A delicious make-ahead breakfast, my panettone French toast casserole is baked in the oven until it’s light, fluffy, and perfectly golden on top. Only 10 minutes of prep time the night before is needed, and it makes for an easy breakfast for a stress-free morning. The panettone is baked in a delicious egg and milk custard, then topped with amaretto whipped cream and maple syrup!
On Christmas morning (many years ago), my mother in law made this baked overnight panettone french toast casserole. It was one of the most delicious things that I have ever tasted, so I asked her for the recipe. Let's just say that the rest is history.
Since that day, I've been making this dish every Christmas morning in my Italian kitchen. It's that good.
Think of it as a beautiful extra puffy slice of panettone wrapped in a warm custard. Topped with whipping cream and maple syrup? Chef's kiss.
Great for making ahead
The holidays are busy enough, so the last thing I want is to have to spend tons of time and effort in the kitchen on Christmas morning.
This make-ahead french toast casserole is the perfect breakfast for the holidays because it only takes 10 minutes to prep, which is done the night before, then baked in the morning. (PS. If you're looking for another easy make-ahead recipe, check out this spiced apple cake for breakfast).
I've actually gotten home at midnight on Christmas eve before, and prepped this dish before going to bed, and popped it in the oven in the morning. Breakfast is sorted.
Not to mention, it's a great recipe to follow if you have any left over panettone lying around after the holidays.
How to make it
More topping ideas
I like to top this leftover panettone recipe with amaretto whipped cream and maple syrup, but here are a few other topping variations to consider:
- mascarpone cream
- creme fraiche, brown butter, cooked bananas
Recipe
Baked Overnight Panettone French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
Panettone French Toast
- 1 700g Panettone
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Butter to grease baking dish
Amaretto whipped cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Panettone French Toast
- Butter baking dish. Cut panettone into slices. Place into a buttered baking dish so that they fit snugly and slightly overlap. I cut my 700g panettone into about 15 pieces.
- Mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Pour this mixture over the panettone. Cover the baking dish in saran wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.
- When you're ready to eat your panettone, take it out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Once the oven is heated, place the baking dish inside the oven and bake uncovered for approximately 45 mins or until golden brown and all the custard has absorbed into the panettone.
- Cut into square slices. Feel free to top with amaretto whipped cream, fresh berries, sliced almonds and maple syrup!
Amaretto Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the whipping cream, amaretto and sugar together until stiff peaks form.
Recipe Notes
- I used a 10x13 inch baking dish to make this panettone french toast
- You can use an enamel baking dish, or a glass or ceramic baking dish would work well also
Gayle Prochko says
Hi Pina! I’m trying your overnight Panettone French toast for my family’s Christmas breakfast. Looking forward to it. Just came across your website while searching for this recipe...glad I found it! Love your story, too.
I know this will be a hit! Merry Christmas!
Gayle
Pina says
Hi Gayle! Thank you so much! This is a tradition for my family on Christmas morning - I think you'll like it as much as we do! Please let me know how it turns out!
Charlotte says
This was so delicious. I ended up having to bake it longer and had already topped with the berries and that just made it even yummier. Thank you.
Pina says
Hi Charlotte, happy new year! so glad you loved it
-Pina