Chocolate Panettone: Decadent Italian Holiday Cake Recipe

These mini Chocolate Panettone are irresistible Italian sweet breads—small, charming, and full of rich chocolate. They fill the kitchen with a wonderful aroma as they bake and make a thoughtful homemade gift. With a golden, tender crumb and plenty of dark chocolate chips, they’re sure to be a hit.

My version of mini Chocolate Panettone is buttery, soft and surprisingly straightforward to make. Unlike traditional panettone, this recipe doesn’t require multiple days of preparation or rare specialty ingredients, and you don’t need authentic paper molds to bake them. Use common items like pudding molds, large muffin tins, or souffle dishes to bake these individual treats.

The dough uses easy-to-find active dry yeast, bread flour for elasticity and lift, and generous amounts of butter and eggs for richness. I prefer dark chocolate chips for their depth of flavor, but you can swap in dried or candied fruit if you prefer a more traditional panettone profile. The final breads are fragrant, tender and very rewarding to make.

Panettone has long been a holiday staple in my family. Growing up, it was displayed in boxes on the kitchen cupboards and saved for special occasions—opened only when guests arrived or on Christmas day. These mini Chocolate Panettone bring that same festive feeling in a compact, approachable format.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Easier and faster than traditional panettone, while still delivering classic flavor.
• Plenty of butter, eggs, rum and chocolate for a fragrant, indulgent result.
• Individual breads mean each person gets their own—perfect for gifting or entertaining.
• Making a special bread like panettone is satisfying and impressive, without requiring advanced skills.

For full ingredient quantities and step-by-step instructions, see the recipe card below in the printable section.

Ingredients

• Whole milk (scalded and cooled to lukewarm)
• Active dry yeast (fresh for best results)
• Bread flour for good structure and elasticity
• Granulated sugar
• Whole eggs and extra egg yolks for richness
• Honey for subtle sweetness and flavor
• Rum (gold or dark) for aroma; substitute orange juice for an alcohol-free version
• Vanilla extract (use real vanilla, not artificial essence)
• Lemon and orange zest for bright citrus notes
• Salt to balance flavor and aid yeast activity
• Unsalted butter, softened (reduce added salt if using salted butter)
• Dark chocolate chips—use the best quality you can find

See the recipe card for exact measurements.

Instructions

Scald the milk in a small saucepan—heat until steam rises but it does not boil. Allow it to cool to lukewarm, then combine with the yeast and wait about five minutes until creamy and frothy.

1. Mix a small portion of flour and a tablespoon of sugar into the yeast-milk mixture to form a thick starter dough. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes until bubbly.
2. Transfer the risen starter to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl for hand kneading). Add the eggs, egg yolks and remaining sugar, then incorporate honey, rum, vanilla and citrus zests.
3. Add the remaining flour and salt and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. If using a mixer, beat for several minutes to develop the gluten.
4. With the mixer on low speed (or by hand), add softened butter a little at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate fully before adding more.
5. Fold in the dark chocolate chips gently so they remain intact.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC and generously butter eight 1-cup pudding molds or souffle dishes.

6. Cover the dough and leave at room temperature until doubled in size (this can take 2–3 hours depending on room temperature).
7. Turn the dough out onto an oiled surface, divide into two portions, flatten and fold in thirds, then cut each portion into four pieces for a total of eight.
8. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place into the prepared molds. Let the dough rise again until puffy.
9. Using oiled scissors, cut an X on the top of each risen bun, place a small knob of butter in the center and, if you like, sprinkle with pearl sugar.
10. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow to rest five minutes, then carefully turn out and cool upright on a wire rack.

Hint: Rising times are guides. Watch the dough and use its appearance—doubled and bubbly for the first rise, puffy (even if not fully doubled) for the second—rather than rigid timing.

Substitutions

• Vanilla: use scraped seeds from a vanilla bean instead of extract for a more intense flavor.
• Citrus zest: a few drops of concentrated orange or lemon oil can replace fresh zest when needed.

Variations

• Alcohol-free: swap the rum for orange juice.
• Traditional: replace the chocolate chips with candied fruit, raisins or currants.
• Tropical: use chopped dried banana, mango, pineapple and papaya instead of chocolate.

Equipment

A stand mixer with a paddle or dough hook makes the process easier, but you can achieve excellent results by hand kneading as well.

Storage

Fresh from the oven, these panettone are soft and moist, but they will begin to dry after a day. Leftovers are still excellent toasted or dipped in sweet wine or coffee.

To freeze, wrap each cooled panettone tightly in plastic wrap, place in a sealed container and store for up to one month. To serve, reheat wrapped in foil until warmed through.

Tips for Success and FAQ’s

• Use fresh active dry yeast. When mixed with lukewarm milk it should become creamy and foamy within five minutes.
• Scald the milk to improve dough texture—cool it to lukewarm before adding yeast.
• Add softened butter only after the dough has developed gluten; add it gradually so it fully incorporates.
• If measuring by cups, aerate the flour first by stirring, then spoon into the cup without packing for accurate amounts.
• Special panettone molds are optional—pudding bowls, large muffin tins, dariole molds or souffle dishes all work. If you need taller sides, line molds with non-stick parchment strips that extend above the rim.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Chocolate Panettone after a special holiday meal with a spoonful of mascarpone cream for a refined finish. Sweet white wine is a classic accompaniment for dipping. Leftovers make excellent toast with butter or orange marmalade for the next morning.

This updated and improved recipe was first published on December 19, 2017.