Panettone French toast recipe transforms sweet Italian holiday bread into a rich, custardy breakfast made with heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, warm pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and bright orange zest. Panettone French Toast cooks up golden and buttery, then gets finished with fresh strawberries and spiced orange sugar for a cozy, bakery-style dish that’s perfect for holiday mornings, weekend brunch, or when you want something a little extra special without a lot of effort.
Panettone French toast feels perfect around Christmas because it transforms a beloved holiday bread into a warm, cozy breakfast that still feels festive and indulgent. In Europe panettone is traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas season, thanks to its light, airy crumb, buttery richness, and mix of dried fruit and citrus that signal celebration and abundance.
Looking for more Christmas recipes? How about my Easy Baked Eggnog French Toast | Christmas Morning Breakfast or my Homemade Eggnog Latte Recipe | Better Than Starbucks looking for a fun Christmas snack for Winter Break? Pretzel Reindeers | Fun No-Bake Easy Christmas Recipe or my Easy Christmas Popcorn | Festive Holiday Snack Treat How about a good Christmas Mocktail? Try my Santa Hat Shirley Temple | Festive Christmas Mocktail
Jump to:
- Why you'll love Panettone French Toast
- ✨ Ingredients for Easy Panettone French Toast
- What you'll need for Italian French Toast
- ✨How to make Panettone French Toast
- Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Panettone French Toast
- More Christmas Recipes
- Pin or send this recipe to a friend!
- Follow Us
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Why you'll love Panettone French Toast
🎄✨ Panettone French Toast is easy to whip up, but also presents as a luxury, festive, Christmas Breakfast recipe. Panettone French Toast Casserole is rich in flavor, custard style Italian bread that's perfect for a slow Christmas morning! ✨🎄
✨ Ingredients for Easy Panettone French Toast
What you'll need for Italian French Toast
- Panettone Bread: The star of the recipe: buttery, airy, and naturally sweet, so it makes French toast taste instantly festive.
- Heavy Cream: Creates a rich, thick custard that soaks into the bread and makes the inside soft and luxurious. You can also use whole milk.
- Eggs: Help the custard set so each slice cooks up sturdy, fluffy, and custardy (not soggy).
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and enhances the sweet, bakery-style flavor of the panettone.
- Maple Syrup: Sweetens the custard gently and adds a cozy depth that pairs perfectly with holiday spices.
- Nutmeg: Brings that classic Christmas “warm spice” flavor and boosts the panettone’s citrus notes.
- Pumpkin Spice: Adds an easy blend of seasonal spices for a holiday brunch vibe without measuring multiple spices.
- Melted Butter: (for cooking) — Gives the slices a golden, crisp exterior and rich flavor while frying in the pan.
- Orange Zest: Give the Panettone French Toast a delicious citrus flavor and Brightens everything and makes the whole dish taste extra “Christmas morning,” especially with panettone.
- Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the flavors pop (especially the maple + spices).
- Fresh Strawberries: Totally optional, but I find adding fresh strawberries to this easy french toast makes it even more delicious and adds texture.
- Fresh Whipped Cream: You're not allowed to eat French Toast without fresh whipped cream. It's a rule, look it up. 😉
- Spiced Orange Sugar: Gives the french toast a Christmas dusting and it tastes really good! Totally optional, but delicious and refreshing!
✨How to make Panettone French Toast
- Step 1: Slice the panettone into thick pieces and set aside
- Step 2: In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and sea salt until smooth.
- Step 3: Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter.
- Step 4: Dip each slice of panettone into the batter, allowing it to soak briefly without becoming soggy.
- Step 5: Place the soaked bread onto the hot skillet and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Step 6: Serve warm topped with whipped cream, fresh orange zest, fresh sliced strawberries, fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a light sprinkle of nutmeg. Enjoy immediately!
Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Panettone French Toast
- Use slightly stale Panettone that’s a day or two old absorbs the custard better without falling apart, giving you slices that are creamy inside but still hold their shape.
- Don’t over-soak the bread. Panettone is very airy, so a quick dip on each side is all you need. Too much soaking can lead to soggy French toast instead of a custardy center.
- Cook low and slow in butter. Medium-low heat allows the custard to cook through while the outside turns golden and crisp. Rushing it on high heat can burn the exterior before the inside is set.
Yes. You can slice the panettone and mix the custard the night before. Store them separately in the refrigerator, then dip and cook fresh in the morning for the best texture.
Day-old panettone works best. Slightly stale bread absorbs the custard without becoming soggy, giving you a fluffy center and crisp edges
You can, but the French toast will be less rich. Heavy cream creates a thicker custard and a more indulgent texture, which pairs especially well with panettone.
Fresh fruit, whipped cream, maple syrup, and citrus-based toppings work beautifully. Orange zest or spiced orange sugar enhances the natural citrus notes in panettone and keeps the flavors bright.
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About Genevieve
Thank you for stopping by Fitty Foodlicious, a website dedicated to sharing lasting, family recipes, anxiety tips and tricks, and healthy spirited mental wellness. Genevieve's recipes have been featured on MSN.com, NewsBreak, Food Talk Daily, Food Gawker, Trivet Recipes, Bartender.com, Health Magazine, Kitchen Aid AU NZ, and has a published Cookbook titled The 5-Ingredient Paleo Cookbook which can be purchased at all major bookstores and on Amazon.
📖 Recipe
Panettone French Toast | Delicious Breakfast Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Panettone Bread, Sliced
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tbsp Melted Butter (you'll use more depending on how much French Toast you're making)
Panettone French Toast Toppings
- 1 cup Fresh whipped cream
- 1 cup Sliced strawberries
- 1 teaspoon Orange zest
- 1 teaspoon Spiced Orange Sugar for dusting
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg for dusting
Instructions
- Slice the panettone into thick slices and set aside.
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract, half of the orange zest, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and sea salt until smooth.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter.
- Dip each slice of panettone into the batter, allowing it to soak briefly without becoming soggy.
- Place the soaked bread onto the hot skillet and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve warm topped with whipped cream, fresh orange zest, fresh sliced strawberries, fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and light sprinkle of nutmeg and the spiced orange sugar. Enjoy immediately!
Draden
Holy cow. This is the best French toast I've ever made. Really good.
Lilly
Oh my, I mean I though French toast is fabulous, but the Panettone took it entirely over the top! The buttery softness of it, studded with raisins and soaked in the warm spices was most certainly Holiday breakfast worthy!
Danica
This is the best French toast I've ever made! I'll never use any other kind of bread again.
Ana
This panettone French toast came out soft in the middle with golden edges and was so easy to make—perfect for a slow, cosy breakfast.