Zeppole are easy Italian donuts that are rolled in sugar with a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth center. These Italian donut holes are simple to make and always disappear fast. Watch the easy video tutorial.
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Zeppole Recipe
Zeppole (pronounced “zeh-po-ley”) is an Italian pastry similar to Bomboloni and are basically fried donut balls made out of Choux Pastry dough. It’s the same dough as for Cream Puffs, Chocolate Eclairs and Churros. Once you master this easy dough, you will be making bakery-quality pastries like a pro. They are very popular during St. Josephs Day in Italy which is also Italian Father’s Day. These fried pastries are traditionally served at Italian carnivals or festivals in simple paper bags dusted with powdered sugar.
Zeppole Video Tutorial
I’ll show you just how easy it is to make Zeppole in your own kitchen. I love these so much, I also have a cinnamon sugar donut recipe that I developed using the same dough in my cookbook! These donuts always make my kids happy, and they disappear so quickly.
Helpful Reader Review
“Our 4-H Bake Day making your zeppole recipe was a huge success. The parchment squares worked well instead of cutting the zeppole dough over the hot oil. The kids loved the recipe, making and especially eating them. As an added touch we made chocolate whipped cream and piped some into each zeppole. Yummy!..” – Kathy ★★★★★
Ingredients for Homemade Zeppole
- Milk – we use whole milk, but 2% will work
- Water – we use filtered water
- Unsalted butter – If using salted, omit the extra salt.
- Sugar – you just need 1 tsp for the dough
- Salt – to balance the sweetness
- All-purpose flour – measured correctly (for Gluten Free, see the helpful reader review below on replacing AP flour with GF flour).
- Eggs – use large eggs that are at room temperature
- Oil – Use neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil. We use peanut oil in our deep fryer.
Helpful Reader Review
“I made these with 1for1 Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour and they came out AMAZING. No changes at all to the recipe except using the gf flour. Irresistibly light and puffy. So happy to make gluten free treats for my little boy who can’t handle gluten! Deep fried them in coconut oil. Perfection. Natasha, your recipes are always golden! I’ve made a ton of them gluten free and they still come out perfect.” – Eileen ★★★★★
The Best Toppings for Zeppole
You can cover Zeppole in a variety of coatings. Our favorites are:
- Powdered Sugar – dust over the top of fried donuts
- Granulated Sugar – fill a bowl with sugar and roll the hot Zeppole to coat
- Cinnamon Sugar – Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl to roll the warm Zeppole.
- Pastry Cream – you can cut the zeppole in half and pipe pastry cream inside.
- Whipped Cream – pipe homemade whipped cream between two halves of a Zeppole donut.
- Chocolate Sauce – try dipping in Ganache
- Caramel Sauce – for drizzling or dipping
How to Fry Zeppole
A Pot or Dutch Oven for frying Zeppole: You can deep fry in a regular pot, just be sure to use a clip-on thermometer to gauge temperature and a wire strainer or slotted spoon helps with quickly straining and removing the fried zeppole.
To Cook Zeppole in a Deep Fryer: This is our favorite method, and we love our deep fryer because it automatically adjusts to the correct temperature, drains and filters the oil for you, and has a wire basket for easy transferring of the fried donuts. Also, nearly everything that needs cleaning is dishwasher-friendly.
3 Ways to Form Zeppole
There are a few ways to get the batter into the hot oil.
- Pastry Bag –You can put the batter into a pastry bag, cut off the end, and snip off pieces of dough as you drop it into the oil,
- Use 2 tablespoons to portion bits of dough and carefully drop it into the hot oil.
- On Parchment Paper – Pipe the batter onto a 4×4 sheet of parchment paper and lower the donuts, paper-side-up into the hot oil. Once submerged, it releases from the paper and you can remove the paper with tongs. You can even pipe pretty patterns this way.
Once the Donuts are golden brown and out of the oil, transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and any extra oil before dusting them with powdered sugar or rolling them into your favorite coatings.
Can I bake zeppole?
If you wish to bake the pastry, we suggest following our cream puff tutorial for piping and baking the dough. You can fill the baked pastry if desired like we did our Baked Donuts, or simply dust the top with powdered sugar.
Can Zeppole be made ahead?
Once Zeppole are fried, they are best enjoyed fresh the day they are made. You can make the Choux Pastry Dough ahead, just cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. You can also freeze up to 3 months.
Homemade Zeppole are irresistibly good. Walk into a room of kiddos with a bowl of these sweet treats and watch everyone’s eyes light up. I hope this Zeppole recipe becomes a favorite for you and your loved ones.
Zeppole Recipe
Zeppole donuts are rolled in powdered sugar with a fluffy soft center. These Italian donut holes are easy to make and always disappear fast.
Servings: 8 people (makes 65-75 zeppole)
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In a large 3-quart saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
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Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup flour all at once using a wooden spoon. Once incorporated, place the saucepan back over medium heat and stir constantly for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to release extra moisture and partially cook the flour. The dough will look smooth and a thin film will form on the bottom of the pan.
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Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed for 1 minute to cool the mixture slightly. Add 4 eggs, adding them 1 at a time and allowing eggs to fully incorporate between each addition. Once all eggs are incorporated, beat another minute until the dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when you pull up on the whisk.
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Transfer dough to a piping bag with a 1/2-inch opening, or use a large zip bag and cut a 1/2-inch opening at the tip.*
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Heat oil to 375˚F in a dutch oven with a thermometer attached, or in a deep fryer. Once oil is hot, pipe 1-inch lengths into the hot oil, swiftly cutting the dough as you pipe into the oil. Pipe closer to the surface of the oil to avoid oil splashes.
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Fry 4-5 minutes total, turning them over halfway if they don’t turn on their own then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up extra oil then dust with powdered sugar to serve.
*To Portion Batter – You can also use 2 spoons to scoop batter into the hot oil, or pipe dough onto small pieces of parchment paper and put them dough-side-down into the hot oil.
*Nutrition label is an estimate only as oil content is difficult to gauge.
274kcal Calories17g Carbs5g Protein21g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Zeppole Recipe
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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