The 5 Best Panettone of 2024

Panettone is the holiday bread that looks like it should come with its own tiny crown. When it’s great, it’s impossibly tall, feather-light, buttery, and perfumed with citrus and vanilla. When it’s not… well, let’s just say some panettone tastes like it took a long nap in a cardboard box and woke up confused.

The good news: 2024 delivered some genuinely excellent optionsfrom “mail-order luxury gift” panettone to “I grabbed this at the grocery store and now I’m everyone’s favorite person” panettone. Below are five standout picks that hit different budgets and cravings, plus tips to choose wisely and serve it like you’ve got an Italian aunt coaching you from the kitchen doorway.

What Makes a Panettone Worth Buying (and Not Just “Holiday-Flavored Regret”)

Panettone is a yeasted, enriched sweet bread traditionally associated with Milan, famous for its airy crumb and domed top. High-end versions often rely on slow fermentation (sometimes with a natural starter) and rich ingredientseggs, butter, sugar, and aromaticsplus classic add-ins like raisins and candied citrus peel. The best ones have a bouncy, shreddable interior that feels closer to brioche than cake, with a fragrance that hits you before the knife even finishes the first slice.

Quick “Great Panettone” Checklist

• Aroma: You should smell butter, vanilla, citrus zest, and warm fermentation notesnot “sweet air.”
• Crumb: Tall, threadlike strands (“shreddy” in the best way), not tight and cakey.
• Moisture: Tender and rich without being greasy. Dryness is the enemy.
• Balance: Sweet, but not sugar-bomb sweet. Panettone should taste like craftsmanship, not frosting.
• Add-ins: Fruit should taste like fruit (not neon mystery cubes), and chocolate should feel intentional, not like it fell in by accident.

How This “Best Of” List Was Built

This roundup synthesizes panettone taste tests, gift guides, and buying advice published by reputable U.S.-based food and lifestyle outlets (plus brand details where useful). The goal is simple: identify panettone that earned praise for flavor and texture, is realistically obtainable in the U.S., and represents a smart mix of splurge and value in 2024.

The 5 Best Panettone of 2024 (At a Glance)

1) Olivieri 1882 Classic Panettone (Best Overall)

If you want one panettone that represents “the point of panettone,” Olivieri 1882 is an easy answer. It’s frequently praised for being tall, tender, and richly aromatic, with that signature buttery, eggy crumb that feels like it should be illegal to eat without a tiny espresso on the side.

Why it stands out

• Texture: Airy but not emptysoft strands that tear instead of crumble.
• Flavor: Balanced sweetness with citrus brightness and a deep, buttery base.
• Reliability: Consistently mentioned among top-tier panettone recommendations.

How to serve it

Slice thick, warm briefly (10–15 seconds in the microwave or a quick toast), then add one of these:

• Mascarpone + a drizzle of honey
• Good jam (apricot is a cheat code)
• Salted butter (simple, unbeatable)

2) From Roy Chocolate Panettone (Best Splurge, Biggest “Wow”)

From Roy is the panettone you buy when you want someone to open a box and immediately suspect you have your life together. Created by panettone specialist Roy Shvartzapel, these are famous for a luxurious, almost laminated-feeling tendernesslike panettone took a vacation with croissant dough and came back with better posture.

Why it stands out

• Artisan craft: Known for obsessive attention to fermentation and structure.
• Chocolate execution: Deep cocoa flavor without turning the bread heavy.
• Gift factor: This is peak “holiday centerpiece” energy.

Best use case

Bring this to a party where everyone else is bringing cookies. You’ll be politely asked to host next year. (This is both a compliment and a trap.)

3) Fiasconaro Traditional Panettone (Best Classic Italian That’s Easy to Buy)

Fiasconaro is a Sicilian bakery known for naturally leavened holiday breads and a traditional profile that hits the comfort zone: raisins, candied orange, soft interior, and a gentle sweetness that doesn’t feel like dessert shouting at you.

Why it stands out

• Approachable tradition: A classic flavor set done with care.
• Availability: Often easier to find online in the U.S. than many niche artisan brands.
• Pairs beautifully: Coffee, sparkling wine, dessert wineFiasconaro plays well with others.

Try this pairing

Serve with espresso or cappuccino in the morning, then reintroduce it at night with Moscato or a sweet sparkling wine. Same loaf. Two personalities. No judgment.

4) Giadzy Panettone (Best “Curated & Crowd-Friendly” Option)

Giadzy (Giada De Laurentiis’ curated Italian marketplace) has helped make higher-end Italian pantry and holiday items easier to order in the U.S.including panettone that leans giftable, photogenic, and celebratory. In 2024 gift coverage, Giadzy panettone stood out as a festive pick for people who want something special without needing a spreadsheet to navigate obscure imports.

Why it stands out

• Easy ordering: A straightforward route to a “nice” panettone experience.
• Fun flavors: Options like traditional, apricot, and chocolate variations.
• Gifting: The branding and presentation do some of the wrapping work for you.

Best for

Hosts, coworkers, and anyone you like enough to give a real gift but not enough to hand-make a sourdough starter.

5) ALDI Priano Traditional Panettone (Best Budget Buy That Doesn’t Feel Like a Compromise)

Every year, people rediscover that ALDI’s seasonal panettone can be shockingly solid for the price. The Priano Traditional version typically offers a soft, airy crumb with classic raisins and candied orange peelexactly the flavors many people want when they say “panettone,” minus the “did I just spend what?” moment at checkout.

Why it stands out

• Value: One of the best “taste-to-dollar” ratios in the panettone universe.
• Classic flavor: Hits the traditional notes most guests expect.
• Upgrade potential: A quick toast + good butter turns this into a legitimate treat.

How to make it taste 2x fancier (in 30 seconds)

• Toast slices until the edges crisp slightly.
• Spread mascarpone or salted butter.
• Add orange marmalade or a drizzle of honey.

How to Serve Panettone Like You Know What You’re Doing

The secret: panettone is a platform. It can be breakfast, dessert, a snack, or “I’m standing in the kitchen cutting tiny slices while pretending I’m not.”

Serving ideas that work every time

• Classic: Room temp slices + espresso.
• Warm & buttery: Toasted slices + salted butter.
• Italian dessert plate: Panettone + mascarpone + cocoa powder.
• Ice cream move: Panettone warmed slightly + vanilla gelato/ice cream.
• Brunch flex: Panettone French toast (it’s basically begging for it).
• Leftover hero: Bread pudding or baked custard strata.

How to Store Panettone So It Stays Fluffy

• Keep it airtight: Reseal tightly after slicing. Air is what turns it from cloud to chalk.
• Room temp is fine (short term): Most panettone is designed to hold for days.
• Freeze like a pro: Slice first, wrap portions well, freeze, then toast straight from frozen.
• Avoid the fridge: Refrigeration tends to dry bread out faster than you’d expect.

Panettone Experiences of 2024: A Tasting “Diary” You Can Borrow (About )

If you want the full 2024 panettone experience, don’t just slice and serve like it’s any old loaf. Make it an eventlow effort, high joy. Start with the unboxing ritual, because panettone packaging is half the fun. There’s something wonderfully dramatic about lifting a tall bread out of a paper mold like it’s being introduced at a gala. (And yes, you’re allowed to announce it. “Ladies and gentlemen… the dome has arrived.”)

First test: the aroma check. Before anyone touches a plate, cut one slice and pause. Great panettone fills the air with butter, vanilla, and orange zest in a way that feels oddly nostalgiceven if you didn’t grow up with it. The second test is the crumb pull: gently tear a piece and look for those long, delicate strands. That shreddable interior is the difference between “artisan holiday bread” and “sweet bread that forgot to be special.”

Now do what panettone fans do every season: compare room temperature vs. warmed. At room temp, you’ll get the truest read on texture and balance. Warmed, the butter and aromatics bloom and everything tastes more generous. A quick toast is the cheat movesuddenly the edges get crisp, the middle stays tender, and your panettone has a whole new personality. People who claim they “don’t really like panettone” often change their mind somewhere around “toasted slice with salted butter.”

Next: the pairing phase. In 2024, a lot of folks treated panettone like a holiday charcuterie starserved alongside espresso, hot chocolate, or even a sweet sparkling wine. Traditional fruit-and-citrus panettone is amazing with coffee because it leans into those roasted, bittersweet notes. Chocolate panettone is a different animal: it pairs ridiculously well with a glass of milk (yes, really), or with something that has brightnesslike berries, tart jam, or citrus marmaladeto keep it from becoming a cocoa heavyweight.

Then comes the moment every panettone household recognizes: Day Two Improvisation. You wake up, see the loaf, and think, “We’re doing something with you today.” This is when panettone becomes French toast, bread pudding, or the base for an ice-cream sundae that makes everyone in the room mysteriously wander back into the kitchen. If you’re hosting, set out toppingsmascarpone, honey, jam, chocolate sauce, toasted nutsand let people build their own slices. It turns dessert into a mini activity, which is basically what holidays are: eating plus mild entertainment.

Finally, the true 2024 panettone experience ends the way it began: with someone taking “just a tiny slice” and returning for a second tiny slice, then a third, until the loaf looks like it’s been quietly negotiated down by a committee. That’s how you know you picked a good one. Panettone doesn’t need hype when it has that kind of repeat-customer energy.

Conclusion

The best panettone of 2024 proves the category is bigger than the dusty box you once avoided at the supermarket. If you want the top traditional experience, Olivieri 1882 is the move. If you want a luxury centerpiece, From Roy brings the “wow.” For classic Italian comfort with easier access, Fiasconaro delivers. If you want curated gifting with options, Giadzy keeps it simple. And if you want a budget win that still tastes festive, ALDI Priano is the surprise MVP.