Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (2024)

Published: | Last updated: | by Amanda Biddle 20 Comments

Baked Panettone French Toast is an easy and delicious breakfast to celebrate the holiday season. Prep the night before and bake on Christmas morning!

It wouldn’t be Christmas in my house without panettone. While I spend my December singing along to the merriest carols, trimmingthe tree, and bakingcookies, it isn’t untilI take my first bite of sweet, fluffy panettone that I know Christmas has truly arrived.

Panettone is a delicious Italian yeast bread, typically studded with raisins and candied fruits such as citron or orange peel. It’s wonderfulsliced and served on its own for breakfast or dessert, butit* texture and flavor also makes it well suited toFrench toast.

Warm and inviting, my recipe forBaked Panettone French Toast, servedwith a drizzle of orange-infused maplebutter, is a delicious way to kick off your Christmas Day celebrations.

Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (2)Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (3)

For many families, Christmas morning is an especially busy and exciting time, particularly when children are celebrating the magic of Santa having visited during the night. What’s great about making bakedFrench toast (as opposed to individually-griddled slices) is that it can be prepped before going to bed on Christmas Eve and baked the next morning.

The creamy, cinnamon-scented custard will soak into the panettone slices, creating a decadent French toast with a texture reminiscent of bread pudding. When you wake up, just pop it in the oven, warm the maple butter, and breakfast is served.

The aroma of the Panettone French Toast as it bakes isa wonderful way to wake up your Christmas morning guests, or set a cozy stage for opening gifts under the tree.

Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (4)

Just about anybrand of panettone can be used to make this French toast recipe (though, I confess, I’ve never tried it with the cream-filled varieties).

The panettone photographed here is my favorite from Pasticceria Scarpato in Verona, Italy (imported byWilliams-Sonoma). Scarpato’s panettone has a rich vanilla flavor and a light, brioche-like texture.In a special twist, this panettone skips the citron in favor ofchunks of marrons glacés (candied chestnuts). The soft, glazedchestnuts lend a beautifulflavor and elegance to the breadthat my family looks forward to year after year.

Have fun experimenting with the brands of panettone your family enjoys best for this recipe to createa new tradition from an old favorite.

Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (5)Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (6)

The warm, orange-infused maple butter I serve with this French toastis incredibly easy to make (less than 5 minutes on the stove) and adds a nice brightness against the rich, custard-soaked panettone.

If you don’t enjoy orange, or ifthe panettone you’re using has prominent citrus flavor on its own,just omit the zest for an equally delicious warm maple butterfor drizzling. (Adding a splash of Grand Marnier to the syrup for the adults never hurt, either!)

As wegather around the table with family and friends this week,I wish you all of the peace, love, and joy of the season, on Christmas Day and always.

Did you know that I have a weekly newsletter? Subscribe to stay up to date with what’s delicious on the blog!

📖 Recipe

Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (7)

Baked Panettone French Toast with Orange Maple Butter

Baked Panettone French Toast is an easy and delicious breakfast to celebrate the holiday season. Prep the night before and bake on Christmas morning!

French Toast base adapted from "Baked French Toast," Joy of Cooking

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours

Servings: 6 servings

Estimated Calories: 1064kcal

Author: Amanda Biddle

Ingredients

French Toast

  • 2 cups whole milk or half and half
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar , lightly packed*
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 pound panettone , quartered and cut into 10, 1-inch slices, dark crusts removed (you might not use the entire loaf)
  • ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)

Orange Maple Butter

  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup unsalted butter , cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

Prepare the French Toast

  • Butter a 13x9x2 baking dish (don't be shy, you don't want the French toast to stick). Arrange panettone slices in the dish, overlapping as needed to fit. In a large bowl, whisk together half and half, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over the panettone slices, gently pressing to absorb. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours, or up to overnight (8 hours).

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle position. Sprinkle casserole with almond slices, if using. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover baking dish and continue baking 15-20 minutes, until center is hot and French toast is puffed. Let stand 5 minutes before sprinkling with powdered sugar and serving with a drizzle of Orange Maple Butter.

Make the Orange Maple Butter

  • Warm maple syrup in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in orange zest and butter.** Keep warm until ready to serve.

Notes

*The panettone I use is very sweet, so I only use 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in the custard. If you're using a panettone that isn't quite as sweet, or prefer a very sweet French toast, increase brown sugar to ¼ cup (keeping in mind that the maple butter will add additional sweetness to the dish upon serving).

**For an optional twist for the adults, stir 1-2 teaspoons Grand Marnier into the warm Orange Maple Butter.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 1064kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 493mg | Sodium: 802mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2170IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 2.8mg

About our Recipes:Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.

Have you made this recipe?Don't forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe below! Take a picture? Tag @stripedspatula and #stripedspatula on Instagram!

Panettone French Toast Recipe with Orange Maple Butter (2024)

FAQs

Can you put butter on panettone? ›

Panettone can be eaten in a variety of ways. It's commonly sliced and enjoyed as is, but it can also be toasted, buttered, used in desserts like bread pudding, or even paired with savoury dishes.

How do you serve panettone for breakfast? ›

For a lighter pairing or holiday breakfast, toast a few slices of panettone and serve with a knob of butter and a spoonful of orange marmalade. The flavors of the marmalade will bring out the citrus zest and candied orange used in the panettone.

What is a good substitute for syrup in French toast? ›

  1. I was never the biggest fan of syrup. ...
  2. I'd use a fruit jam instead; raspberry or strawberry would be my favorites, but orange marmalade is great too.
  3. My grandmother liked to use those canned cherries for pie filling, or sometimes a bit of cottage cheese with canned pineapple. ...
  4. Nutella is terrific on French Toast.
Dec 17, 2022

Should you toast panettone? ›

HOW TO SERVE PANETTONE
  1. Slice into thin pieces. Use a serrated knife and going top to bottom like a cake. ...
  2. Tear and dip. No need for a knife; just set it out, tear off pieces, and pour a glass of milk for dunking.
  3. Heat it up. Not necessary, but delicious. ...
  4. Toast it and butter it. ...
  5. Make French Toast.
Dec 2, 2023

Why is panettone so expensive? ›

Panettone tends to be a little more expensive than most other baked goods, mainly due to the amount of time that goes into making each one. A traditional panettone is usually a lengthy procedure, however, a cheap mass-produced alternative will take shortcuts in the baking process which will be reflected in its taste.

What do Italians put on panettone? ›

Panettone can be served just as it is, but many people find it a bit dry. It's common to serve it with a sweet wine and an accompaniment of something rich and creamy, perhaps based on mascarpone (with egg yolks, as used in tiramisu), plus dried or candied fruits.

How do you toast panettone? ›

This method heroes the panettone in all its glory so, is at its best when the panettone is really fresh. An optional step is to place the whole (unsliced) panettone in the oven at around 100 °C for 5-10 minutes to warm it through.

Should panettone be refrigerated after opening? ›

  1. A: First of all, don't remove the paper wrapping, that will cause it to dry out. ...
  2. A: ...
  3. A: unopened it has a best if used by date on the box, I've had opened boxes stay fresh for a couple of weeks without refrigeration and It's better not to refrigerate panettone, it hardens it too much.

Do you eat panettone hot or cold? ›

You SHOULD NOT serve Panettone hot, just slightly warm it up to activate its orangy flavor. The right temperature to serve it is about 25°C-77°F. Slice Panettone using a serrated knife for bread. Serve it with my Panettone Frosting and Italian Prosecco wine in a flute glass!

Why do you turn panettone upside down? ›

The dimensions should be around 13,5 cm / 5.3 inch diameter and a height of 9.5 cm / 3.7 inch. Panetonne needs to cool upside down after baking, because the delicate and fluffy bread would collapse if you leave it standing up after baking.

Why do you store panettone upside down? ›

Since the dough is very rich, but also very airy, it tends to collapse and deflate as soon as it cools. For this reason, traditional panettone is skewered with a special rack right when it comes out of the oven, and immediately hung upside down for 8 hours to cool and rest.

How do you keep panettone moist? ›

Stored in a plastic bag, panettone will stay moist and fresh for at least 4 days.

How long does panettone last once opened? ›

Panettone shelf life

They are dated well into next year. Once opened, keep wrapped and that will keep it fresh for a few weeks, if you can resist that long!

References

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