Easy Panettone Bread Pudding
Serve this easy panettone bread pudding with a drizzle of homemade amaretto cream sauce for an unforgettable Christmas breakfast or dessert. The top is delicate and crispy with a rich custard filling studded with sweet dried fruits. Don't miss the make-ahead tips to help you get it prepped quickly.
Have you spotted the boxes of panettone Christmas bread at your local grocery store yet?
For me, that is one of the first signs that Christmas is coming. I get so excited every year when I first find the store shelves filled with my favorite holiday bread.
Though it is absolutely delicious eaten plain as it is, my favorite thing to do with a fruit filled panettone is to turn it into a delicious Christmas treat.
Is Bread Pudding a Breakfast or a Dessert?
It's Christmas -- you decide! I have served it to happy family members as both a Christmas morning breakfast and a festive Christmas dessert.
The egg-filled custard base let me justify it as a breakfast bake.
The crispy powdered sugar top and sweet amaretto sauce poured over the top totally qualifies as a gorgeous dessert.
What is Panettone?
I was first introduced to panettone when I was living in Milan, Italy during the Christmas season. My office hosted a holiday party for the employees and they served large trays filled with chunks of panettone as one of the treats. I instantly fell in love with it and have sought it out every year since.
Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas bread that features an eggy dough filled with dried fruits. Once baked, it has a light and airy texture, very similar to brioche, and the flavor has hints of citrus and delicate spices.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this bread pudding are very simple:
- Panettone: You can usually find traditional boxes of Italian panettone at the grocery store starting in late October and running through the Christmas season. There are two main brands most commonly available--Balocco and Bauducco. I've found them at World Market, Fresh Market, and even on Amazon. Just be sure to get the 2-pound package (or 2 1-pounds.)
- Eggs
- Milk & Heavy cream
- Vanilla & Almond extracts
- Cinnamon
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Prep the Bread Cubes
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with softened butter.
Unwrap the panettone and remove the paper wrappings. Slice it into thick 1-inch slices and then cube the slices.
Scatter the bread cubes evenly in the pan.
If you are prepping this dish ahead of time and plan to bake it the next day, cover the dish with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature.
Prep the Custard Filling
To prepare the custard, simply whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla and almond extracts, and cinnamon.
Assemble the Bread Pudding
When you are ready to bake the panettone bread pudding, pour the prepared custard over the bread cubes in the baking dish.
Gently pat the bread down into the cream so that every single cube is coated in sauce.
Let the dish stand for at least 15 - 20 minutes while the oven preheats. This allows the bread to absorb as much of the custard filling as it can before baking.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the bread pudding for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and toasted and the custard has completely set.
If the top begins to brown faster than the custard can set, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil while it continues to bake.
Make Ahead Tips
My favorite part about this recipe is how easy it is to prep ahead of time. This comes in very handy if you want it to serve as an easy Christmas morning breakfast or holiday brunch item.
Panettone is light and airy bread, I would not recommend soaking the bread cubes overnight. Instead, prep the bread cubes in the buttered dish and cover in plastic wrap.
Then whisk together the custard and store it in a separate bowl in the fridge.
Then you can just pour the custard over the bread and let it soak while your oven preheats.
Serving Suggestions
The panettone bread pudding is most delicious when served still warm from the oven, dusted with powdered sugar and servings drizzled with this super-easy amaretto cream sauce.
If you want to mix things up, try making my bourbon sauce for bread pudding or this delicious vanilla creme anglaise which is amazing, too.
If you prefer to add a brighter contrast, a little dollop of lemon curd would cut the richness of the vanilla custard.
Variations
Though this recipe is nearly perfect as is, there are a few fun variations you could play with for your family:
- Chocolate Panettone: Sometimes you can find a chocolate panettone where the bread part itself is flavored with chocolate powder. You could substitute that for the traditional fruit-studded version.
- Add Almonds for Crunch: Stir in 1/2 cup of sliced almonds into the custard. Don't scatter them over the top, they are likely to burn over the full bake time.
- Add Golden Raisins: For more fruity flavor, a 1/3 cup of golden raisins would be delicious in the custard.
More Bread Pudding Recipes
Bread pudding is one of my husband's all-time favorite desserts. If you like this recipe, you'll also love:
📖 Recipe
Make-Ahead Panettone Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 loaf panettone bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with softened butter all around the bottom and sides. Scatter the cubes of panettone evenly across the baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, sugar, extracts, and spices. Pour the mixture over the panettone and gently press down on the bread cubes to submerge them in the custard.
- Let the bread pudding stand for 30 minutes before baking or you can cover it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
- Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top of the pudding.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread pudding for 45 minutes or until it has puffed up and is set in the center. Serve while it is still warm.
Recipe Notes
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