I love this Panettone Baked French Toast with Pecan Crumble because it can be made in advance and possesses the most intoxicating aroma while it bakes!
“Never work before breakfast; if you have to work before breakfast, eat your breakfast first.” ~Josh Billings
Ha! Josh Billings knew what he was talking about!
The only day of the year that I make a concentrated effort to eat very little for breakfast is Thanksgiving…a cup of coffee, a bit of fruit, perhaps…nothing to write home about (for obvious reasons).
And even though Christmas dinner carries its own weight and grandeur, there is something about a lovely breakfast on Christmas morning that makes perfect sense to me. Especially a breakfast that creates a warm aromatic backdrop of cinnamon and brown sugar as we’re snapping shots of the kids coming down the stairs (yes – we still put them through that!).
And since we need to keep our strength for the days activities, it needs to be a meal that takes only minutes to prepare, which makes this Panettone Baked French Toast with Pecan Crumble an ideal meal to get our day started on a super sweet note.
The recipe begins with your favorite loaf of panettone…an Italian specialty cake.
Simply slice and cut the panettone into relatively uniform pieces and arrange in a buttered 13×9″ baking dish.
Next, pour a whisked mixture of eggs, yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt over top the pieces, then press down to help soak up the custard.
Cover and chill for up to 2 hours or overnight.
Bake for approximately an hour, until cooked through, and deeply browned on top.
Then allow to cool slightly.
Serve with warm maple syrup, and enjoy…
I’m a big French toast girl…and this baked version, with the Panettone which includes sweet raisins and candied orange peels, is as good as any I’ve ever had.
Here’s to breakfast!!
Buon Appetito!
Print
Panettone Baked French Toast with Pecan Crumble
- Category: Breakfast
Ingredients
- 18 – 20 oz. Panettone Italian specialty cake
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, to prepare the baking dish
- 4 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Instructions
Butter a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Set aside.
Cut panettone so slices are similar in size. Arrange in baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
Pour over Panettone, pressing to make sure it soaks up the custard.
Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 F.
While oven is heating, in a small bowl, mix pecans, butter and brown sugar.
Remove dish from the refrigerator and scatter the pecan crumble over top.
Place dish on a baking sheet and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until warmed through.
Remove foil and bake until deeply browned, 35-40 minutes longer.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Serve with warm maple syrup.
Ciao!
Great idea, Annie! All the Panettone French toast for me:) Love how you can throw it together pretty quickly too!
All for you, my friend!! 🙂
Panettone is among my favorite holiday treats and the thought of having it in French toast makes my head spin (in a good way!) – SO DELICIOUS!
Let the spin begin!! 🙂 Thanks, Marissa! xo
I agree, Christmas breakfast deserves its own very special place in my stomach. A make-ahead breakfast simplifies life, too! That pecan crumble sounds delicious!
It sure does! Thanks, Katherine! 🙂
Would like to join in on all this talk about the panettone but gotta give credit to that pecan crumble! Looks amazing and will be trying this one soon!
Yepp! Anything with the word crumble gets my full attention! Thanks, Kevin!
Having made French toast with chocolate chip pannettone last year (which was absolutely decadent!), I will try this recipe this year. Sounds wonderful!
Oh myyyy! That sounds amazing! I really think you’ll like this, too! 🙂
What a delicious dish for Christmas breakfast or a holiday brunch Annie! I loved that you used the panettone. I bet your kitchen smells amazing while this is baking too! I’ve got to give your recipe a try!
Thank you, Mary Ann! Panettone is one of our quintessential Christmas treats!
Now this is a breakfast made for Christmas morning!! I love how simple it is and it looks amazing!! It plays perfectly into the holiday experience! Take care 🙂
It really does lend itself to the holiday experience! Thank you, my friend!
Oh Annie, I love panettone and I can’t even begin to imagine how wonderful it would be as a french toast – with orange and pecans! It’s so special and perfect for a holiday breakfast!
I make the same mistake every holiday. I’m so busy preparing the big dinner that I don’t take the time to make breakfast. Assembling this the night before would be so perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe, my friend!
That is an easy mistake to make – one, I am sure, is quite common!! The orange in this panettone is amazing – and that crumble? Forget about it! 😉 Thanks, Kelly!
I can only imagine how awesome your kitchen smells on Christmas morning Annie! This would make the most delightful holiday breakfast or brunch dish!
I think you would love it, Leanne! Thank you!! 🙂
That quote is awesome!! Love panettone and love French toast so combining the two is just BRILLIANT! What a wonderful breakfast for over the holidays. Lots of coffee, a big hunk of this, sitting by the tree – just perfect, my friend 🙂 Have a wonderful week ahead! XOXO
Hahha! I love that quote!! Just as much as I love panettone French toast! You know how to live, my friend!! Thanks, dear! XOXO
This sounds so good for Christmas! Or for breakfast today, for that matter. I love everything about it!
I munched on it just about every day until it was gone! Thanks, friend!
I also love a special Christmas breakfast. This baked french toast is perfect because it can be prepared the night before.
Having this ready to pop in the oven on Christmas morning is a gift in itself! Thanks, Kathy!
So who actually made this dish?
Everyone commented on how nice it looked.
Any suggestions to tweak? Planning on making this tomorrow for brunch.
Thx
I made this dish…Thanks for stopping by! I hope you liked it! 🙂
This looks amazing. This would be great for Christmas morning!
Thanks, Kelley!
Such a clever idea!! Love this recipe cause I love panettone and french toast! I’ve never thought about this combo. Pinned!
Thanks Olivia…and thanks for the pin!
I love Panettone French toast, but who has time to make it on Christmas morning?! No, this french toast casserole is a much better way to go, this way no one has to stand in front of the stove instead of opening presents!
Exactly! No time for that!! I like the way you think!!