Using the popular Italian bread, this Panettone French Toast Recipe is perfect for Christmas morning and the holiday season. A festive French toast for holiday breakfast or brunch with dried fruits, cinnamon, and sweet bread for an easy recipe.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Panettone French Toast is a delightful and festive twist on the classic French toast, incorporating the rich and flavorful Italian holiday bread, panettone.
Panettone is a sweet, yeast-leavened bread originally from Milan, often enjoyed during the Christmas season. Turning it into French toast adds a decadent touch to your breakfast or brunch.
This recipe adds a festive and Italian flair to a classic breakfast favorite. It’s perfect for special occasions or when you want to elevate your brunch experience. Adjust the sweetness and flavorings to suit your taste, and enjoy the delightful combination of the rich, airy panettone with the comforting warmth of French toast.
Ingredients
Let’s talk about the ingredients you need for this French toast recipe! Full quantities and recipe information can be found in the recipe card below.
Italian Panettone Bread – leftover Panettone works great here if you have it. You can find good panettone at many stores during the holidays, or you can use homemade panettone.
Large Whole Eggs
Whole Milk
Butter
Brown Sugar – use brown sugar if you want some extra sweetness and caramelization! Regular granulated sugar is also great
All-Purpose Flour – we use this to thicken the milk mixture a little
Vanilla Extract
Orange Zest – the orange peel will bring amazing flavor!
Ground Cinnamon
Salt
Instruction Overview
Cut the panettone into thick slices, about 1 inch slices in thickness. If the panettone has a paper wrapper, remove it.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt with 2 Tablespoon of butter (melted). Ensure that the mixture is well combined and the sugar dissolves in a shallow bowl for easy dunking.
Dip slices of panettone into the egg and milk mixture, ensuring that both sides are well-coated. Allow the slices to soak for a few seconds to absorb the liquid. Make it a relatively quick dip so that it is not overly soggy.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add a half Tablespoon butter.
Place the soaked panettone slices on the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Once cooked, transfer the French toast to a serving plate.
Serve the Panettone French Toast warm, optionally topped with maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, or fresh berries.
Enhance the dish with a dollop of whipped cream, a sprinkle of chopped nuts, or a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce for an extra indulgent touch.
Kim’s Tips
The best way to keep French toast warm if you are not serving each piece immediately is on a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top (to keep the toast off the bottom of the rack – this is so they do not get soggy) in an oven on warm or a very low temperature (200-250F).
FAQs
A hearty bread is perfect for French toast. Using panettone is a great choice.
Panettone is typically eaten at breakfast and can be used in many different ways.
Yes, the bread for French toast should either be slightly stale or dried out. This way when it absorbs the custard it is not too soggy.
Yes, soaking bread for French toast is key. The custard it is soaked in will slightly soften the bread, bring flavor, and give it a great crust.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
Panettone French Toast Recipe
Equipment
- Nonstick Skillet
Ingredients
- ½ loaf panettone bread
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- syrup, powdered sugar, orange zest, etc for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F.
- Slice your bread into pieces approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick as desired. Cut the large slices in half.½ loaf panettone bread
- Lay the bread out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for the bread to dry out, approximately 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven.
- If you want to keep the cooked French toast pieces warm as you make them later, leave the oven on with a baking sheet that has a cooling rack sitting on top (for better air circulation) in the oven.
- While the bread is drying out, in a large and shallow dish whisk together 2 Tablespoons of the butter (melted first), milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and salt.2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups whole milk, 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Once combined, whisk in the flour until incorporated well.½ cup all-purpose flour
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium heat.
- Place two pieces of bread in the custard batter and soak for 30 seconds per side.
- Put a small bit of butter (about 1/2 Tablespoon) into the skillet. When melted, add both pieces of the soaked bread.6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cook for about 2-2.5 minutes per side, developing a golden brown color on each side.
- Move the cooked toast to either the warming station inside the oven or on plates to serve.
- Repeat with the remaining bread.
- Serve with desired toppings such as syrup, orange zest, powdered sugar, or a cream sauce.syrup, powdered sugar, orange zest, etc for topping
Notes
Nutrition
