Brazilian Chocolate Bread Pudding Flan Recipe (5 Ingredients)

Chocolate bread pudding is an easy and delish baked dessert made with only 5 ingredients: stale bread, milk, eggs, sugar and cocoa powder. You will fall in love with my Brazilian Chocolate Bread Pudding Flan Recipe, which comes from my NEW COOKBOOK, The Complete 5-Ingredient Cookbook. With just the right amount of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor, this smooth and creamy dessert will be your new favorite! (with VIDEO)

Chocolate Bread Pudding, the Brazilian Way

Bread pudding as we know it can be traced back to the 12^th century. It was likely a dish born out of need, as it was a great way to use up stale bread and make it more palatable. In 13^th century England, bread pudding was known as the “poor man’s pudding” because it was usually eaten by the lower classes. As with many of our favorite comfort foods, this dish that was once looked down upon as simple food for “peasants,” is now a beloved tradition.

Many countries have their own version of bread pudding: for example, in Venezuela, there is pudín de pan, Spain has pan de Calatrava, Puerto Rico’s bread pudding is called budin, Mexico has a type of bread pudding called Capirotada, and in Portugal and Brazil it is pudim de pão. In the U.S. bread pudding is a popular dessert in the Southern states.

Brazilian bread pudding is much smoother in texture than most others, which are more chunky. We bake the dessert in a Bundt pan with a caramel glaze. When you turn the baked bread pudding out of the pan onto a serving plate, the delicious caramel coats the pudding, much like a flan. It is heavenly!

In short, this is not your old-fashioned bread pudding!

What is a Bread Pudding Flan?

Very simply put, bread pudding flan is a fusion of bread pudding and flan. It is baked in the oven using a bain-marie and has the delicious caramelized glaze.

You’ll find my chocolate bread pudding recipe to be smooth and creamy with a texture similar to a flan, although denser and firmer. It also has a bittersweet chocolate flavor!

As you can see, it is different from its American cousin, which has a chunky texture and doesn't have that caramel glaze cascading down the sides.

The NEW Cookbook

This recipe for chocolate bread pudding comes from my new cookbook, The Complete 5-Ingredient Cookbook. The cookbook contains so many wonderful recipes that you can take advantage of daily. Here’s what is included:

• 175 easy recipes, all made with 5 main ingredients.
• 5 (1-week) meal plans with shopping lists for different diets/lifestyles, such as global feasts, gluten-free, quick and easy, low carb, and vegetarian.
• Useful tips on how to stock your pantry and freeze meals.
• Quick and easy ethnic foods that you can make at home, in case you miss dining out. Plus, 25% of the recipes are adapted for slow cooker and pressure cooker cooking methods.

BONUS: If you are an overwhelmed parent, you’ll find these recipes are super-fun to make with your kids!

 

The Ingredients and Possible Substitutes

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make the Brazilian Chocolate Bread Pudding Flan Recipe:

• 5 cups of stale baguette pieces – you’ll need to use a baguette that is stale so that it will be dry enough to soak up the milk. Also, too much moisture in the bread will impact the overall texture of the bread pudding. Cut the bread into ½-inch chunks (preferably) and make sure to measure packed tightly (not loosely). For a gluten-free version, use a GF bread!
• 3 cups milk, warmed – whole milk is best for this recipe as it has a higher fat content, which adds flavor and creaminess. To make this recipe dairy-free, use canned coconut milk instead.
• 3 cups sugar – part of the sugar will be incorporated into the bread pudding, while the other part will be used to create the caramel.
• ½ cup water – to make the caramel
• 4 large eggs – be sure to bring the eggs to room temperature by setting them out on your counter for at least 30 minutes before using them. Or soak them in warm water for 5-8 minutes if you are in a hurry.
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder – this ingredient adds rich chocolate flavor to the bread pudding flan. It contrasts with sugar, resulting in a bittersweet chocolate flavor.

How to Make the Chocolate Bread Pudding Flan with 5 Ingredients

Watch the video for complete instructions!

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, soak the bread in the warm milk until softened. This takes about 20 minutes.
2. While the bread is soaking, combine 1 cup of the sugar with the ½ cup of water in a medium non-stick saucepan. Heat this over medium-high heat and let the sugar dissolve without stirring. If you see sugar crystals begin to form on the sides of the pan, brush the sides down with a pastry brush dipped in a little water.
3. Every so often, gently swirl the pan around to lightly mix. You’ll see the color begin to change after 8-10 minutes. Once it has reached an amber color, remove the pan from the heat and pour the caramel into the bottom of a 10-inch Bundt pan. Using oven mitts, swirl the pan to fully coat the bottom with caramel. Set this aside to cool while you move on to the next steps.
4. Pour the soaked bread and the remaining 2 cups of sugar, eggs, and cocoa powder into a blender and blend until well combined. This takes about 1 minute. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the Bundt pan over the cooled caramel.
5. Bake the chocolate bread pudding flan on the middle rack in the oven at 350° F for 35-40 minutes. To check if the bread pudding is finished fully baking, insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center. If it comes out clean, it is ready.
6. Let it cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, or until it is just warm. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread pudding. Place a plate over the top of the pan, then gently turn it over to invert the bread pudding onto the plate. Lift the pan away from the bread pudding.

How to Serve Brazilian Chocolate Bread Pudding Flan

 

You can choose to serve the chocolate bread pudding warm or cover it and chill it in the refrigerator to serve cold.

Here are some optional garnishes for serving your bread pudding flan:

• Sliced fresh strawberries
• Whipped sweet cream
• Fresh mint leaf
• Fresh berries
• Shaved chocolate

Make-Ahead Instructions and How to Store

To make this dessert ahead of time, follow all of the steps to make the bread pudding flan as usual. Once it is fully baked and has cooled for 15 minutes, unmold it and cover to keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

On the other hand, don't freeze it because freezing will alter the creamy texture.

 

More 5 Ingredient Desserts

• Lemon Pudding Cake
• 130 Easy 5-Ingredient or Less Recipes
• No Bake Nutella Tart 
• Coffee Fudge Cups
• Brigadeiro Recipe
• Deep-Fried Bananas 

PIN & ENJOY!

 

Don’t forget to order your copy of The Complete 5-Ingredient Cookbook for 175 easy recipes, all made with just 5-ingredients!