose layers, then twist or braid the two halves together to create the classic babka shape.
- Place the twisted loaves into parchment-lined loaf pans, cover, and allow to rise until nearly doubled (about 1–2 hours, depending on room temperature).
- Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 30–35 minutes, until the loaves spring back lightly to the touch. Let cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before glazing.
- To make the glaze, melt the milk and bittersweet chocolate with butter and honey, stirring until smooth. Spoon or pour the warm glaze over cooled babkas and let it set at room temperature for about 30 minutes before slicing.
- Slice thickly and serve at room temperature or slightly warmed; the glaze softens a bit when reheated.
Chocolate Babka FAQs
Yes. Halve the dough, filling, and glaze amounts to make a single loaf.
Once the glaze has set, wrap the whole loaf in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, wrap tightly in plastic and foil and freeze for up to three months.
Warm individual slices in the microwave for 10–15 seconds to slightly soften the glaze. Avoid toasting glazed slices unless you remove the glaze first.
More gluten-free sweet bread recipes
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Gluten-Free King Cake
- Overnight Gluten-Free Monkey Bread
- Gluten-Free Panettone
- Gluten-Free German Stollen
- Gluten-Free Panettone Babka
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Wreath
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Gluten Free Babka
Two loaves of enriched gluten-free dough, layered with a chocolate-cookie and melted chocolate filling, baked and topped with a glossy chocolate glaze.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert | Cuisine: American | Keyword: babka, chocolate, gluten free
Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Proofing and chilling: 8 hours | Total Time: ~9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves | Author: Kim
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 recipe gluten-free sweet dough (prepare through refrigeration step)
Filling
- 7–8 chocolate shortbread cookies (about 140 g), crushed into crumbs (store-bought gluten-free chocolate cookies may be substituted)
- 6 oz (170 g) milk chocolate, chopped
- 2.5 oz (71 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 9 tbsp (127 g) butter
- 1/3 cup (105 g) honey
Glaze
- 4 oz (113 g) milk chocolate
- 4 oz (113 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
- 8 tbsp (113 g) butter
- 1 tbsp (20 g) honey
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (158 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- 2/3 cup (57 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 12 tbsp (170 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
Make Dough
- Prepare the gluten-free sweet dough according to your recipe, including proofing and chilling overnight.
Make Cookies
- Whisk together flour blend, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light. Add dry ingredients and mix into a dough. Roll out to 1/8–1/4 inch and cut into squares.
- Bake at 325°F for 13–15 minutes until fragrant and dry on top. Cool completely and pulse into crumbs for the filling.
Make Filling
- Combine chopped chocolates and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals until nearly melted. Stir until smooth, then add honey and cookie crumbs. Let cool until spreadable.
Shape and Bake Babka
- Prepare two 8 x 4½-inch loaf pans with parchment or nonstick spray.
- Divide chilled dough in two. Roll each piece into a rectangle approximately 13 x 18 inches, using flour to prevent sticking. Freeze briefly if needed to firm the dough.
- Spread filling over each rectangle, leaving a ½-inch border on one short edge. Roll tightly into logs and pinch to seal.
- Cut each roll in half lengthwise, cross the halves and twist gently to create the babka braid. Place in prepared pans, cover, and allow to rise until almost doubled (1–2 hours).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves for 30–35 minutes, until they spring back lightly when touched. Cool in pans 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make Glaze
- Melt the chocolates with butter and honey in 30-second microwave intervals, stirring until smooth. Spoon or pour over cooled babkas and allow the glaze to set before slicing.
Notes
- Store wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months.
- The recipe can be halved to make a single loaf—halve the dough, filling, and glaze amounts.
- If you make the chocolate shortbread cookies, you will likely have extras. They keep well and are delicious on their own.
Adapted from Melissa Weller’s A Good Bake (recipe adapted and adjusted for a gluten-free dough and an updated filling and glaze).