Transform your holiday mornings into an extraordinary culinary experience with this decadent Panettone French Toast recipe. Say goodbye to plain breakfast routines and hello to a symphony of flavors and textures, perfect for a festive brunch or a delightful start to Christmas day. Utilizing those sweet, aromatic Italian breads often gifted during the holiday season, this recipe breathes new life into them, creating a dish that’s both comforting and gourmet. Imagine a breakfast that encapsulates the warmth and cheer of the holidays, easy to make yet impressive enough to gather everyone around the table.
Why This Panettone French Toast Will Become Your Holiday Favorite
Panettone French Toast isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience. It takes a classic breakfast staple and elevates it to a holiday centerpiece. Here’s why you’ll fall in love with this festive creation:
- A Fusion of Festive Flavors and Unmatched Texture: Forget standard bread! Panettone, with its signature light, airy crumb, delicate candied citrus peel, and plump, sweet raisins, brings an inherent sweetness and complex flavor profile that ordinary bread simply cannot. When gently soaked in a rich custard and then pan-fried to perfection, it develops a perfectly golden, delightfully crispy exterior while maintaining an unbelievably fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth interior. The subtle notes of vanilla and vibrant citrus zest from the panettone infuse directly into every bite, offering a gourmet twist on traditional French toast that truly captures the essence of the holiday season.
- The Perfect Solution for Holiday Leftovers: Are your countertops overflowing with gifted panettones after the bustling holiday season? This ingenious recipe offers the most delicious and inventive way to repurpose that sweet, yeasted Italian bread. Instead of letting it go stale and eventually to waste, transform it into a spectacular breakfast that often tastes even better than the original bread. It’s a brilliant and economical way to extend the holiday cheer, ensuring that no good food goes to waste, and turning what might have been forgotten bread into a memorable and highly anticipated feast.
- Effortlessly Elegant for Entertaining: Whether you’re hosting an intimate Christmas morning brunch for family, a lively New Year’s Day gathering with friends, or simply treating your loved ones to something exceptionally special, Panettone French Toast presents beautifully with surprisingly minimal effort. Its unique shape, naturally festive appearance, and inviting aroma make it an instant crowd-pleaser. You can serve an impressive and sophisticated dish that appears elaborate but requires straightforward preparation, allowing you more time to enjoy the company of your guests. It’s festive, incredibly flavorful, and exudes an understated elegance – everything you could wish for in a holiday breakfast or brunch.
If you’re looking for more delightful breakfast ideas to brighten your mornings and impress your guests, explore our other favorite recipes like our sweet Morning Buns, rich and indulgent Double Chocolate Muffins, a hearty and convenient Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Hash Browns, wholesome and comforting Blueberry Baked Oatmeal, or flaky and flavorful Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry. Each offers a unique way to start your day with deliciousness.
Essential Ingredients for Panettone French Toast
Crafting the perfect Panettone French Toast starts with a few simple yet crucial ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that sought-after balance of rich flavor and ideal texture, ensuring every bite is a holiday treat:
- Panettone: This festive Italian sweet bread is, undeniably, the star of our show. You will need approximately 8 thick slices, each about 1-inch thick, from your panettone loaf. For optimal results, it is highly recommended to use panettone that is a few days old or slightly stale. Its drier texture allows it to absorb the luscious egg custard more effectively without immediately turning soggy, which is key to achieving that superior crispy-on-the-outside, wonderfully fluffy-on-the-inside French toast. Fresh, very soft panettone tends to absorb too much liquid and can easily fall apart during cooking.
- Large Eggs: Eggs are fundamental for creating the rich, creamy custard mixture that will generously coat each slice of panettone. They serve as the primary binder, giving the French toast its signature custardy texture and helping it hold together beautifully during the pan-frying process. Using large eggs ensures you have a sufficient volume of custard to evenly and thoroughly coat all your panettone slices for consistent flavor and texture.
- Half and Half: This dairy component contributes significantly to the richness and luxurious moisture of the French toast batter. Half and Half, a convenient blend of whole milk and light cream, provides a wonderfully indulgent mouthfeel. If you prefer a slightly lighter dish, whole milk can be easily substituted. For an even more decadent and creamy treat, especially fitting for a holiday indulgence, heavy cream works exceptionally well, adding an extra layer of richness.
- Aromatic Spices: A thoughtful blend of vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and a delicate pinch of kosher salt collectively elevates the entire flavor profile of this dish. Vanilla adds a sweet, comforting, and familiar aroma, while cinnamon and nutmeg introduce warm, festive, and slightly spicy notes that perfectly complement the panettone’s inherent sweetness and subtle citrus undertones. The kosher salt is crucial; it helps to balance the overall sweetness and thoughtfully enhances all the other magnificent flavors in the custard.
- Unsalted Butter: Essential for cooking your French toast, butter serves multiple important purposes. It not only prevents the panettone slices from sticking to the griddle but also imparts a beautiful, inviting golden-brown color and a rich, irresistible buttery flavor to the exterior of each piece. It’s used to grease the griddle, and additional butter can be melted and served as an extra topping, melting deliciously over the warm, freshly cooked toast.
Crafting Your Decadent Panettone French Toast: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this festive French toast is simpler than you might think, making it an accessible yet gourmet option for your holiday mornings. Follow these clear, detailed steps to achieve a perfect, golden, and utterly delicious breakfast that will impress everyone:
Prepare the Panettone and Custard Mixture: Begin by carefully slicing your panettone. Using a serrated knife, cut the panettone into even 1-inch thick rounds. For a more manageable size and an elegant presentation on the plate, slice each round in half, effectively creating charming half-moon shapes. As you prepare the subsequent steps, preheat your oven to a low, gentle temperature, typically between 200-250 degrees F (95-120 degrees C). This warmed oven, equipped with a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, will be essential for keeping your cooked French toast warm and delightfully crispy as you proceed to cook it in batches. In a large, shallow baking dish – choosing one that allows the panettone slices to lie relatively flat is ideal – whisk together the large eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and kosher salt. Continue whisking until the mixture is thoroughly combined, smooth, and no streaks of egg white are visible.
Cook the French Toast to Golden Perfection: Place a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and allow it ample time to warm up thoroughly. Melt a generous tab of unsalted butter on the hot cooking surface. The butter is perfectly ready when it begins to foam and gently bubble, signaling it’s reached the ideal temperature for creating that desirable golden-brown crust. Take each panettone slice and gently dip it into the prepared egg mixture, turning it once or twice to ensure even coating. Be swift and judicious; panettone is known for its incredibly light and airy structure, meaning it can quickly become oversaturated and mushy if left to soak for too long. You want the bread to be moist with the custard but still firm enough to handle without disintegrating. Lift the coated slice, allowing any excess custard to drip back into the dish. Carefully place the prepared panettone onto the buttered griddle. Cook slowly for approximately 6-7 minutes in total, turning the slices occasionally with a spatula, until each side is beautifully golden brown and cooked through to a tender interior. Always work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can significantly lower the temperature and lead to uneven cooking and less crisp results.
Keep Warm and Serve Immediately: As each batch of your glorious Panettone French Toast finishes cooking, promptly transfer the golden-brown slices to the prepared wire rack on the baking sheet that is waiting in the warmed oven. This clever technique is crucial; it ensures that your French toast remains deliciously warm and, importantly, retains its desirable crispy exterior while you diligently continue to cook the remaining batches. Once all slices are cooked to perfection, arrange them artfully on your favorite serving platter. For the best flavor and texture, serve immediately with your chosen toppings, allowing your family and guests to savor the warmth and festive aroma.
Irresistible Topping Ideas for Your Panettone French Toast
While Panettone French Toast is undeniably delightful on its own, adding a variety of toppings can elevate it to new heights of indulgence and personalization. We love keeping it classic and elegant, but feel free to get creative and customize your plate to suit every palate:
- Classic Sweetness: A delicate, generous dusting of powdered sugar creates a beautiful snowy effect and adds a subtle sweetness. Pair this with a cloud-like dollop of freshly whipped cream for a luxurious finish. The contrast of the airy cream and sweet sugar beautifully enhances the panettone’s inherent flavors and festive character.
- Golden Syrup Selection: A rich drizzle of warm, amber-colored maple syrup is a timeless and always-winning choice. Its complex sweetness soaks beautifully into the fluffy interior of the French toast. For a slightly different, lighter sweetness, consider a pour of golden agave syrup. Both options provide that quintessential French toast experience.
- Fresh Fruit Medley: Brighten your breakfast and add a refreshing contrast with a vibrant array of fresh berries. Juicy blueberries, sweet raspberries, or finely diced, ripe strawberries add a delightful burst of tartness and beautiful color that cuts through the richness of the French toast, offering a balanced flavor profile.
- Decadent Dessert Sauces: For a truly indulgent experience that transforms your breakfast into a dessert-like treat, warm a luxurious chocolate sauce or a silky caramel sauce. Drizzle generously over the top. A sprinkle of toasted, chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can add an extra layer of delightful crunch and nutty flavor.
- Zesty Citrus Enhancement: To further highlight the panettone’s natural citrus notes, which are often infused in the bread itself, grate a little extra fresh orange or lemon zest directly over the cooked French toast just before serving. This simple addition imparts a bright, aromatic, and zesty finish that invigorates the senses.
Expert Tips for the Best Panettone French Toast Every Time
Achieving French toast perfection with the unique qualities of panettone is easy when you follow these insider tips and tricks:
- Smart Slicing for Superior Toast: When you begin slicing your panettone, we recommend reserving the distinctive, often dense, domed top of the loaf for other delightful uses or simply enjoying it separately as a treat. Focus on slicing the main cylindrical body of the loaf into uniform 1-inch thick rounds. This consistent thickness is crucial because it ensures even cooking across all slices, preventing some parts from burning while others remain undercooked or soggy in the center. Evenly sized slices will cook simultaneously and consistently.
- The Quick Dip is Absolutely Key: Panettone is renowned for its incredibly light, airy, and somewhat delicate texture, especially compared to denser breads like brioche. While this characteristic is wonderful for the bread itself, it means it can quickly become oversaturated and unpleasantly mushy if left to soak for too long in the egg and milk mixture. Therefore, the dipping process should be swift and precise. Dip each slice just long enough for it to visibly begin absorbing the custard – typically a quick turn on each side (10-15 seconds total) is often sufficient. You want the bread to be moist with the custard but still retain enough structural integrity to handle without falling apart on the griddle.
- Achieve Crispy Edges with a Sear: After you’ve cooked your French toast on both flat sides until they are beautifully golden brown, don’t overlook the exposed, softer ends. For a truly professional finish and an even more delightful texture, use tongs to hold the slices upright and gently sear these raw edges on the hot griddle for a short period. This extra step ensures a consistent crispy texture all around each piece, effectively preventing any potential soggy spots and adding another layer of delightful crunch that enhances the overall eating experience.
- Sweetness Tailored to Your Liking: Panettone is a naturally sweet bread, often containing candied fruits, raisins, and a delicate hint of sugar in its dough. For this inherent sweetness, we typically find it unnecessary to add extra granulated sugar to our French toast egg mixture. However, personal preference for sweetness varies widely. If you or your guests enjoy a noticeably sweeter French toast, feel free to whisk in about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of granulated sugar into the egg mixture. It’s always best to start with a smaller amount and add more if needed, tasting as you go.
- Avoid Soggy French Toast at All Costs: It’s a common temptation and mistake to cover freshly cooked French toast with aluminum foil to keep it warm. However, this method is counterproductive and will almost guarantee sogginess. The steam trapped under the foil will condense, causing your beautifully crispy French toast to become soft and wet. Instead, always use a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a low-temperature oven (as described in the instructions) to keep them warm and crisp. This setup allows for proper air circulation and prevents any undesirable moisture buildup, preserving that perfect texture.
- Versatile Dairy Alternatives: While half and half provides a wonderfully rich and creamy texture to the French toast custard, you can easily substitute it based on what you have readily available or according to specific dietary preferences. Whole milk is an excellent alternative for a slightly lighter consistency without sacrificing much flavor. For an even more decadent and luxurious French toast, perfect for a special occasion, heavy cream will yield the richest results. Furthermore, many plant-based milks, such as almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk, can also be successfully used, though they may subtly alter the final richness and flavor profile.
Frequently Asked Questions About Panettone French Toast
While you can certainly prepare some components in advance to streamline your morning, French toast is truly at its best when served fresh off the griddle. The unparalleled crispy exterior and wonderfully fluffy interior are at their peak immediately after cooking. However, to save time on a busy holiday morning, you can slice the panettone a day ahead and store it in an airtight bag or container at room temperature. The egg custard mixture can also be whisked together the night before, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. Just remember to give it a quick whisk again to recombine any separated ingredients before dipping your bread.
Absolutely! While panettone offers a unique and festive flavor and texture, this recipe is incredibly versatile and forgiving. It works wonderfully with other rich, slightly sweet, and brioche-like breads. Challah bread, with its dense yet tender crumb and subtle sweetness, is an excellent and widely available substitute. Classic brioche bread, known for its buttery richness and soft texture, also provides fantastic results. Even a sturdy, slightly stale white bread or Texas toast can be used in a pinch, though the flavor profile will be less distinctly “holiday.” The key is a bread that is substantial enough to hold up to the custard without immediately falling apart.
If you happen to have any glorious leftovers (a rare occurrence with this recipe!), allow them to cool completely to room temperature before storing. Once cooled, place the French toast slices in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper if stacking, and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, the best method to recapture that desired texture is to gently warm them in a toaster oven or a dry skillet over medium-low heat until they are heated through and slightly crispy again. Microwaving is generally not recommended as it will steam the French toast, resulting in a soggy texture.
Yes, you absolutely can! Freezing cooked French toast is a fantastic way to enjoy this treat even after the holiday season. Once the French toast has cooled completely, place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until they are firm. This prevents them from sticking together. Then, transfer the frozen slices to a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 1-2 months. To reheat, simply place the frozen slices directly into a preheated toaster oven or a conventional oven at 350°F (175°C) until they are thoroughly warm and slightly crisp.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes to Delight Your Day
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Panettone French Toast Recipe
A decadent twist on breakfast. Panettone flavored with citrus and candied fruit turns into a pillowy soft French toast with a crispy exterior that’s to die for!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (based on 2 votes)
Print Recipe
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Servings: 4
Calories: 542kcal
Author: Leigh Harris
Ingredients
- 8 slices Panettone bread (1-inch thick)
- 6 large Eggs
- 1 cup Half and Half (or heavy cream)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg (fresh is best but you can use ground nutmeg)
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter (for frying, or more as needed)
Instructions
Slice the panettone into 1-inch thick rounds. Then slice the rounds in half making half moons. Preheat the oven to 200-250 degrees F (95-120°C). Prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack inserted. (This is for keeping the toast warm while you cook it in batches.)
In a large shallow dish whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt until well combined and smooth.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt a tab of butter on the griddle until it starts to foam and bubble. Dip the panettone slices in the egg mixture, turning them until they just start to become saturated. Allow excess to drip off, then place the coated bread on the griddle and cook slowly for about 6-7 minutes, turning occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Place the cooked panettone French toast on the prepared rack and baking sheet, and place it in the warmed oven to keep warm and crispy while cooking the remaining toast. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Dip the panettone slices right before cooking. This bread is light and airy and can become mushy if soaked too long in the egg and milk mixture.
- Panettone is a slightly sweet bread so we don’t add sugar to our egg mixture. But if you like it sweeter you can add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the egg mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 435mg | Sodium: 610mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1396IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging in a cozy weekend breakfast, this Panettone French Toast recipe promises to deliver a memorable and delicious experience. Its festive flavors, delightful texture, and ease of preparation make it a true holiday standout. So, gather your panettone and ingredients, and prepare to create a breakfast that will warm hearts and satisfy cravings, making every bite a celebration.