Panettone Bread Pudding Recipe (Make-Ahead Christmas Dessert)
This is a simple bread pudding recipe made with panettone bread and a few everyday ingredients. It's very customizable flavor-wise. Take advantage of panettone leftovers and make this wonderful vintage recipe that can be frozen!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 304kcal
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter to grease the dish
- 13 ounces large panettone cubes or chunks see Notes below
- 2 cups whole milk at room temperature
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest from about ½ lemon
- whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to serve, optional
Cinnamon sugar topping:
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Butter an 8x11-inch ceramic dish with 1 teaspoon unsalted butter. If using a 9x13-inch baking dish, the pudding will be shorter, and the custard might leave more bread tips exposed.
- Arrange 13 ounces large panettone cubes or chunks in the prepared dish. See Notes below.
- Lightly whisk 2 cups whole milk, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste and ½ teaspoon lemon zest in a large bowl. You don't need to beat it as we don't want to incorporate air, but make sure the eggs are well incorporated.
- Pour the egg mixture carefully over the panettone, making sure all is moistened. Since the bread is usually uneven, some slices might be more covered than others, which is fine.
- Let this mixture stand at room temperature, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid. If the panettone was still moist 20-30 minutes is fine. You might want to leave it longer if it is dry. You can also cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a few hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Check the mixture once or twice, submerging again any bread slices that popped to the surface too much. Or turn them over if they're on the surface and one of the sides is not being soaked enough.
- Mix 1 tablespoon white sugar with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, decrease the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the top is puffed and golden brown. A tester inserted should come out almost clean. Don't be tempted to leave it until it's very firm because we want it to be creamy. You can carefully lift the bread slices here and there and make sure the inside is not too runny and that the eggs and milk mixture has almost set.
- Let cool a little and serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Drizzle some caramel or dulce de leche on top for an even more decadent dessert.
- Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator.
Notes
Panettone is the main ingredient, and its quality will directly affect the texture and flavor of this bread pudding. You can buy it or make homemade panettone bread.
How to cut the panettone? This seems to be the most asked question. My short answer is: however you like it. The long answer is that it doesn't matter much because most will be soaked in liquid. But I do find that, unless you like dense bread pudding with little texture, panettone cubes or chunks are better to ensure faster and more even soaking.
*November 2024 update: This year, I tested the ratio of this dessert again. If you want crunchy bits, cut larger chunks or cubes and use a larger baking dish so that there are exposed bits. It makes a shorter pudding but crunchier on top. Baking time: Consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. Panettone bread and butter pudding: butter the panettone slices on one side, arrange them (butter side up) overlapping in the baking dish and drizzle the custard over them. Bake as instructed. Some bread tips will remain uncovered and be crunchier.
*November 2024 update: This year, I tested the ratio of this dessert again. If you want crunchy bits, cut larger chunks or cubes and use a larger baking dish so that there are exposed bits. It makes a shorter pudding but crunchier on top. Baking time: Consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. Panettone bread and butter pudding: butter the panettone slices on one side, arrange them (butter side up) overlapping in the baking dish and drizzle the custard over them. Bake as instructed. Some bread tips will remain uncovered and be crunchier.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg
