Some Italian Christmas traditions—especially the ones that come from the kitchen—reach so far back they’re almost impossible to date. Every region has its own lineup of holiday specialties, from the hundreds of cookie recipes passed down through generations to the sweet, nut-studded torrone often traded as gifts, to La Vigilia, the famous Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve.
And this rich history is a huge part of the appeal. These dishes carry the unchanged, authentic flavors of a time gone by, and cooking them connects us with past generations in a beautiful way.
But that being said, not every holiday recipe needs centuries of history behind it to feel meaningful. Even in traditional Italian kitchens, like Giada De Laurentiis’, some traditions are born a little more recently—and still become family favorites just the same.
Giada’s Favorite Christmas Morning Breakfast
Giada, who now celebrates the holidays from her home in California, keeps many of her Italian traditions alive—even from more than 6,000 miles away. One non-negotiable on her Christmas Eve menu is panettone. The tall, dome-shaped sweet bread, sometimes called “Christmas cake,” has been a holiday staple since the 19th century, and it’s still found on just about every Italian table come December.
But panettone presents a familiar dilemma: as the Christmas festivities come to an end, there’s often more cake than anyone knows what to do with. And from that excess, a new, more modern tradition was born: Panettone French Toast.
ALLRECIPES / KAREN HIBBARD
“That’s something that we started making when I moved here,” she told Allrecipes. “That was in the ’70s, so it’s been like 40 years. In Italy, we don’t make French toast—it’s very American. But we needed to find ways to use all the panettone, because nobody can eat that much panettone at Christmas Eve, so we’ve gotta find ways to use it the next day.”
French toast isn’t the only way she repurposes Christmas Eve panettone—she’s turned it into croutons, bread pudding, and even trifles. But the French toast breakfast is the clear family favorite. “My family really, really loves the panettone French toast, and that’s one of Jade’s favorites, so I do that one.”
How To Make Giada’s Panettone French Toast
The recipe works just like any French toast, except the bread is swapped for thick, sweet slices of day-old panettone. In fact, slightly stale panettone works even better, since it soaks up the custard without getting too soggy.
In Giada’s version, which you can find on her website, she slices the panettone into one-inch-thick pieces, dips them into a whisked mixture of eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, and cooks them on a hot, buttered griddle until both sides are golden and caramelized.
She takes it over the top with a rich homemade cinnamon-and-cream syrup, but we think a simple pour of maple syrup and dollop of whipped cream will still make it taste like pure Christmas morning comfort.
Next to her family’s struffoli—which has been in her lineage for at least four generations—this French toast has become one of the longest-running traditions in her American household. And it doubles as a little celebration of both cultures.
“I think that’s something I’ve always tried to weave in,” she said. “Finding ways to kind of bring the culture of your adopted home, along with, you know, what you grew up with.”
So, no, Panettone French Toast might not have been found on the breakfast table 200 years ago—but this is one modern alteration that’s hard to argue with. If Giada has kept it around for 40 years, it’s safe to say it’s rightfully earned a spot at the Christmas breakfast table.
