Contents hide

This easy vegan Panettone recipe is pure Christmas joy! Create this rich, fluffy, fragrant Italian Christmas treat overnight. Traditionally, the starter alone takes a few days, don’t even get me started on the process of making the Panettone itself.
Kneading, resting, adding one ingredient, kneading again, resting again, and then repeating the cycle several times.

I tried a ton of recipes and failed 3 times in order to be able to bring you an actually easy vegan panettone recipe. I’ve tried versions that claimed to only take a few hours, but that ended up coming out tough and dry and I’ve learned that there’s no way around having a good starter.

If you’re one of the many people who picked up baking sourdough bread, you can use a sourdough starter, that’s actually perfect! And if you don’t I have a quicker cheat version for you.

In the end, I actually ended up veganizing a non-vegan recipe instead of adapting one that was already vegan and I’m really happy with it!

But what is Panettone?

Panettone is an Italian sweet bread made of yeasted dough and dried fruit, typically served around Christmas. It originated in Milan in and dated back all the way to the Roman empire.

Even though it’s technically a “bread”, it always felt more like cake to me. It’s similar to brioche but with an amazing flavor of citrus peel, that’s so typical for Italian baked goods.

easy

fluffy

light

yet rich

fragrant

and so nostalgia-inducing!

When I was a kid, we would go to Italy at least once a year and whenever we were there around the holidays, we would always bring home tons of Panettone. It’s one of those things that are really hard to find a vegan version of (at least in Austria), so I absolutely had to try making one myself.

I think it’s about to become a holiday staple again!

Panettone is a highly personal thing and thankfully, it’s easily customizable.
I like mine classic with candied orange and raisins (rum-soaked for me, please!), but if that’s not your jam, you can also add any other dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, or leave all “blank” and make it a Pandoro.

This easy vegan Panettone makes a perfect gift and it’s perfect for sending it to the loved ones you can’t visit this year. It’s a great hug-substitute during the holidays!

Traditionally it’s packaged in cellophane bags, which actually help to keep the Panettone moist and fragrant, but if you prefer a more sustainable way of packing, a re-usable container works just as well.
Just make sure it’s air-tight to prevent the Panettone from drying out.

Special Equipment and Ingredients

The Flour:
I have tried making this recipe with regular all-purpose flour and spelt flour. However, I find that Manitoba flour works best and makes for the airiest Panettone.
It’s a very high-quality flour with a higher protein content compared to regular flours and it’s traditionally used for delicate baked goods such as Croissants.
I feel like it really helps with the structural integrity, especially since this vegan recipe doesn’t contain any eggs that would typically aid that in a conventional Panettone recipe.
I got mine online at Gustini.
The Mold:
Part of the full Panettone experience is the typical brown and gold paper mold, that makes it look like an exclusive designer bag. 🙂
I bought mine online but you can also just cover the inside of a saucepan with parchment paper, which has its own rustic charm to it!
Here’s a DIY-guide I found:
How do I make a Panettone paper mold? – eHow

Optional Helpers

A thermometer can help you find out if your Panettone is ready. Panettone is prone to underbaking since it tends to brown quickly.
Insert a thermometer in the middle, if it reads around 87°C/190°F, it’s done.
A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment is great if you don’t want to (or can’t!) knead with your hands.
A zester for easy grating of the citrus zests.
Skewers to hang the Panettone upside down for cooling. You can also use chopsticks (like I did) or knitting needles.