This Chocolate Donut Bread is a deliciously soft and moist treat with rich chocolate flavor, a crunchy sweet topping, and smooth milk chocolate ganache. It’s like combining the best parts of a chocolate donut and a loaf of bread into one irresistible breakfast, snack, or dessert, and I am here for it! If you love the idea of donut bread, you will definitely want to try my Cinnamon Sugar Donut Bread, too! It’s just as soft and moist, with a sweet cinnamon flavor and a sugar coating for sugar donut lovers.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for the bread. It gives the bread its structure and holds everything together so it is not too crumbly or dense. If using gluten-free flour, look for a blend made for baking (with xanthan gum).
- Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the bread. It also gives a slight caramel-like flavor because of the molasses in it, making the chocolate taste even richer!
- Cocoa Powder: I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder in both the bread and the topping. The cocoa powder in the bread gives it a rich chocolate flavor, making it taste like a chocolate donut. In the topping, the cocoa powder mixes with sugar and nutmeg to add a sweet, slightly crunchy coating that makes each bite even more delicious!
- Espresso Powder: The espresso powder helps bring out the rich chocolate flavor in the bread. It doesn’t make the bread taste like coffee—it just makes the chocolate taste even better! If you don’t have espresso powder, you can leave it out or use instant coffee powder instead.
- Topping: The topping adds a sweet, slightly crunchy layer to the bread. Brushing melted butter on top helps the sugar mixture stick, while the mix of granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and nutmeg gives extra sweetness, a little more chocolate flavor, and a warm hint of spice.
- Ganache: The milk chocolate ganache is a smooth, shiny chocolate sauce made with melted chocolate and heavy cream. When poured over the bread, it creates a sweet, chocolaty topping with a glossy finish and a little extra sweetness. If you don’t have heavy cream, I also have a butter chocolate ganache recipe you can use instead!
Can I Make Chocolate Donut Bread Without Ganache?
Absolutely! In fact, our taste testers had mixed opinions on whether the chocolate donut bread is better with or without the ganache. Personally, I think skipping the ganache gives it more of a classic donut vibe, but either way is delicious- you really can’t go wrong!
Can You Add Mix-Ins To Chocolate Donut Bread?
You can definitely add other mix-ins to the chocolate donut bread to make it your own! If you love chocolate, add more chocolate chips. For a little crunch, try nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds. Mini marshmallows will make it gooey and fun. Dried fruit, like cherries or raisins, can balance out the sweetness. You can also chop up your favorite candy, like caramel or toffee, for something extra special. Just don’t add too much so the bread still bakes well!
How To Serve Chocolate Donut Bread
You can serve chocolate donut bread in a bunch of ways to make it even more delicious. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Warm: Serve it warm, straight from the oven, or lightly reheated in the microwave. This brings out the rich, chocolatey flavor and makes the ganache extra gooey.
- With a Hot Drink: Pair it with a hot beverage like coffee, hot cocoa, or milk for a cozy treat. Or, try a slice with my frozen hot chocolate or homemade chocolate frosty for a summertime treat!
- As a Dessert: Serve it as a dessert, either on its own or with a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on the side.
- For breakfast or snacks: Slice it up for a sweet start to the day or a tasty afternoon snack. I love it with a cup of coffee or tea.
- Add a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) or a few extra chocolate chips on top for a little extra touch when serving.
Enjoy your chocolate donut bread however you like best! I know I will!
How To Store Chocolate Donut Bread: With or Without Ganache
With Ganache: If you’ve already added the ganache, store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you plan to store it for longer, keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week (though refrigeration can cause the bread to dry out more quickly, so I don’t recommend it). The ganache may lose its smooth, glossy texture after storage, but it will still taste just as delicious.
Without Ganache: If you haven’t added the ganache yet, store the bread without it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can add the ganache when ready to serve.
Can I Freeze Chocolate Donut Bread?
Yes, you can freeze chocolate donut bread with or without the ganache! Just let the bread cool completely before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Then, place it in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. This helps keep the bread fresh and prevents freezer burn. When ready to eat it, let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours or overnight. If the bread has ganache, it may lose its smooth, glossy look after freezing, but it will still taste great!
Chocolate Donut Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (59 g) regular unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon regular unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- 1 bag (11.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be slightly loose; avoid overmixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, carefully transfer it to a wire rack placed over a large piece of parchment paper.
Topping
- While the bread is still warm, brush the entire surface with the melted butter for the sugar coating.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, and nutmeg. Evenly sprinkle this mixture over the butter-coated surface of the bread, pressing gently to help it adhere. Turn the loaf as needed to coat all sides completely.
- Set aside while you make the ganache.
Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips into a heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl aside as you heat up the cream.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn the cream.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute or two before slowly stirring until all chips are melted.
- Pour or drizzle the ganache over the top of the bread. Let it drip down the sides for a beautiful finish.
- After adding the ganache, let the bread rest for a few minutes to allow the ganache to firm up before slicing.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This bread is so good on its own, and the ganache makes it extra special!
Elizabeth
I love this donut bread both with and without the ganache! I like the texture of the crusty outside that you get without the ganache.
Stephanie
This is such a delicious twist on regular bread and regular donuts. Genius!
Annabelle
This is moist, chocolatey, and the ganache gives it a little more sweetness. I could eat chocolate like this for breakfast!
Bella
This bread is like a dessert! I love it!
Thank you so much for the amazing recipes! I use them frequently
Very nice
One of the best bread/dessert that I have had; especially since I am not a fan of chocolate. I think I have just become one, that is a fan of chocolate, after trying this recipe.
No so much a comment as I haven’t tried recipe yet. I’m a diabetic and was wondering if Splenda would make a difference in the taste, texture, and all around recipe. 1 and a half cups of sugar is not doable for me.
Also, could this be baked as muffins, like the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Bread?
Delicious. I followed the recipe as written and opted to omit the ganache topping only because of time constraints. My entire family loved it. We all also loved the cinnamon sugar donut bread recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! We were split 50/50 on the glaze option… I didn’t want to add it. But others said you HAVE to have chocolate “glazed” donut bread!! 😂
This is probably the best chocolate bread I have had. I was never a fan of chocolate until I tried this recipe.
Absolutely delicious! I used dark chocolate chips for the ganache, also only made half of what the the ganache recipe called for and it was plenty.
This is a fabulous recipe and I don’t even make the ganache. I do add mini chocolate chips to the batter. It’s so good I wish I could give it an 11 out of 10!