Easy double chocolate skillet bread pudding: Brunch it shall be

Minimalist Baker blogger Dana Shultz is on a mission to make delicious cooking and baking way, way easy. Her strategy is to create recipes that either take less than 30 minutes to make or require 10 or fewer ingredients. Her new cookbook, Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking: 101 Entirely Plant-Based, Mostly Gluten-Free, Easy and Delicious Recipes, delivers just that.

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Take this chocolate skillet bread pudding recipe, for example, which would make an excellent brunch dish. Let these 10 ingredients work their magic overnight in the refrigerator and next morning bake into a molten, chocolaty delight, and you’ve got your new favorite weekend treat.

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Double chocolate skillet bread pudding recipe

Upon taking my first bite of this experimental dessert, I audibly squealed. I didn’t know if tofu would work in the same way eggs do in traditional bread pudding, and I was so pleasantly surprised when the answer was a resounding yes! This bread pudding is tender on the inside, crisp on the outside and loaded with chocolate flavor. Serve this crowd-pleasing dessert at holiday gatherings or dinner parties with a little coconut whipped cream or dairy-free ice cream.

Serves 6

Prep time: 2 hours 15 minutes | Cook time: 50 minutes | Total time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) coconut oil (or sub vegan butter), divided
• 12 ounces (340 grams) stale/dry white or wheat bread (rustic loaves are best)
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) vegan dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 8 ounces (226 grams) silken extra-firm tofu, patted dry*
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) unsweetened plain almond milk
• 1/4 cup (24 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
• 1/2 cup (96 grams) coconut sugar (or sub organic cane sugar), plus more for topping
• 1 tablespoon (7 grams) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Use 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of coconut oil (or vegan butter) to generously grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or an  8 x 8-inch baking dish.
2. Slice or tear the bread into 1/2-inch cubes, and add them to the skillet. Top with the chopped chocolate, and spread to distribute.
3. To a blender, add the remaining ingredients, and purée until smooth. Taste, and adjust the flavor as needed, then pour over the bread.
4. Cover, and let soak for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight (6 – 8 hours) in the refrigerator, periodically poking down or turning over any pieces of bread that are above the liquid and appear dry.
5. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until the top has some color and the center is no longer wet.
6. Remove from the oven, and turn the oven temperature to low broil. Spray or brush the top of the bread pudding with 1/2 tablespoon (7-1/2 milliliters) of melted coconut oil (or vegan butter), and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon more of coconut or cane sugar.
7. Return to the oven on the middle rack for 1 – 2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is nice and crusty. Do not walk away to ensure it doesn’t burn.
8. Let cool 5 – 10 minutes before serving. Serve as is, with dairy-free ice cream or with coconut whipped cream.

Note: *Be sure to use silken tofu for this recipe, or the texture will not get as creamy and smooth, and the flavor will be negatively affected.

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