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

Do 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.

Should French toast have more eggs or milk? ›

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk. How's that for an easy recipe?

Is it better to use milk or heavy cream for French toast? ›

Heavy Cream-use heavy cream for an extra decadent French toast. You can also use half milk and half heavy cream. Almond Milk-unsweetened vanilla almond milk makes great French toast. I love the extra vanilla flavor.

What happens if you soak French toast too long? ›

The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn't cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast.

How do you keep French toast from being too eggy? ›

A basic rule of thumb is about 1/4 cup of milk and one egg per two-slice serving—and if you want to avoid that "scrambled" taste, use only the yolks of some or all of the eggs. (Sulfur compounds in the whites are what give eggs their unique "egg" taste.)

Should I toast my bread before making French toast? ›

Use stale bread or toast the bread until it's golden-brown. It needs to be sturdy to hold up to the egg mixture. If the bread is fresh from the bag or you toast it too lightly, the finished dish will be soggy. Soak the toasted or untoasted bread for about 10 seconds per side to achieve the optimal texture.

What is the secret of panettone? ›

Panettone is famous for its tangy flavor and yellow, soft and gooey dough that is unlike no other. The secret behind it is an Italian yeast called lievito madre, or mother yeast. But it's not an easy yeast to work with: you need time and patience to master it.

Why is panettone so expensive? ›

Panettone is made using high-quality ingredients, including butter, eggs, candied fruits, and sometimes premium ingredients like chocolate or dried fruits which can be costly.

What flour is best for panettone? ›

It seems that your Italian 00 or Canadian flour suits this best. For Panettone, it will undergo a lengthy, 2 day fermentation process with a sourdough starter. 1st fermentation will take around 13 to 14 hours, whereby more flour and eggs, etc..... will be added and it will undergo a further 10 hour fermentation.

What is the secret to good French toast? ›

Choose the Right Bread: Use thick slices of day-old bread, such as brioche, challah, or French bread, for your French toast. Stale bread absorbs the egg mixture better without becoming too soggy. Dry the Bread: If your bread is fresh, lightly toast the slices in a toaster or oven before dipping them in the egg mixture.

What's the best bread to use for French toast? ›

Use brioche or challah. These egg-based breads have a high butter content, meaning their crumb is tender and rich but light. In other words, they're an ideal foundation for super decadent yet airy French toast.

Is it better to cook French toast fast or slow? ›

Cooking it low and slow lets the bread soak up even more flavor. Stuffed French Toast: Chocolate, fruit, cream cheese or savory ingredients can all be stuffed inside French toast for extra flavor.

Why is my French toast falling apart? ›

French toast is made by dipping bread into a mixture of beaten eggs with milk and then frying. If the bread is fresh it tends to fall apart in the process. Using stale bread solves this problem.

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