This Chocolate Focaccia recipe combines semi-sweet chocolate chips and dried cherries in fluffy Italian bread. Easy homemade focaccia with olive oil and turbinado sugar topping.
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Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: A sweet Italian focaccia bread studded with chocolate chips and dried cherries, topped with olive oil and coarse sugar for a delightful dessert twist on traditional focaccia.
WHY: This recipe transforms classic Italian bread into an indulgent treat that’s perfect for brunch, dessert, or afternoon snacking with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
HOW: Mix yeast dough, fold in chocolate and cherries, let rise, then dimple and bake until golden with a sweet, crispy crust.
Jump to:
- Quick Recipe Overview
- Why I Love Making Chocolate Focaccia
- Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Chocolate Focaccia Bread With Cherries
- How To Make Chocolate Focaccia
- FAQs for Chocolate Focaccia
- My Best Tips for Making Chocolate Focaccia
- What to Serve With Chocolate Focaccia
- Storage & Reheating Tips
- More Yeast Bread Recipes to Try
Why I Love Making Chocolate Focaccia
Traditional focaccia holds a special place in Italian baking, but this sweet version adds a delightful twist. The combination of dried cherries and chocolate chips creates pockets of sweetness throughout the fluffy bread, while olive oil keeps everything incredibly moist and tender.
What makes this recipe special is how it bridges the gap between bread and dessert without being overly sweet. The turbinado sugar on top creates a subtle caramelized crust that contrasts beautifully with the soft interior.
This dough is forgiving for home bakers. The instant yeast saves time, and the wet scraper technique makes incorporating chocolate and cherries easy. Whether served warm with coffee for breakfast or as an after-dinner treat, this chocolate focaccia never fails to impress.
🩷 Melissa
Ready to transform your kitchen into an Italian bakery? This sweet chocolate cherry focaccia takes the beloved classic and gives it an irresistible makeover that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Imagine pulling apart pillowy-soft bread studded with melted chocolate and sweet-tart cherries, finished with a golden caramelized sugar crust that crackles with every bite.
It’s not quite bread, not quite dessert—it’s something wonderfully in between that works for brunch, afternoon coffee, or that moment when you need something special but don’t want to fuss.
Ingredient Notes
Instant Yeast vs. Active Dry: This recipe calls for rapid-rise instant yeast, which can be mixed directly with flour.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Don’t skimp on quality here. The olive oil contributes significant flavor to focaccia. Use a good extra-virgin variety.
Turbinado Sugar: This coarse, raw sugar adds delightful crunch and sparkle to the top. Raw sugar, demerara sugar, or even coarse sanding sugar work as substitutes. Avoid regular granulated sugar, which won’t provide the same texture.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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Sweet Chocolate Focaccia Bread With Cherries
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 envelope rapid-rise instant dry yeast
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water about 130 degrees
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Topping
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp. turbinado sugar coarse sugar
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, mix together 2 ½ cups flour, yeast and salt on low speed in your mixer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together water and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- With the mixer on low, pour in the liquids. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough begins to form. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining flour a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed, to make a dough that is elastic and a little moist, about 8 minutes.
- Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead in cherries and chocolate chips. (I used a wet scraper to help me knead them in.)
- Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl, turn to coat the ball with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 ½ hours). (If you’re in a hurry you can skip this first rise when using instant yeast.)
- Place the dough on a parchment lined 101/2 x 151/2-inch jelly roll pan. Pat and press the dough gently until the dough fills the pan completely. If the dough resists, let it rest for a few minutes before continuing. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and let it rise again until doubled in size (about 40-60 minutes).
- Preheat to 425º.
- When the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Dimple the surface of the risen focaccia using your fingertips (if it’s too sticky, dip your fingers in olive oil before dimpling the bread).
- Brush on 3 tablespoons olive oil to the surface of the dough. Sprinkle on the turbinado sugar.
- Bake the focaccia for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Lift the focaccia from the pan with the parchment paper edges. Cool on a rack before you slice to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Chocolate Focaccia
Step 1:Combine 2 ½ cups flour, yeast, and salt in your stand mixer bowl. Whisk together warm water (130°F) and 3 tablespoons olive oil, then pour into the flour mixture with the mixer on low. Mix until a sticky dough forms, switch to the dough hook, and gradually add remaining bread flour until the dough is elastic and slightly moist (about 8 minutes of mixing).
Step 2: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a wet bench scraper, gently knead in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and dried cherries until evenly distributed. Scrape the bottom of the pan and form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled (1-1½ hours). Note: You can skip this rise if using instant yeast and pressed for time. I like to use active dry yeast in my recipes.
Step 3: Transfer dough to a parchment-lined 10½ x 15½-inch jelly roll pan. Gently pat and press the dough to fill the pan completely. If it resists, let the dough rest 5 minutes before continuing. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (40-60 minutes).
Step 4: Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove plastic wrap and use your fingertips (dipped in olive oil if sticky) to dimple the entire surface of the risen focaccia. Brush the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over the top, then sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Lift from pan using parchment edges and place on the cooling rack before serving.
FAQs for Chocolate Focaccia
Bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks are ideal because they provide sweetness without overwhelming the bread. Dark chocolate chips (60-70% cacao) create a more sophisticated flavor, while milk chocolate makes it sweeter and more kid-friendly. For a richer taste of chocolate flavor, add cocoa powder to the dough.
Since this recipe uses instant yeast, you can skip the first rise if you’re in a hurry. However, the double rise creates better flavor development and a lighter texture, so I recommend it when you have time.
The most common culprits are adding too much flour during kneading or not letting the dough rise long enough. The dough should feel slightly moist and elastic, not dry. Make sure it truly doubles in size during rising. Placing it in a warm spot will speed up the process.
Yes! Dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried apricots all work beautifully in this recipe. Just maintain the same 1-cup measurement to keep the dough consistency right.
My Best Tips for Making Chocolate Focaccia
☞Don’t Skip the Dimpling: Those characteristic focaccia dimples aren’t just decorative – they create pockets for the olive oil to pool, which keeps the bread moist and creates crispy spots.
☞Get Creative with Toppings: While turbinado sugar adds wonderful crunch, you can experiment with a light drizzle of honey after baking, a dusting of powdered sugar, or even a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to contrast the sweetness.
☞Master the Kneading Technique: A wet bench scraper is invaluable when folding in the chocolate and cherries. The dough is sticky, and the scraper helps you manipulate it without adding excess flour that would make the bread dense.
☞Watch Your Baking Time: Oven temperatures vary, so start checking at 15 minutes. The focaccia is done when it’s golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Overbaking will dry it out.
What to Serve With Chocolate Focaccia
- For Breakfast or Brunch: Pair with fresh whipped cream and berries, serve alongside Greek yogurt parfaits, or offer with a selection of jams and honey butter for spreading.
- Coffee and Tea Service: This focaccia shines with espresso, cappuccino, or a robust French press coffee. Earl Grey or chai tea also complement the chocolate and cherry flavors beautifully.
- Dessert Presentations: Serve warm with ice cream or gelato, drizzle with warm chocolate sauce, or dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh whipped mascarpone.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Room Temperature
Store cooled focaccia in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 days. The olive oil keeps it surprisingly moist.
Refrigerator
While not necessary, refrigeration extends shelf life to 5 days. Bring to room temperature or warm slightly before serving for best texture.
Freezer
Wrap cooled focaccia tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Reheating
For the best texture, reheat individual portions in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes, or warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. The oven method revives the crispy top better than microwave.
Make-Ahead Dough
Prepare through Step 2, then refrigerate the dough in the oiled bowl overnight. The next day, let it come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before pressing into the pan and continuing with the second rise.
Freezing the Focaccia Dough
After the first rise, the dough can be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, bring to room temperature, then proceed with shaping and the second rise.
More Yeast Bread Recipes to Try
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
CJ at Food Stories
Barbara … You have been nominated for my NEW Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling. Check out my site for the details (foodstoriesblog dot com).
WeLoveChicken
OMG Barbara! It looks so delicious. I love the traditional focaccia and your sweet version sounds fantastic – I love innovations, new ideas. I cannot wait to try it (with a cup of coffee… yummy!)
Cookin' Canuck
What a focaccia, Barbara! I absolutely love the idea of making it into a dessert with chocolate and cherries.
Lisa @ Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Oh my gosh, a chocolate focaccia? Yes, please!!!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Looks delectable with chocolate spread!
Swathi
Cherry chocolate Focaccia looks delicious. I love the sweet version.
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sweet focaccia before but it seems so perfectly suited to the dough I’m really surprised we don’t see it more often. Genius chucking those cherries in! x
Nina
I love the nutella on the focaccia….looks so yummy:). Just got to know about Breaking Bread Society….great idea.
cookingrookie
Wow, this is brilliant! I alwasys thought of focaccia as a savoury bread. And you made it sweet! Love this recipe! How can any recipe go wrong with chocolate and cherries 🙂
Lisa
I think you officially knocked focaccia out of the park with the chocolate chips,cherries, & crunchy turbinado topping,but when you spread it with nutella, that sent it to the moon! Gorgeous too,Barb!
CJ at Food Stories
Whoa, a sweet focaccia … love this … Happy Weekend 🙂
foodwanderings
I was sitting on the the front stoop watching my dog in the yard, when I got to the third pic I loudly gasped! I never imagined a sweet focaccia to be this attractive to me the savory gal! I wish I had it with my coffee! We are thrilled to have you #breakingbread with us Barbara! What a creation! You made all this effort so worthwhile!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
I absolutely love focaccia. And that Nutella topping is absolutely genius!
Lora @cakeduchess
I have been craving your focaccia since I saw it on Twitter this morning;)LOVE your version, Barbara. The dried cherries and chocolate chips make it the most amazing breakfast or snack idea. But then your hubs slathered on Nutella…crazy good! Thank you for participating in the Bread Baking Society:)xx
Rocky Mountain Woman
That looks like my kind of breakfast! Love mixing it up and making a sweet version of focaccia…
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
A bread baking society sounds incredibly fun. I’ve tried a lot of different focaccia recipes but never a sweet one. I need to change that! This looks and sounds lovely and I love that you added Nutella to the top. 🙂
Rosa
It looks beautiful and so tempting! A very original focaccia.
Cheers,
Rosa
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Yuummmm!! This looks so tasty!
sally @ sally's baking addiction
focaccia bread is one of my favorites. and adding chocolate to it just makes it over the tip! Barbara, your recipes are so divine, creative, and the photography is beautiful! You need your own cookbook!
patsy
I’m in love with this focaccia! I’ve only made savory versions, but can totally see this being a wonderful addition to a brunch or a special treat for a weekend breakfast.