Is Panettone Healthy? What's Really in a Slice

Is panettone healthy? It looks lighter than Christmas pudding and it is made with sourdough, which has a good reputation. Still, it is an enriched bread made with butter, egg yolk and sugar, so it belongs with cakes rather than everyday bread. Below we look at what goes into a real panettone, what the research says about sourdough, and how the panettoni we sell compare on sugar and saturated fat.

What goes into a real panettone

In Italy the word panettone is protected by law. Under a ministerial decree from 2005, updated in 2017, a product sold as panettone must contain:

• butter, at least 16% of the dough, with no other fat apart from milk fat or cocoa butter
• egg yolk, at least 4%
• raisins and candied citrus peel, at least 20% in the classic version
• wheat flour, sugar and salt
• natural sourdough leavening, with only a little baker's yeast allowed

Milk, honey, malt, natural flavourings, emulsifiers and certain preservatives are also permitted. Panettoni made outside Italy don't have to follow these rules, so it's worth reading the ingredients list.

Two things follow from this. A classic panettone is rich in butter, egg yolk and sugar, so it is energy-dense. And the traditional recipe is built on recognisable ingredients rather than a long list of additives.

Panettone, sugar and saturated fat

UK government advice is that adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day. Free sugars include sugar added in baking, honey and syrups. The advice for saturated fat is no more than 30g a day for men and 20g for women.

Panettone contains added sugar, sugar from candied peel and saturated fat from butter. Recipes vary a great deal between bakers, and filled panettoni (chocolate, pistachio cream, limoncello) usually add more. Treat a slice the way you would a slice of cake. A rich, buttery piece is satisfying, so one is usually enough.

Does sourdough make panettone healthier?

You'll often read that sourdough is easier to digest or gentler on blood sugar than ordinary bread. We looked at what the research actually shows.

A 2017 review in the British Journal of Nutrition found that sourdough fermentation reduced the rise in blood sugar after eating bread in some studies, depending on the flour and the fermentation used.

More recent reviews are more cautious. A 2023 systematic review in Advances in Nutrition concluded that it is hard to reach a clear consensus on the health benefits of sourdough, because studies use very different flours, starter cultures and methods. A 2023 review in Frontiers in Nutrition noted that a meta-analysis found no convincing evidence that sourdough lowers the glycaemic index of bread overall, and suggested that the type of grain and the structure of the bread may matter more than the sourdough itself.

Almost all of this research was carried out on everyday bread, not on panettone, which contains far more butter, egg and sugar. The long sourdough fermentation is a sign of a traditionally made panettone and gives it flavour, texture and keeping quality. We wouldn't claim it makes panettone a health food.

What about the fruit?

Raisins bring natural sweetness and some fibre. Candied peel is preserved in sugar, so it adds to the sugar content. Neither makes panettone part of your five a day, but a classic panettone does at least contain real fruit rather than flavourings.

How our panettoni compare

Recipes differ more than you might expect. These figures come from the manufacturers' nutrition labels, per 100g:

Butter-based panettoni are higher in saturated fat, as you'd expect. Most of the Probios vegan versions use sunflower oil and are much lower in saturated fat, while the Artysan vegan panettone uses shea butter and comes out close to the butter-based ones. The Probios no-added-sugar panettone has the least sugar of the group, though its raisins mean it still contains some. Recipes can change, so check the label on the pack you receive.

Panettone for gluten-free, vegan and lower-sugar diets

• Gluten free: the Artysan by Organico Organic Gluten Free Panettone uses rice flour and potato starch instead of wheat. It contains egg and milk.
• Vegan: our Probios, Go Vegan and Artysan vegan panettoni are made without butter or eggs. Several use spelt, which is a type of wheat, so they are not gluten free.
• Less sugar: the Probios Organic Panettone with No Added Sugar is sweetened with erythritol instead of sugar.
• The classic: for the real Milanese experience, the Tre Marie Traditional Milanese Panettone is made with butter, egg yolk, sultanas, candied citrus and natural yeast.

Allergens to look out for

• Gluten: traditional panettone is made with wheat flour, so choose a gluten-free version if you need to avoid gluten.
• Dairy and egg: butter and egg yolk are core ingredients in classic panettone.
• Alcohol: some filled panettoni contain liqueur. Our Seggiano limoncello panettone contains limoncello at 11% of the recipe.

Enjoying panettone sensibly

Christmas food is about pleasure and company as much as nutrition. A properly made panettone, with real butter and a long fermentation, is far more satisfying than a cheap one, so a smaller slice goes further. Eat it as part of a meal, with coffee at breakfast or with fresh fruit and yoghurt for dessert, rather than picking at it between meals. Cut it when people are together, and keep it sealed in its bag so it stays soft and you don't feel you have to finish it in one go.

Panettone isn't good for you in the way vegetables are. A traditionally made one is simple food, though: butter, eggs, flour, fruit and time. Enjoy a slice slowly and in good company. You'll find our full range on our Christmas page.

Panettone health questions

Is panettone healthier than Christmas cake?

It depends on the recipe. Panettone is lighter in texture, but classic versions are rich in butter and sugar. Compare the nutrition labels of the products you are choosing between.

Is sourdough panettone easier to digest?

The research on sourdough and digestion is mixed, and almost all of it looks at everyday bread rather than panettone. There isn't enough evidence to say sourdough panettone is easier to digest.

Is there a panettone with no added sugar?

Yes. The Probios Organic Panettone with No Added Sugar is sweetened with erythritol. It still contains natural sugars from raisins.