We pitted panettone from the likes of Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco against big-brand versions from Crosta & Mollica, Bauli and Piselli, asking a 72-strong panel of shoppers to blind-taste and rate them.
Panettone from Sainsbury’s and Aldi impressed our tasters, with both winning Best Buy awards. Aldi's budget offering is also a Great Value pick.
Eat well, live better and stay healthy:Best panettone for Christmas 2024
Sainsbury's Classic panettone topped the rankings, and it comes in a stylish patterned storage tin that you can keep and re-use too, so it makes a great festive gift option.
Aldi's cheap and cheerful panettone is also a top-rated choice for taste.
Best Buy: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Classic Panettone – 78%
£16.50 for 1kg (£1.65 per 100g)
Our tasters really could 'taste the difference' here. They loved this Classic panettone – it won high praise for looks, aroma and flavour and got the highest overall score.
Most thought it had just the right level of sweetness and strength of flavour, as well as a good crumb texture and lovely crust.
More than half approved of the amount of dried fruit it contained, though some would have preferred a bit extra.
Available from .Best Buy & Great Value: Aldi Specially Selected Panettone – 77%
£4.99 for 750g (67p per 100g)
Also a very popular choice, and substantially cheaper, bite-for-bite, than our top Best Buy – although you don't get the decorative tin thrown in.
Our panel loved its appearance, and the flavour and sweetness levels hit the spot, too. Most also approved of the texture of this panettone – both the outer crust and sponge inside had a pleasing spongy firmness.
More than half approved of the fruit content, but some would have enjoyed a bit more thrown in.
Available from .Asda Exceptional Classic Panettone with Italian Candied Orange Peel – 75%
£6 for 500g (£1.20 per 100g)
A good panettone that scored well with our tasters. It looks appealing and the texture and flavour were rated well.
More than two thirds were fans of its sweetness levels, while just over half were happy with the amount of fruit in the sponge.
Available from .Morrisons The Best Classic Fruited Panettone – 75%
£8.50 for 750g (£1.13 per 100g)
Another good option. Two thirds of our tasters were fans of the sweetness and fruit content of this good-looking panettone.
Most enjoyed its flavour, and the light spongy texture impressed too.
While around a quarter found the sponge a little on the dry side, this panettone was generally well liked and is cheaper than average.
Available from .Tesco Finest Authentic Italian Panettone – 75%
£10 for 750g (£1.33 per 100g)
An impressive two thirds of our testers said the amount of fruit in Tesco's panettone was spot-on – this is a difficult aspect to nail, so it’s a good result.
The vast majority were also fans of its looks and the sponge texture.
Nearly two thirds were happy with the sweetness, and its flavour was generally liked, though around a third felt this could be a bit stronger.
Available from .How panettone from Crosta & Mollica, Lidl and Piselli compare
The remaining four panettones, which included the three brands we tested, were less popular with our panel. Read on to see how they compared.
Crosta & Mollica Mini Panettone Classico – 67%
£1.65 for 100g (£1.65 per 100g)
The texture of the outside of this panettone was pleasant enough, but nearly three quarters of our tasters found the sponge itself too dry.
Our testers were divided on flavour – half said it was good, but the other half wanted a stronger taste.
More than half were fans of the sweetness levels but most of the remainder thought it was slightly lacking, and the fruit levels were considered a bit stingy too.
Available from andBauli Panettone Classico – 66%
£14.46 for 1kg (£1.45 per 100g)
This panettone looked and smelled good according to our testers, but disappointed once you took a mouthful.
Its flavour failed to tickle the taste buds of most of the panel, and nearly half wanted it to be sweeter and to contain more fruit.
The texture of the outside was OK, but two thirds of tasters found the sponge interior too dry.
Available from .Lidl Deluxe Panettone Classico – 65%
£4.99 for 750g (67p per 100g)
In the battle of the budget panettoni, this one fell slightly flat.
It fared OK on looks and aroma, but disappointed for taste: three quarters of our testers found the sponge too dry and half said it was too firm.
Fruit levels were generally considered good, but two thirds of tasters deemed the flavour bland, and more than half said it lacked sweetness.
Available from (in-store only)Piselli Classic Panettone – 62%
£2 for 100g (£2 per 100g)
Piselli’s panettone was the lowest scoring in our taste test.
It didn’t impress in any area, with three quarters of tasters saying it lacked flavour. Nearly two thirds found the sponge too dry and most also didn't like the texture.
The majority also wanted a sweeter taste and more fruit pieces.
Available from .NB. Neither M&S or Waitrose had a comparable 'classic style' panettone available at the time we tested, which is why they aren't included.
: enjoy your slice of panettone with a creamy liqueur. Find out if it should be Baileys, or if a cheap supermarket brand impressed our taste testersWhat is panettone made of?
Panettone is a type of sweet bread from Italy, typically with citrussy flavours and studded with dried fruit, with a light, sponge-like texture. Flavour variations are available (see below).
It's quite high in sugar and saturated fat, due to the enriched buttery dough, so is best enjoyed in moderation. But the dried fruit and nuts do supply some fibre and nutrients too.
Recommended portion sizes vary from around 60g to 100g.
What goes with panettone?
Its drier texture means that panettone is often best enjoyed with accompaniments.
Try it with a sweet wine or a festive mulled wine. Or dip into hot chocolate or coffee for a warm and tasty non-alcoholic option.
Lightly toasting or a few minutes in the oven will give panettone a slightly crisp texture. Add a layer of butter or jam to complete the treat.
You could also use panettone as part of a dessert, such as in a trifle or bread and butter pudding.
Flavoured panettone for Christmas 2024: what's available?
Like most traditional festive treats, supermarkets have expanded the range of flavoured alternatives on offer for people looking for a panettone with a twist.
There are plenty of options to choose from including chocolate and hazelnut, limoncello fizz and tiramisu-style.
Here are some of the key alternative flavours we've spotted in supermarkets this year:
Asda Exceptional Mini Cherry and Chocolate panettoneAldi Specially Mini Selected Chocolate panettoneLidl Deluxe Panettone with chocolate filling,M&S Chocolate Orange panettoneMorrisons Passion Fruit Martini panettoneSainsburys and Tesco ,Panettone traditionally contains milk, butter and eggs, so isn't suitable for vegans, but there are vegan options available as well as panettoni that are gluten-free.
– looking for more gift ideas? See our round-up of the best deals aroundHow we tested panettone
All the panettones were blind tasted and rated by a panel of 72 people in October 2024 at our specialist test lab.
We recruited a panel of people who buy and eat panettone, and who broadly represent the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split and more).
The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. They tasted the panettoni in a different order that was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each tester had a private tasting booth so that they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.
The tasters rated the taste, aroma, mouthfeel and appearance of each panettone, and told us what they liked and disliked.
The overall score was based on:
These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting panettone.
Price and availability checked: 10 November 2024
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-panettone-ab1pD8p0qkoW