This Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread is a delicious version of the traditional Irish bread. The brown sugar gives this bread a delicious caramel flavor. Serve it with softened butter.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays that I don’t celebrate. I never have. I don’t drink green beer, I don’t eat Irish food, I don’t pinch people (please don’t touch me ever lol) and I always forget to wear green. But I do love bread. And I love Irish soda bread.
What Is Irish Soda Bread?
Irish soda bread has the most humblest of beginnings. It was made during time when it was difficult to access high-quality ingredients. It was simple: low-protein flour, “soda” aka baking soda (for leavening), soured milk and…umm…that’s it!
This is what I like to call reworked Irish soda bread. It has a bit of cold grated butter, some rolled oats for texture. And instead of raisins, I added chocolate chips because I love myself.
This loaf was a hot mess the first go around because I was silly enough to forget the baking soda. Like, I had a literal blank moment where I thought I added it but when it didn’t rise or brown or anything after 45 minutes of baking, I knew something was majorly wrong.
I made it again and made sure to add the baking soda first. Problem solved.
I added a bit of honey butter onto a warm slice and it tasted like heaven.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread
- Mix the dry ingredients together. There’s all-purpose, dark brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Grate the cold butter. And then mix it into the flour mixture. As a result, the butter is going to give this soda bread a nice flaky quality and texture.
- Add the rolled oats and chocolate chips.
- Pour in the buttermilk. I love using buttermilk because it gives a nice tang.
- Form the dough into a ball.
- Score the top.
- And then bake the Irish Soda bread.
Mix up some honey butter and serve it alongside the slightly cooled Irish Soda Bread.
Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
Irish Soda Bread:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk shaken
- 1 large egg beaten, for egg wash (optional)
Salted Honey Butter:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
To Make the Soda Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Using a box grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredients and mix quickly, being sure the butter is broken up into pea-sized bits. Next, add the rolled oats and chocolate chips; toss them gently in the flour mixture so they are evenly distributed.
- Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, mix it together until it forms a shaggy ball. Drop the soda bread dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead a few times, being sure to not over handle it, which will result in tough bread. Form the soda bread into a 1 1/2-inch thick disc. Using a knife, score the top, forming an X, and brush it with the egg wash OR you could always use buttermilk.
- Transfer the soda bread to the baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, and until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with plenty of honey butter.
To Make the Honey Butter:
- Mix together the butter, salt and honey. Mix until smooth. Serve alongside soda bread.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this Chocolate Irish Soda Bread, let me know on Instagram!
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This is delicious!
I made it just as the recipe shows (don’t understand why some people talked about raisins) but added 1/2 cup Heaths Toffee Bits also.
A definite do again!
Adrianna, I am a baking novice, senior citizen. Please advise with regard to Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread recipe. Does it call for 3.25 cups of flour or three .25 cups (3/4)
Thanks, Kevin
3.25!
If I don’t have buttermilk can I use something else?
Raisins in baked goods are LIARS– I’ve bit into too way too many cookies expecting chocolate chips just to get horrid squishy raisins. As my friend just said, “Raisins in cookies should come with a neon sign.” I just made this using dried cherries, semisweet chocolate chips, and whole wheat pastry flour and OH MY GOODNESS IS IT DELICIOUS. I did find it was done baking in about 35 minutes (and my oven usually runs cool?) The honey butter really makes it- thank you so much for sharing. It’s going to become a standard.
Raisins are TRADITIONAL in Irish Soda Bread.
I’ve made this twice. The taste is very good. But both times the amount of milk was too much, it comes out too soupy and then you have to add more flour. I suggest that you only use 1 1/4 cups of milk to start with. And since I’m very traditional add3/4 cup of raisins.
Chocolate chips and honey butter? Yes, please!
I made this today and it turned out great! The recipe comes together very fast. The bread itself it not very sweet, so the chocolate chips and honey butter were excellent additions. Thanks for the great recipe!
My Irish great-grandmother would have loved this recipe, especially the addition of chocolate chips! I pinned it, and I will definitely try it this month!
YAAASSS! This looks amazing!
OH, yum! I never think I like Irish soda bread and then whenever I take a bite, I’m always like “this is yummy – why is this a once a year thing?” I even ate a whole loaf myself in 2 days a couple years ago! And adding chocolate is a brilliant upgrade 😉
“instead of raisins, I added chocolate chips because I love myself” might be the greatest (and most true) thing I’ve ever read on a food blog
Looks and sounds delicious!