Christmas is the perfect time to enjoy a panettone. While the festive bread-cake is “synonymous with Italy”, for years it has proven to be popular “all over the world”, said Forbes. Whether “elegantly boxed, tinned, or wrapped in paper”, it is the “quintessential” edible gift.
Carluccio’s limoncello panettone
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.
carluccios.com, £29.95
Dukes Hill chocolate panettone
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.
dukeshill.co.uk, £19.95
Vergani Dubai chocolate and pistachio panettone
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.
valentinadeli.co.uk; £32.95
Fattoria La Vialla organic panettone
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.
lavialla.com, £22.70
Seggiano chestnut panettone
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.
seggiano.com; £20
CORD by Le Cordon Bleu panettone
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.
cordrestaurant.co.uk; available as part of a hamper, £130
Festive, fluffy and full of joy, these panettones provide magic in every bite
