Panettone French Toast Recipe

The ultimate holiday breakfast in 30 minutes

We've been getting loaves of panettone for weeks now and have been trying to figure out what to do with our stockpile of carbs. Then we had a revelation. What better way to use up leftover panettone than by turning it into rich French toast for breakfast? Top with orange whipped cream, toasted pecans and maple syrup, and you've got the holiday breakfast of champions.

Unlike traditional French toast, you'll want to dip the panettone into the batter just before frying. Panettone is quite soft and studded with dried fruit, and would become too fragile if soaked in batter. A quick dip saturates the bread while keeping it firm enough to sear.

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Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

Panettone French Toast
4.9 from 73 ratings
Turn leftover loaves of panettone into a custardy French toast topped with orange whipped cream, pecans and plenty of maple syrup.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
10
minutes
Servings
6
to 8 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • For the Orange Cream
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • For the French Toast
  • 2½ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • One 2-pound loaf panettone, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-thick slices
  • Chopped pecans, for garnish
  • Maple syrup, for serving
Directions
  1. Make the orange cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange cream ingredients to stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Make the French toast: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs until smooth.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip 4 pieces of the panettone into the batter and place in the pan. Cook, flipping once, until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Transfer the French toast to a platter and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
  4. Spoon the orange cream over the French toast, then garnish with pecans and serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 692
Total Fat 29.9 g
Saturated Fat 12.0 g
Trans Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 197.3 mg
Total Carbohydrates 89.0 g
Dietary Fiber 2.7 g
Total Sugars 38.4 g
Sodium 624.8 mg
Protein 17.5 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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