How to Eat Panettone

Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: February 2, 2024 Approved

Panettone is a sweet bread originating from Milan, Italy that is often eaten around Christmas time. It is tall and cylindrical in shape, has a fluffy sourdough texture, and traditionally contains raisins and candied orange or other citrus fruits, though there are other types including chocolate as well. There are many ways to eat panettone, either using simple traditional methods or by including it in various recipes, so you can enjoy it however you and your family like best!

Ingredients

Double Chocolate Filled Panettone

300 mL (10 fl oz) double cream
150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate
150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate
1 loaf panettone

Panettone Pudding

Panettone loaf
Butter – enough to butter 5 slices
2 eggs
150 mL (5.1 fl oz) double cream
225 mL (7.6 fl oz) milk
1 tsp (4.9 mL) vanilla extract
2 US tbsp (30 mL) caster sugar

Santa Claus’s Dessert

250 mL (8.5 fl oz) double cream
50 g (1.8 oz) icing sugar
Panettone loaf
175 mL (5.9 fl oz) Vin Santo
Candied peel or dried fruit for sprinkling

Italian Sausage and Panettone Stuffing

1 lb (450 g) panettone
2 onions
3 stalks of celery
4 US tbsp (59 mL) oil
2 lb (910 g) Italian sausage
4 eggs
16 fl oz (470 mL) chicken broth
Salt to taste
Handful fresh parsley

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Panettone Traditionally

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Most panettone come with cellophane or paper wrapping around the sides, sometimes both. Remove these exterior wrappings and throw them away before slicing into your panettone.^{[1]
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This step is optional, but if you like warm breads, simply place the unwrapped panettone in your oven at 200 °F (93 °C) for 5-10 minutes. Remove it from the oven before starting to slice it.

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3
Slice your panettone in narrow triangular pieces with a bread knife. Just like you would slice into a cake, take a bread knife and cut into your panettone from the top to the bottom. Starting from the same center point, make another cut going out just a little bit from the center to make your first narrow slice.^{[2]
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- Continue cutting the panettone in this manner until you have as many narrow slices as you need for you and your guests.
4
Eat a slice of panettone with your morning coffee as breakfast. Europeans often eat panettone with breakfast around the holidays. Simply slice it into narrow pieces and serve it with cups of your favorite coffee, by itself or with other breakfast foods.^{[3]
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- Some people like to dip their panettone into their coffee before eating it. If this sounds good to you, give it a try!
If your family enjoys having a tea time or small afternoon meal, as many Europeans do, serve slices of panettone with Marsala or other Italian wine at this time. Get enough small plates and wine glasses for each of your guests, slice your panettone and pour the wine accordingly.^{[4]
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Try your slice of panettone with a glass of sparkling white wine, such as Moscato or Spumante, after dinner as your dessert, or dolce. Find Italian sparkling white wine at your nearest grocery or wine store.^{[5]
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Add whipped cream to the inside before serving as an extra sweet surprise. If you’re serving your panettone for dessert, try slicing the top of the loaf off and carving a bit of the inside out. Save the pieces as morsels for snacking. Fill the cavity with whipped cream and put the top of the loaf back on.^{[6]
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- Slice your filled panettone in thin slices as you normally would to serve to your guests.
8
Tear your panettone and eat it in a glass of milk instead of slicing it. Another way that Italians enjoy panettone doesn’t involve slicing it at all. Try simply unwrapping your panettone and setting it out. Give each person a 16 fl oz (470 mL) glass and have them tear off pieces of the panettone to place in their glass. Fill the rest of each glass with whole milk.^{[7]
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- Have each person enjoy their milk-soaked glass of panettone with a dessert spoon.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Panettone-Based Desserts

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1
Try double-chocolate filled panettone as a decadent dessert. To make double-chocolate filled panettone, warm 150 mL (5.1 fl oz) double cream in a pan on the stove without letting it boil, then add 150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate and stir it until smooth. Do this again with the same amount of double cream and 150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate in a separate pan. Cut your panettone horizontally into 5 slices and spread the white chocolate ganache between each layer before reassembling the loaf.^{[8]
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- Pour the dark chocolate ganache over the reassembled loaf and allow it to set before serving. Cut the filled panettone into thin slices like you normally would to serve it.
2
Make panettone pudding if your family likes bread puddings. Cut your panettone loaf into 5 medium wedges and butter 1 side of each of them. Cut the wedges in half and arrange them buttered-side up in a 850 mL (29 fl oz) shallow, greased baking dish. In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 150 mL (5.1 fl oz) double cream, 225 mL (7.6 fl oz) milk, 1 tsp (4.9 mL) vanilla extract, and 2 US tbsp (30 mL) caster sugar together and pour it over the bread slices.^{[9]
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- Bake the panettone pudding at 160 °C (320 °F) for 35 minutes, or until the pudding is just set.
3
Make Santa Claus’s dessert for adults on Christmas eve. Beat 250 mL (8.5 fl oz) double cream and 50 g (1.8 oz) icing sugar with an electric mixer until it stiffens. Cut your panettone loaf into large chunks and place them in a serving bowl. Drizzle 175 mL (5.9 fl oz) Vin Santo over the panettone and scoop your whipped cream out evenly over the dessert.^{[10]
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- Sprinkle the top with mixed candied peel or dried fruit before serving.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cooking Italian Sausage and Panettone Stuffing

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If your panettone has a sugar crust on top, slice this off with a bread knife before slicing your cubes. After your cubes are sliced, lay them out on a large baking sheet so they’re not touching.
2
Bake panettone cubes on for 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C). Preheat your oven, and when it’s ready, put your panettone cubes in and let them bake for 10 minutes, or until their edges are gold and crispy. Allow them to cool completely.
- If you want, do these steps ahead of time and store your panettone cubes in an airtight container until you’re ready to make your stuffing.
You want your pieces to be small, but not so small that they’ll be mushy when you cook them. Begin warming a large sautee pan on the stove for the next step.
4
Sautee your onions and celery with 2 US tbsp (30 mL) oil for 10 minutes. Add the oil to your sautee pan and let it warm. Add your chopped vegetables and cook them for 10 minutes. Stir them frequently to prevent any of the sides from burning.
- Remove the vegetables from heat before 10 minutes if they appear to be fully cooked or are becoming mushy.
5
Add 2 lb (910 g) Italian sausage and 2 fl oz (59 mL) oil to your pan. When your vegetables have cooked for 10 minutes, add sausage and oil to the pan. Cook the sausage for 10 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces as you stir it to allow it to cook evenly.
- Continue stirring the mixture for the entire 10 minutes, or until the sausage is brown and fully cooked.
When your sausage is fully cooked, remove the mixture from the stove and spoon it into your baking dish. Add your toasted panettone cubes and stir everything together in the dish.
7
Whisk 4 eggs in a bowl and add 16 fl oz (470 mL) chicken broth. Crack 4 eggs into a separate bowl and whisk them until the whites and yolks are combined. Taste your chicken broth and add salt to it until you feel it’s salty enough. Then add the chicken broth and stir the liquids together.
- Do not taste the mixture again after adding the eggs, as consuming raw eggs can be a potential risk of salmonella contamination.
8
Pour chicken broth over the stuffing mixture and bake for 45 minutes. Your oven should still be heated at 400 °F (204 °C) from toasting your panettone cubes. Stir the combined broth and stuffing mixture so the bread cubes and sausage are coated in broth, then put the pan in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Chop a large handful of fresh parsley and sprinkle it over the stuffing before you serve it.

Community Q&A

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Question

Never ever dip it in coffee, I just tried it and it was sloppy horrible mess!

Community Answer

Thank you for the tip. However, depending on the freshness of the panettone, dipping it for just a second might be okay.

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