Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts) - Easy Recipes for Family Time - Seeded At The Table (2024)

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Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts) - Easy Recipes for Family Time - Seeded At The Table (1)

Last week, we had some friends over for dinner. For the main dish I served the Italian Pasta Bake, so for dessert I wanted to stay true to the Italian theme. When I received Giada's New Italian Favorites cookbook for Christmas, this was one of the first recipes I marked. A few weeks later, we were in the city having dinner with friends at a popular Italian (tapas style) restaurant and ordered these for dessert. Tasting them furthered my desire to make them at home but I still didn't find the time. Then, two weeks ago I happened to catch Giada making them on one of her Food Network shows. I took it as a sign that I had to get my butt in gear, especially after watching Giada and seeing how simple it was!

These Italian Doughnuts, also known as Zeppole, are fluffy and delicious. The shell texture is a little more pastry-like compared to your regular doughnut holes. You can make many different flavors and use many different toppings. I rolled them in sugar and put together a basic chocolate ganache for dipping. Oh my soul, they were outstanding!
Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts) - Easy Recipes for Family Time - Seeded At The Table (2)I used a hybrid of Giada's recipe from her cookbook (orange flavored) and the recipe from Food Network.com. Changes are reflected below. I do not own a thermometer (yet) so I had to guess when the oil was ready. Basically, it's ready when a cube of bread browns within minutes. You can usually tell by the sizzle.

Be careful when you discard the oil afterward. Probably the best way to do it is let it cool down, then pour it into a jar (or coffee can) with a lid and discard it with the rest of your trash. I've read that some people even freeze it before throwing it out, and others pour it into their backyard. (I wouldn't recommend as various animals may be attracted to this.) You can also check out local restaurants and see if they will take your leftover oil as many of them have a place to recycle it.

Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts)

Printable Recipe

Yield: 2 dozen doughnuts

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, at room temperature
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar (plus more for topping)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying

For Chocolate Sauce
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate chips

For the doughnuts: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour. Using a wooded spoon, quickly stir the mixture until all the flour is fully incorporated and forms a thick dough.

Return the pan to the heat and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment. With the machine running on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time until fully incorporated. Beat the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and glossy. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in a couple of minutes.)

Using a small ice cream scoop or 2 small spoons, carefully drop scoops (about 1 tablespoon) of the dough into the oil. (Do not crowd the pan,) Cook for 3 to 3 ½ minutes, turning occasionally, until the zeppole are golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.

For the chocolate sauce: Place chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream until hot but not boiling. Pour over the chips and let set one minute. Stir until smooth.

When the zeppole is cool enough to handle, roll in sugar and then dip the top halves in the chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Giada's New Italian Favorites and FoodNetwork.com
Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts) - Easy Recipes for Family Time - Seeded At The Table (3)**Penny Says: Reusing the oil is economical. Let the used oil cool, then place it in a sieve lined with cheesecloth and strain it into a clean empty glass jar. Store in the refrigerator and reuse it (for similar recipes) up to 4 times.

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Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts) - Easy Recipes for Family Time - Seeded At The Table (2024)

FAQs

What is zeppole dough made of? ›

Zeppola (the singular for zeppole) dough is usually loose and sticky, perfect for dropping in hot oil for frying. Some zeppole recipes call for ricotta cheese, some are more like choux pastry, and others are similar to other fried doughnut recipes made with yeast, flour, egg, milk and sugar.

What are Italian donuts called at Olive Garden? ›

Zeppoli - Italian Doughnuts Recipe.

Do zeppoles need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigerate: Pastry cream is perishable, so it's necessary to store zeppole in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage and potential foodborne illness.

Do they have zeppole in Italy? ›

Zeppole are typical of Italian cuisine, especially that of Rome, Naples and Lecce. Zeppole originated in Ancient Rome when people started frying dough and putting sugar or cinnamon on it.

What does zeppole mean in English? ›

: a doughnut made from cream puff dough.

What does zeppole mean in Italian? ›

Zeppole (zeppola in the singular) is a traditional doughnut-like fritter that, rather than stuffed, is twisted into a coil and topped with yumminess.

Are beignets the same as zeppole? ›

The main difference between a beignet and a zeppole is the dough as well as the shape. Zeppoles are looser than beignets, and the dough tends to be stickier. They're also made by drop spooning them into oil, whereas beignets have a very distinct square or rectangle shape.

What are honeymooners donuts? ›

Our honeymooners are made from our donut dough and topped with a generous spoonful of our fruity pie fillings and surrounded by vanilla icing. CHERRY. APPLE.

What is a dream donut? ›

The CADBURY MINI EGGS® Dream Donut is a fun and festive donut that's dipped in white fondant, decorated with colourful sprinkles and topped with a nest of CADBURY MINI EGGS®. Also available now are the CADBURY MINI EGGS® Cookies, which are packed with the famous and beloved crunchy, chocolatey CADBURY MINI EGGS®.

What is another name for a zeppole? ›

Zeppole (also known as Zippoli) are best served nice and hot, so prepare the mixture ahead of time, then fry them up on the spot for your guests!

Is zeppole made from pizza dough? ›

Pizza dough fried and sprinkled with sugar while warm make these Zeppole the perfect snack. When I was growing up, periodically my Sicilian mother would make Zeppole. Imagine golden fried pizza dough that puffs up when it hits the hot oil and is abundantly sprinkled with sugar once it's out of the frying pan.

How to keep zeppoles fresh overnight? ›

Storage – Keep the zeppole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheating (from fridge) – Wrap the zeppole in foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Why do Italians eat zeppoles? ›

One theory traces back to the biblical story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing to Egypt. It's said that during this time, Joseph sold sweet pancakes to support his family, creating an association between his name and sweets – like zeppole.

What are some fun facts about zeppole? ›

They might have originated in Ancient Rome, in the guise of fritters, decorated with sugar or cinnamon. The present-day zeppola was created in the eighteenth century and is filled with choux cream (or chocolate), decorated with confectioners' sugar and preserved sour cherries.

What is the national dessert of Italy? ›

Perhaps the most iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu appears on menus at restaurants not only throughout Italy but also all over the world.

What is the difference between zeppole and fried dough? ›

Many traditional zeppole recipes involve adding ricotta to the batter mixture, which is an ingredient never seen in beignets. This is often what makes the batter sticky, so it can be piped or spoon-dropped directly into hot oil for frying, unlike beignets, which are first rolled out and cut into squares.

What is donut dough made of? ›

Start by sprinkling yeast over warm water to activate, then add flour, sugar, salt, milk, shortening, and eggs to create the dough. Knead the dough until smooth, cover it, and allow it to rise until doubled in size. Roll the dough out to a ½ inch thickness before using a doughnut cutter to create a shape.

Why do Italians eat zeppole? ›

One of the theories claims that after St. Joseph fled to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, he started to sell pancakes to provide for his family, therefore, tying sweets and desserts like zeppoles to his name.

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