Chocolate Expresso Currant Bread Pudding

This is bread pudding for adults. Croissants or Chelsea buns soak overnight in a custard built around bittersweet chocolate, strong coffee, and a generous handful of currants. The result is a dense, fudgy pudding with deep coffee notes that play against the sweetness of the bread.

The overnight soak is non-negotiable. A full 6 hours minimum lets the custard saturate every air pocket of the croissants and gives the chocolate-coffee mixture time to fully infuse the bread. Skip it and you get dry pockets and a thin custard that hasn’t fully bonded with the bread.

Using croissants in place of standard sandwich bread is the move that transforms this from rustic to luxurious. The buttery, layered pastry collapses into the custard and creates pockets of richness throughout, while the laminated layers stay slightly distinct for textural contrast.

Pro Tips

• Pour the hot chocolate-coffee milk over the bread first, then the cool egg mixture, this prevents the eggs from scrambling on contact.
• Cover with foil during baking to prevent the top from over-browning, the soft custard interior needs gentle, even heat.
• Test for doneness with a knife in the center, it should come out moist but clean. A wet knife means more time.
• Serve warm but not hot. Let it rest 10 minutes after baking so the custard sets up.
• Refrigerate leftovers and reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Variations

• Use brioche or challah in place of croissants for a softer, more traditional bread pudding texture.
• Add a tablespoon of dark rum or coffee liqueur to the custard for a boozy edge.
• Swap currants for chopped dried cherries or dried apricots for a different fruit profile.