This homemade gluten free chocolate babka bakes with a soft crumb and lots of decadent, delicious chocolate swirls. I include a dairy-free version, and lots of step-by-step photos to walk you through making this homemade babka recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This light and fluffy gluten-free babka has a soft crumb and is swirled with rich chocolate. You can taste that chocolate in every bite. There is a tested dairy-free version as well.
We used to eat babka often before going gluten free. Mr. Fearless Dining’s grandmother used to make it for us with a sweet poppy seed filling. It was one of our favorite recipes; she always seemed to have it ready to serve when we visited.
Going gluten free changed that, and it has been so many years since I have been able to enjoy babka. When my friend Beth at OMG Yummy published her new cookbook, The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook, a chocolate babka recipe was featured on the cover. I took one look, and I knew I needed to find a way to make a gluten free version.
I tested this recipe several times with both the old and newer versions of Cup4Cup. I wish Cup4Cup had both versions available, but unfortunately, they only sell the non-dairy blend now. The Cup4Cup versions were pretty similar, though I felt like the older version got more golden on top. The Cup4Cup was softer and a little trickier to twist.
I decided to test another blend to give readers options: Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend. It is the best gluten free flour for babka and shaped breads. The dough is firmer, and it was able to stand up to the twisting of the dough much more easily. Note: You will need to add 1/4 additional milk or non-dairy milk if you use this blend, as it has higher moisture needs.
This babka recipe is the result, and after several rounds of testing with two different flour blends, it is the closest I have gotten to the babka I remember.
This was great! I used the Steve’s bread flour with great results. I also don’t have a bread maker, so I mixed it up following the method in your challah recipe and it worked great.”
vanessa C., blog comment
If you love gluten free bread, you will want to check out all of my delicious gluten free bread recipes! If you want more recipes using Authentic Foods Steve’s Bread Blend, you can find all of the recipes in this Steve’s Bread Blend Collection.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested Cup4Cup (both the old dairy and the new version), and Authentic Foods Steve’s GF Bread Blend. Note: Steve’s was by far my favorite flour for this recipe. If you use Cup4Cup, you need a lot more flour. I talk about the testing notes above. Other blends will work, but you need to verify they work in yeast recipes. Read About Which Gluten Free Flour Blends to use to learn more.
- Binder – Binders are very important for holding gluten free baked goods together. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon. Read Why Binders Are Important In Gluten Free Baking to learn more.
- Bittersweet Chocolate – I tested both Ghirardelli and Guittard chocolate chips, and both tasted great.
- Cocoa Powder – Most cocoa powder is gluten free. My favorites are Ghirardelli, Hershey, and Anthony’s.
- Yeast – Most yeast brands are gluten-free, but do not use Red Star Platinum because that one variety has gluten. I used active dry yeast, but rapid yeast works as well. If you use rapid yeast, just mix it into the dry ingredients.
How to Make Gluten Free Babka (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: I made the dough in my bread machine using the dough setting for this recipe. You can mix this up by hand in a bowl, or use a stand mixer to make the dough.
👀 Sandi Says: If you use Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend, you need to mix the dough in a stand mixer.
Step 2: I used the dough setting to mix the ingredients together into a soft dough, and then removed the dough.
Step 3: Rise your dough in the bread machine, or let it rise for one hour on the counter.
Step 4: Carefully move the dough to a flour-dusted silicone mat. If you used Cup4Cup or another yeast-friendly dough, this dough is wetter than a normal dough, so you want to liberally dust gluten-free flour over the mat and dough.
Step 5: Add the chocolate-filling ingredients to a saucepan. Cook on low to melt the chocolate.
Step 6: Remove from the stove and allow to cool.
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 7: Press the dough flat to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. This gives you a large enough rectangle to roll the dough over several times. Dust with gluten free flour blend as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 8: Use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough. Avoid the edges so the chocolate paste doesn’t leak out while you roll it.
Step 9: Roll the dough just as you would for cinnamon rolls. Place the roll onto a piece of parchment paper. This will help you get the loaf out of the loaf pan more easily.
Step 10: Use a sharp knife to cut the dough gently in half lengthwise.
Step 11: Gently turn each piece so the chocolate swirls are exposed. Pinch the end and gently twist the dough as you would a two-strand braid. Again, this can be tricky depending on which gluten free flour blend you used. The Cup4Cup dough is much softer than the Steve’s bread blend dough. Do your best, and the next rise will help sort out some of the odd bulges.
Step 12: Gently lift the parchment paper with the twisted babka dough and set it, along with the parchment paper, into a loaf pan. Let it rise for 45 minutes. To rise the dough in a warm spot, you can preheat your oven to 175º F. Turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven. Crack the oven door open.
Step 13: Bake at 350º F for 35 to 40 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on how tall the babka dough is. Use a digital thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 190º to 195º F.
Step 14: In a pan, melt the sugar and water together, and then brush this glaze over the baked babka. Move the bread to a cooling rack. Slice it when it has fully cooled. The finished loaf slices to reveal distinct chocolate swirls against a soft, slightly sweet crumb. It looks and tastes close enough to the original that it is hard to believe it is gluten-free.
If you want to try another Jewish bread recipe, these Gluten-Free Challah and Gluten Free Czech Poppy Cake are family favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions:
This cake was originally named Baba, meaning grandmother. There are many different versions from Babi to Babka, meaning little grandmother.
Babka is a Jewish bread with origins in Jewish communities in Poland and the Ukraine. It is popular in Israel and often served for Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays (except Passover)
You can make this babka dairy-free with vegan butter and non-dairy milk. Use a dairy-free chocolate chip like Enjoy Life.
Gluten free dough needs to be moister than gluten-based baking. It makes the dough softer and trickier to roll. This is why I loved using the Authentic Foods Steve’s Bread Blend because it felt like working with real dough.
This bread will keep fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
No, a babka is leavened, so it is not appropriate for Passover.
If you love this sweet bread, you will also want to try my Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe. Also, try my Gluten Free Brioche recipe!
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
If you need more baking inspiration, try one of these delicious gluten free cake recipes:
- The Best Gluten Free Honey Cake
- Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Gluten Free Apple Bundt Cake
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Fluffy Gluten Free Chocolate Babka
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see notes
- 2 teaspoons rapid or active dry yeast * see notes
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup warm milk or non-dairy milk * See notes for moisture adjustments
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup chocolate chips * I prefer semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped nuts – optional
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup water
Equipment
Method
- For this recipe, using the Cup4Cup flour blend, I mixed the dough in my bread machine using the dough setting. *NOTE. If you use Authentic Foods Steve's Bread Blend, which I also tested, you will need to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix the dough.
- Add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup warm milk or non-dairy milk, and partially melted 5 tablespoons unsalted butter to your bread machine or stand mixer. Sprinkle the 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over the wet ingredients, then add the 2 teaspoons rapid or active dry yeast (packet) on top.
- Let the bread machine or stand mixer mix the dough. After it is mixed, Remove the dough from the bread machine for rising.
- If you are using a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients and mix on low. Add the flour and slowly increase the speed until the dough is coming off the sides of the bowl.
- Carefully move the dough to a silicone mat. If using Cup4Cup or another yeast friendly flour blend, the dough may be a little wetter than a normal dough. Dust the silicone mat liberally with gluten free flour. If you are using Steve's Bread Blend, you will not need to do this.
- In a saucepan, add the1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/3 cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons cane sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook this mixture on low heat to melt the chocolate all together.
- Remove from the stove and allow to cool so it is warm, but not hot.
- Press the dough flat to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness in a rectangular shape. Dust with gluten free flour blend as needed to prevent sticking.
- Spread the chocolate mixture around the dough. Avoid the edges. Roll the dough just like you would in making cinnamon rolls. Place the roll onto parchment paper.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough gently in half lengthwise.
- This is where it gets a little tricky. The dough should be workable. The Cup4Cup dough will be softer than Steve's blend. Open the cut halves so the exposed chocolate faces upward. Move the two next to each other. Pinch one end.
- Gently twist the dough. Do your best, and the rise will help sort out any odd bulges. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- Gently lift the parchment paper with the twisted babka dough and set it with the parchment paper into a large loaf pan. Let it rise for 45 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350º F. Move the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Use the bake setting, NOT convection bake.
- Bake the babka for 40-45 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size and material of your loaf pan.
- In a pan, melt 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup water together, and then brush this glaze over the baked babka.
Nutrition
Notes
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe with both Cup4Cup (both versions with and without the dried milk powder) and Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend. Steve’s blend is superior and made for shaping bread, and this means it is easier to work with. If you use another yeast-friendly blend, you may need to add more flour or milk to make the dough workable.
- NOTE: If you use Steve’s blend, add 1/4 cup of additional milk or non-dairy milk. This blend has a higher moisture requirement.
- Binder – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Bittersweet chocolate – I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips because I like how they melt. I also tested this with Guittard bittersweet chocolate.
- Cocoa powder – Most cocoa powder is gluten free. My favorites are Ghirardelli, Hershey, and Anthony’s.
- Yeast – Most brands of yeast are gluten free, but do not use Red Star Platinum because that one variety has gluten.
- This babka will keep fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I’ve been making GF desserts to be like our non GF desserts for my niece when we all get together ever since she’s needed to be GF . One tip for ease of cutting the roll in half is to freeze it for 15 minutes. Get a clean cut and able to criss cross better. I do have a question though: what is to be done when dough hook can’t get GF yeasted dough into a ball? Is it hydration due to addition of xanthan gum? Dough just goes around in big clump.
Hi Sha, thank you for the tip to slightly freeze the dough. As for the dough hook, I find for gluten free, I have better luck using a paddle attachment. What gluten free flour blend are you using? That will help me help you with what you are describing.
This was great! I used the steve’s bread flour with great results. I also don’t have a bread maker, so I mixed it up following the method in your challah recipe and it worked great.
You are making great use of the flour! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Sandi! I am Gluten Free 20 years and all those years ago when I would go to a restaurant and ask if something was GF, they’d say what’s that? They were so clueless even after explaining…they’d lie and say yes! I was sick all the time!!!
I grew up in NY with all the Baked Breads Goodness you can imagine. My Great Grandmother had a bakery in Ukraine and with that knowledge I grew up with a love of baking all my life. So that Dx was absolutely a curse.
I have been cooking GF and baking GF breads with a mix (now having a Celiac kid as well) but there are still some things that pain me… No Challah… No Babka…No Pierogi … No decent Pizza! All I can say is if this is good…Gd Bless You!!!
I miss the good stuff in NY too! This babka is really good. I suspect which gluten free flour blend used will make a difference as starchier blends tend to need more liquid and can bake dry. Keep me posted when you make it.