Huckleberry Coffee Chocolate Bread Pudding
There is a quiet kind of comfort that comes from baking outdoors. The smell of wood smoke mixing with sweet cream and dark chocolate feels like home in the Rockies. This bread pudding takes that familiar warmth and gives it a Colorado twist with brioche soaked in fruit-forward coffee, layered with dark chocolate and huckleberries, and baked low and steady in a pellet smoker until the edges caramelize and the center turns silky.
We have made this recipe many times using apple or cherry wood, both adding a mellow sweetness that enhances the chocolate and fruit. If you do not have a smoker, the oven works beautifully too. It will not have that same whisper of campfire in every bite, but the flavor will still carry that same Colorado comfort. The smoke does not overpower. It completes the story and turns simple ingredients into something shaped by altitude, air, and slow smoke.
Smoked Huckleberry Coffee Chocolate Bread Pudding
8
15 minutes
45 minutes
430
American
Dessert
This dessert belongs on a pellet smoker as much as any brisket or rib. The combination of mellow, fruit-forward coffee and tart huckleberries feels right at home beside wood smoke. Choose a light or medium roast from Ethiopia, Kenya, or Burundi to bring out the natural fruit notes and complement the chocolate. Baking it in a smoker with apple or cherry wood adds that subtle campfire sweetness that cannot be faked.
What comes out is a bread pudding with crisp smoky edges and a custard center that is rich but not heavy. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of cream, and you will see why smoke and dessert belong on the same table in The New Smoke of the West.
Ingredients
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- 6 cups cubed brioche or challah bread, day-old preferred
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup brewed light-to-medium roast coffee (Ethiopian, Kenyan, or Burundi origin), cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- ½ cup fresh or frozen huckleberries (or substitute wild blueberries if unavailable)
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- Vanilla ice cream
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Extra huckleberries or chocolate shavings
Directions
- Preheat the Smoker. Preheat your pellet smoker to 350°F using apple or cherry wood pellets. For oven baking, preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Make the Custard. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, coffee, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sea salt until smooth.
- Soak the Bread. Add the bread cubes to the custard mixture and stir gently to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes so the bread fully absorbs the liquid.
- Add Chocolate and Berries. Fold in the dark chocolate and huckleberries, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Spread evenly.
- Bake in the Smoker. Place the dish directly on the smoker grate and bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is just set. Rotate halfway through for even browning. The edges should have a gentle crust while the middle remains soft and custardy.
- Rest and Serve. Remove from the smoker and rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream. Garnish with huckleberries or chocolate shavings if desired.
