Panettone is “synonymous with Christmas in Italy”, said Forbes, but over the years, the festive bread-cake has become popular “all over the world”. Whether “elegantly boxed, tinned, or wrapped in paper”, it is the “quintessential” edible gift.
Carluccio’s limoncello panettone
(Image credit: Carluccio's)
This elegant and dangerously sweet panettone is an ideal treat to enjoy in those festive in-between days. With a gorgeous white chocolate crust adorned with sparkling sugar crystals, the sweet bread wouldn’t go amiss as the centrepiece of a festive dessert table. Slicing into the middle, you’ll find a soft, buttery centre studded with glistening lemon peel for an extra zing of flavour. It is also oozing with a delicious limoncello-flavoured custard, that is yellow and bright. While the Italian liqueur has become a popular flavour in recent years, this is a panettone that still feels refreshingly unique.
Keen to ditch the traditional dried fruit offering? Look no further than this luxury panettone that makes chocolate the star of the show. While you’ll no doubt recognise the typical Italian recipe with its fluffy centre, the addition of chocolate chips adds a decadent touch to the festive sweet treat, and a velvety chocolate cream runs all the way through. It means the bread is best served warm, allowing the chocolate to melt. Not too sweet, this option carefully balances chocolate and bread for exactly the kind of Christmas indulgence necessary.
This panettone puts a festive twist on 2025’s runaway flavour trend: Dubai chocolate. What started as a social media craze of chocolate filled with pistachio and filo pastry soon spiralled into a demand so great that it triggered a global pistachio shortage. Vergani’s expertly crafted panettone is an even-textured dough stuffed with a generous helping of velvety chocolate pieces, and smooth, almost buttery, pistachio cream that isn’t overpoweringly sweet. The result is a contemporary dessert leaning into a popular flavour, but without losing the traditional festive feel of a classic panettone. Wrapped in glossy Dubai-inspired packaging, the panettone neatly nods to the moment, but more than delivers on taste first.
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Fattoria La Vialla organic panettone
(Image credit: Fattoria La Vialla)
Straight from an organic farm in central Italy, this traditional wholewheat panettone is ideal for those who want to get back to the roots of the traditional bread-cake. The quintessential Christmas favourite still shines with festive flavour, featuring fragrant orange peel and bursts of tasty golden sultanas – and there are lots of them. The bread feels silky and rich, given that extra virgin olive oil replaces butter. It also means the panettone is a slightly healthier treat to enjoy in an otherwise gluttonous season. An Italian tradition reimagined for the modern palate, each bite is somehow more delicious than the last.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire immediately evoke the feeling of Christmas, so combining this flavour and smell with a traditional festive cake is a recipe for success. This panettone is filled with marrons glacés – candied chestnuts – that melt into the crumb and provide a warm, earthy sweetness. Drenched in acacia honey, the panettone also has a delicate floral taste that lifts the cake. It could perhaps be a tad moister and more visually appealing, but the chestnut flavour is steady and satisfying – a perfectly packaged treat that will have you devouring every fluffy mouthful.
This panettone is the kind of bake that makes supermarket versions feel like pale imitations. The name speaks for itself, but it’s a treat to find the panettone doesn’t let the reputation of the culinary school down. A burnished, floured crust gives way to a light and fluffy centre, with delicious notes of vanilla and citrus – rich in flavour but not dense. It’s also a reminder of Le Cordon Bleu’s ethos: attention to detail, finesse and respect for the classics. While it might not be as showy as some of its other panettone counterparts, the festive bread is a showstopper, embracing tradition while being elevated into a refined treat.
Rebekah Evans joined The Week as newsletter editor in 2023 and has written on subjects ranging from Ukraine and Afghanistan to fast fashion and "brotox". She started her career at Reach plc, where she cut her teeth on news, before pivoting into personal finance at the height of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. Social affairs is another of her passions, and she has interviewed people from across the world and from all walks of life. Rebekah completed an NCTJ with the Press Association and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Week magazine, the Press Association and local newspapers.
