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Chocolate Babka mini on tan plate - one whole and one cut in half.

Chocolate Babka Minis with Cream Cheese Glaze

Beth Lee
Chocolate Babka minis or baby babkas are filled with chocolate and topped with streusel and cream cheese glaze. These individual portions are the perfect excuse not to share your babka.
5 from 15 votes
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Jewish Holiday Baking
Servings 24
Calories 309 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest or orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
  • ¾ cup warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, room temperature

For the chocolate filling

  • 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • ½ cup toasted and chopped pecans optional

For the streusel

  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup toasted and chopped pecans
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

For the cream cheese glaze

  • 2 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ tablespoon orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions
 

Make the dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and zest.
    Dry ingredients whisked in mixer bowl.
  • Add the salt, egg, egg yolk, and milk.
    Wet ingredients for babka dough added to whisked dry ingredients.
  • Using the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, knead on low speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    Wet and dry ingredients well mixed with dough hook on stand mixer.
  • When the mixture is mostly combined, add the softened butter, 2 cubes at a time, mixing after each addition until incorporated. This process should take about 5 minutes.
    Adding butter to dough in stand mixer.
  • After all the butter is added, continue to knead for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary. If the dough is overly sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is smooth, slightly sticky, and elastic.
    Babka dough in red bowl ready to rise.
  • First rise: Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours. (Alternatively, place it in the refrigerator to rise overnight and make fresh babka in the morning.)
    Babka dough in red bowl already risen.

Make the chocolate filling

  • Place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl or a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
    Chocolate and butter unmelted in a red bowl.
  • For microwave use 15 second increments and stir - when the chips and butter are almost melted, stirring should bring it to a smooth, totally melted consistency. If using a saucepan, stir over medium low heat until melted.
    Melted butter and chocolate shiny and mixed in a red bowl with wooden spoon.
  • Add the sugars, cocoa powder, and salt and stir well. If using a pan, turn heat off, add ingredients and stir. Set aside to cool while you form the babka.
    Sugars and cocoa added to melted butter and chocolate in red bowl.
  • Once cooled, the filling should be spreadable like peanut butter.
    Chocolate filling ready to go in red bowl.

Make the streusel

  • Combine all ingredients except butter in a small bowl.
    Streusel ingredients except butter in white bowl.
  • Add butter and incorporate well until it is one with the dry ingredients. I find my hands the best tool for this.
    Streusel ingredients in white bowl with butter incorporated.

Form the mini chocolate babkas

  • Prep: Clear a clean work area. Grease two 12-cup cupcake or muffin tins.
  • Form the dough into a rectangle and roll it out to at least a 18-by-8-inch rectangle on a clean work surface, with the long edge closest to you.
    Babka dough rolled out with measuring tape next to it.
  • Spread the cooled filling on the rectangle, all the way to the edges if possible.
    Chocolate filling spread on babka dough.
  • Sprinkle the filling with the cinnamon and pecans, if using.
    Pecans and cinnamon sprinkled on top of dough.
  • Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up like a log. Pinch along the seam to be sure it seals; then place the log seam-side down on the work surface.
    Start rolling up babka dough from the long end.
  • Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 1.5-inch slices and place each piece in a cupcake tin cut side up.
    Babka log and blue ruler with a serrated knife showing.
  • Second rise: Cover the cupcake tins with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for up to 1 ½ hours, or until it expands in volume by about 20 - 30 percent. (You can accelerate this rise by placing the dough in a warmer environment like a proofing drawer.) If the dough slowly springs back when poked, it’s ready to bake.
    Baby babkas ready to rise in muffin tins.
  • Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Mini babkas in cupcake tin already rise and ready to bake.
  • Sprinkle streusel on top of babkas after they have risen.
    Unbaked babkas with streusel sprinkled on top.
  • Bake: Bake the babka for 20 minutes, or until the top is brown and the internal temperature reaches at least 190°F.
    Babkas just out of the oven.

Make the cream cheese glaze

  • Make cream cheese glaze: While the babka bakes, make the cream cheese glaze. Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. If making in advance, store in the refrigerator and whisk vigorously before using to be sure it is pourable.
    Cream cheese glaze ready to use in a red bowl.

To finish

  • Cool: Remove the babkas from the oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, place on a cooling rack. Apply cream cheese glaze when completely cooled. Use a spoon or a piping bag, depending on how natural a look you prefer. I recommend applying the cream cheese glaze shortly before serving. The babkas can remain at room temperature for up to two days, but the glaze cannot. Once you apply the glaze, you should serve them within a couple of hours. And store any leftovers with glaze on them in the refrigerator.
    Chocolate babkas on cooling rack with cream cheese glaze on top.

Notes

  • If this seems like a lot of steps, remember the streusel and the glaze and the filling can all be made ahead of time or while the dough is rising. Then it's just a matter of putting it all together. And well, then you have babka so what more do I need to say?!!
  • I love how the cream cheese glaze looks and tastes, but it's not absolutely necessary. The recipe in my book has neither the streusel or the cream cheese glaze - just a simple syrup glaze and it's a knockout.
  • You can knead this dough by hand but a stand mixer with a dough hook means you can walk away while it's kneading and work on something else. I've grown to love my stand mixer!

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 216mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 3gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 370IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg
Keyword babka, chocolate, pastry
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