21 artisanal and signature panettone to give as Christmas gifts
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21 artisanal and signature panettone to gift (and enjoy yourself) for a special Christmas
Every year at Christmas, there is one dessert that, in Italy and increasingly around the world, is essential on every table: the panettone. Legend traces its origins back to a fortunate mistake in the kitchens of Ludovico il Moro’s court in the 15th century. From that accident emerged a soft, fragrant, slow-leavened cake that has since charmed generations and become an unmistakable symbol of the festive season. Each slice evokes childhood memories, family gatherings and the warmth of holiday tables.
The classic recipe - a long-rising dough with sourdough, raisins and candied fruit - celebrates tradition, but panettone also knows how to reinvent itself without losing its identity. In recent years, reinterpretations have flourished: gourmet versions, unexpected flavour pairings and creative ingredients that delight the palate while respecting craftsmanship. Even the packaging becomes the protagonist: packages signed by fashion houses and designers transform the cake into an elegant and precious gift. From classic to more innovative panettone, each creation brings with it a hint of magic, confirming that this dessert remains the real star of the holidays.
What began as a deeply Italian ritual is now a global pleasure - enjoyed, gifted and reimagined far beyond its homeland. That’s why this year, we’ve selected some of the best panettoni: crafted in Italy, rooted in tradition, but ready to be savoured wherever you are.
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Courtesy Marchesi 18241/21Marchesi 1824
Brand new for the season, the Panettone Meneghino al Grand Marnier is a refined tribute to Milanese taste. The dough, the fruit of Marchesi 1824’s mastery, is enriched with the famous French liqueur, which enhances the sweetness of the candied fruit and imparts sophisticated aromatic notes. The result is a harmonious balance of warm, enveloping aromas, presented in an elegant hatbox.
Christina Holmes2/21Sant Ambroeus
The chocolate panettone, prepared over 36 hours and twice kneaded with dark chocolate, wins you over with its softness and aroma. Made with Italian butter and clarified butter, Italian flours, fresh eggs, and sourdough, its dough is enriched with extra-large dark chocolate chunks that deliver an intense flavour and a captivating amber colour.
Courtesy Iginio Massari3/21Iginio Massari
Iginio Massari’s classic panettone is the result of a 65-hour process, with four stages of leavening at controlled temperatures and times, and two separate doughs. Its soft, even crumb embraces raisins and cubes of Calabrian candied orange, enhancing delicate notes of butter and vanilla. The top is finished with an almond and cocoa glaze, complemented by whole almonds and granulated sugar. This year’s panettone with icing and almonds is also available in a special 1.5 kg edition, presented in an elegant fabric bag and an exclusive collectible tin.
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Maximilian PF Kurtenbach4/21Cova
Cova’s historic recipe for classic panettone, handed down and rigorously preserved, is elevated by the quality of its raw materials: egg yolks, butter, flour, sugar, raisins, and candied fruit blend into a fragrant, soft, and harmonious dough. Each panettone is crafted by hand, according to a ritual that combines savoir-faire, dedication, and the beauty of artisanal gestures.
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Courtesy Etro X Aimo e Nadia5/21Etro X Aimo and Nadia
ETRO renews its collaboration with the starred restaurant Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia, enriching its Christmas offering with an exclusive limited-edition creation: the saffron and chocolate panettone, signed by chefs Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani. The double leavening ensures a soft and light texture, accompanied by a rich, balanced, and sophisticated flavour. The panettone is presented in an elegant brushed metal box, decorated with the Paisley floral print from the Etro Holiday 2025 collection.
Courtesy Martesana6/21Martesana and Moschino
Panettone d’Oro represents the meeting of two Milanese excellences, united by the values of Italianness, creativity, and attention to detail. Made according to the ancient Martesana recipe, it is prepared over 48 hours with sourdough, butter, and stone-ground flour, and enriched with golden raisins, candied Italian orange, and Tahitian vanilla. The top is coated in a gold chocolate glaze with IGP Piedmont hazelnuts, giving it a jewel-like, precious, and luminous effect. Like every couture creation, this panettone is also presented in signature packaging: a golden hatbox embellished with Martesana and Moschino logos in black and embossed graphic polka dots, inspired by the maison’s Fall-Winter 2025 collection.
Elisa Andreini7/21Armani/Dolci by Guido Gobino
Armani/Dolci's panettone is offered in four different flavors: classic, three-chocolate, limited edition with dark chocolate and apricot, and in a version with a Guido Gobino dark 63 percent chocolate coating. This year it comes in a square tin box where the leather-effect textures, in bright silver tones, and steel-colored corner details recall trunks used as suitcases. A silver-colored ribbon with platinum stitching and contrasting printed logo completes the box.
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Courtesy Fornasetti8/21Fornasetti
Once again this year, Fornasetti chooses Davide Longoni to celebrate the quintessential Christmas dessert, combining his artistic vision with baking mastery. The panettone recipe enhances the typical elements of the Milanese dessert - raisins and candied orange and lemon peel - enriching them, for the first time, with Jamaican rum from the historic Hampden distillery and vanilla pods: a novel touch that gives the leavened product a warm and vibrant note. The panettone is housed in an exclusive cylindrical box made of embossed paper, decorated with the High Fidelity motif. Along its circumference appears a sly cat, with a checkered coat and an imperturbable expression, resting among books - an ironic detail in true Fornasetti style.
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Courtesy Gucci Osteria9/21Gucci Osteria by Massimo Bottura
The traditional panettone remains the distinctive signature of Gucci Osteria: soft and fragrant, prepared with raisins, candied orange peel, and delicate notes of natural Madagascar vanilla. It is presented in a refined tin box decorated with the unmistakable Herbarium motif. New this year is the strawberry and chocolate panettone, where the freshness of strawberry meets the rich intensity of dark chocolate. Completing the offering is the vegan panettone, a 100 percent plant-based version.
10/21Da Vittorio
Da Vittorio, now among the most acclaimed restaurants on the Italian peninsula, boasting three Michelin stars, crafts a Panettone Classico that embodies the essence of Italian pastry craftsmanship. Hand-shaped and allowed to rise naturally for 36 hours, it is a celebration of softness and harmonious flavour. Fine wheat flour and premium butter are blended with selected egg yolks, honey, and vanilla to create a delicately scented, airy dough. Juicy sultanas, orange, and candied citron — prepared from fresh peel and natural syrups — deliver brightness and depth, while orange paste and tonka bean introduce a distinctive aromatic flourish. Finished with a crisp almond glaze enriched with hazelnut flour and egg white, this panettone offers both texture and elegance. An artisanal creation without compromise, it is made to elevate the most memorable celebrations.
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Courtesy Casa Brera11/21Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan
Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Milan, invites the Milanese to indulge in an exclusive limited-edition miniature panettone designed by artist Laila Gohar. The panettone, masterfully crafted by Pastry Chef Paolo Cavenago, will be available until January 6, 2026, throughout the day - for lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner - at Etereo, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant.
Courtesy Cannavacciuolo12/21Cannavacciuolo
Alongside its iconic leavened products - classic, almond, gianduia, limoncello, and mela annurca Campana IGP - the Cannavacciuolo Lab introduces new interpretations designed to surprise the most curious palates. The Pear, Cinnamon and Ginger Panettone embodies the warmth of spices and the velvety softness of fruit; the Whole Chocolate and Red Fruits Panettone combines the aromatic strength of cocoa with the liveliness of berries; while the Vesuvio Red Velvet delights with its deep red, slightly tangy dough, enriched with white chocolate nuggets and cranberries. The collection also expands with new 500 g formats - classic, without candied fruit and raisins, and gianduia - designed for those who prefer a smaller size.
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13/21Dolce & Gabbana by Fiasconaro
Bringing Sicilian flair to the festive table, Fiasconaro’s chocolate and candied orange panettone, created in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, transforms Italy’s iconic Christmas cake into a stylish celebration piece. Slow-leavened for exceptional softness, enriched with cocoa, studded with Sicilian orange and chocolate chips, and presented in a boldly decorated tin inspired by Domenico Dolce’s roots, it is both a gourmet delight and a collectible object.
14/21Claridge’s panettone is made in Turin following a closely guarded family recipe, handed down through the generations. Feather-light yet wonderfully rich, its tender crumb is studded with hand-cut dried fruit and citrus peel. Enjoy it simply as it is, or paired with preserves and cream for an indulgent festive tea. Should any remain, it makes a sublime bread-and-butter pudding.
15/21Olivieri 1882
Olivieri’s Pear and Chocolate Panettone is the result of more than 48 hours of slow, double fermentation using live sourdough alone. Its pillowy crumb is laced with handcrafted candied pear and dark chocolate pearls, while flecks of Bourbon vanilla reveal the quality of its ingredients. Despite its richness, the panettone remains remarkably light and digestible - a testament to its long leavening and uncompromising ingredient selection. Free from preservatives, artificial flavourings, vegetable fats, and industrial shortcuts, it is entirely handmade, continuing the artisan tradition the Olivieri family has upheld since 1882.
17/21Ottolenghi by Pasticceria Scarpato
Ottolenghi’s festive panettone arrives with a renewed sense of Ottolenghi’s festive panettone arrives with elevated finesse this season. After tasting 25 panettoni from eight Italian artisans, the team chose Pasticceria Scarpato for its exceptional craft. The result is a delicately sweet, cloud soft panettone enriched with plump raisins and jewel like candied fruit, achieving the airy texture only the finest examples offer. Sublime with coffee, elegant with sweet wine and indulgent as French toast on Christmas morning, it captures the warmth and generosity of Ottolenghi’s kitchen in every slice.
18/21Gustificio
Gustificio’s triple chocolate panettone is an indulgent take on the Italian classic, replacing raisins and citrus with three kinds of chocolate in a naturally leavened, cloud-soft dough. Finished with a crumble topping and studded with Valrhona chips, it is delicious lightly warmed and served with sparkling wine, cream or berries. Handmade with organic ingredients and no preservatives, it arrives in a striking yellow box
Courtesy Strucchi19/21Strucchi Vermouth & Bitter
Strucchi Vermouth & Bitter presents the Negroni panettone, born from the encounter between the Piedmontese brand and the craftsmanship and mastery of baker Adriano Del Mastro. It is a leavened cake that tells the story of an Italian icon, the Negroni cocktail, made only with quality ingredients: in the dough, the sweetness of Strucchi Red Bitter candied fruit, and at its heart, the intense embrace of Strucchi Red Vermouth.
Courtesy The Bridge20/21The Bridge and Iginio Massari
The leather panettone holder, designed and made by The Bridge, is created to hold the classic panettone signed Iginio Massari Alta Pasticceria. A precious, collectible creation designed to celebrate the excellence of Italian savoir-faire, to give as a gift or to treat yourself. Produced in a limited and numbered edition of only 400 pieces.
Courtesy Ristorante Santa Elisabetta21/21Santa Elisabetta Restaurant
In Florence, within the atmospheric Byzantine Torre della Pagliazza, the panettone of the two-Michelin-starred Santa Elisabetta Restaurant is created. The restaurant, located inside Hotel Brunelleschi and part of Collezione Em, crafts its panettone under the guidance of Pastry Chef Francesco De Padova. It is the result of meticulous artisanal work, starting with live sourdough and excellent raw materials: flours from Molino Bongiovanni, dairy butter, acacia honey and the precious semi-candied apricot ‘Pellecchiella’ apricot. Candied orange, vanilla and tonka bean complete an elegant and contemporary flavor profile.
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