This Zeppole recipe makes the most delicious Italian donuts. Your family will love the airy sweetness of these deep-fried dough balls that are sweetened with honey and covered with powdered sugar.
If you like donuts, you should definitely try our buttery brioche donuts and Russian donut holes (ponchiki).
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Zeppoles, or Italian donuts, are a yummy dessert that is not that hard to make. I love making this delicious dessert as a treat for my family. It’s also the perfect thing to serve with hot coffee or tea for an afternoon treat.
- TASTE: The honey-sweetened dough and snowfall of powdered sugar on top make these yeasty donuts irresistible.
- TEXTURE: Because of the yeast, they are airy and fluffy on the inside. The outside has a delicious crispness from the frying.
- TIME: With this recipe, you’ll have a plate full of zeppoles to serve in just 90 minutes.
- EASE: With just a handful of ingredients, this dessert is really quite easy. Just follow my step-by-step instructions for an easy treat that everyone will love.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Yeast- These donuts use yeast to give them their airy, fluffy texture. Make sure your yeast has not expired, otherwise it won’t activate.
- Water- Your water will need to be warm in order to make the yeast activate and cause the dough to rise.
- Honey- This natural sweetener will make these zeppoles taste delicious.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the honey- If you wanted to make these zeppoles vegan, substitute the honey for maple syrup.
- Add citrus- You can add a little bit of bright, citrus notes to this dessert with orange zest or lemon zest.
- Add ricotta cheese- Fold ricotta cheese into the dough for extra moisture and a distinctly cheesy flavor.
- Fill them- Fill your zeppoles with pastry cream, Chocolate Ganache, or Strawberry Jam.
How to Make Zeppole
- Mix the dough ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, honey, salt, yeast, olive oil, and warm water. Using the hook attachment, stir until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. If it’s too sticky, you can add a little more flour, about 1-2 tablespoons extra at a time.
- Let the dough rise. Transfer the zeppole dough to a bowl that is greased with olive oil and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Prepare the frying oil. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add about 2 inches of corn oil. Bring the heat to medium-high. Make sure the temperature of the oil stays between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant-read thermometer.
- Cut the dough. Using kitchen shears, snip off pieces of the zeppole dough that are about 1 1/2 tablespoons in size. Scrape the dough off with a teaspoon and into the hot oil.
- Fry them. Fry the zeppoles for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon when done.
- Sprinkle the donuts with sugar. Dust the zeppoles with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Wait until the zeppoles have cooled before adding the powdered sugar or it will melt when it comes into contact with the hot, oily surface of the donut.
Recipe Tips
- Use warm water to activate the yeast- Make sure the water is warm, but no more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so the yeast will fully activate and your dough will rise and become airy.
- Allow enough time to rise- If your zeppoles don’t have enough time to rise, then they will be less airy and light, and more dense and heavy.
- Proper oil temp is crucial- If your oil temperature is too high, your donuts will be too dark on the outside and raw on the inside. If the temp is too low, they will absorb too much oil and become greasy and rubbery.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot- Too many zeppoles in the pot will mean they are touching each other instead of being surrounded by the hot oil and cooking. Avoid overcrowding for the best zeppole taste and texture.
FAQs
A zeppole is an Italian pastry that is made of deep-fried dough in various sizes. This recipe is for smaller, bite-sized donuts balls, but others are made larger to accommodate pastry creams, jellies, and other mixtures.
While these two are both made with fried dough, they most obviously differ by shape. Beignets, a name that comes from a word meaning “lump,” are square and very light. Zeppoles are soft, fried dough balls that are chewy, tender, and round. Both are often served with powdered sugar.
The best types of oil for frying zeppoles are Corn oil, Vegetable oil, Peanut oil, and Canola oil, to name a few. These oils all have high smoke points, which means they will not burn while they are holding at high heat to fry your zeppole donuts.
Serving Suggestions
This Zeppole recipe is absolutely amazing. These simple donuts are perfect with other desserts, drinks, and sauces for dipping.
- Toppings/Dips: Serve these Italian donut holes with some chocolate sauce, Raspberry sauce, Strawberry jam, Bread Pudding Sauce, or Chocolate ganache. Or top them with cinnamon sugar.
- Donuts: Pair them with other donuts, such as these Chocolate Donuts, Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts, Perfect Sugar Donuts, and Glazed Air Fryer Donuts (from scratch).
- Cookies: Serve them alongside some Monster Cookies, Pecan Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti, or Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam.
- Beverages: Enjoy these zeppoles with a Hot Chocolate, Brown Sugar Boba, Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat), or Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make these donuts up until they rise. Store the dough covered in the fridge for a day. Then take it out of the fridge and allow it to rise because frying and adding powdered sugar.
Storing: Your homemade zeppoles will keep fresh for about 2-3 days. Make sure you place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them from going stale. The best way to reheat these Italian donuts is by wrapping them in aluminum foil and warming them in the oven. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This also works if they are frozen.
Freeze: These zeppoles can be frozen in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 6 months. Reheat in the oven.
More Italian Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Zeppole Recipe- Italian Donuts
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour spooned and leveled off with the back of a knife
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- Corn oil for frying
- Powdered Sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tsp dry active yeast 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1 1/2 cup warm water.
- Using the hook attachment, mix until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixer bowl. Depending on the flour you use, you may need to add more. Add 1-2 tablespoons extra at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with olive oil and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- In the meantime, fill a heavy-bottomed pot with about 2 inches of corn oil or any other high smoke point oil like vegetable or canola. Bring the heat to medium-high. Using an instant-read thermometer, make sure the oil is between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Now using kitchen shears, snip off small pieces (about 1 1/2 tablespoon) of the dough and use a spoon to scrape the zeppole dough into the hot oil.
- Fry the zeppole for about 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to fried Italian donuts into a plate lined with paper towels.
- Once the zeppole are done and slightly cooled, dust them in powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- Use warm water to activate the yeast- Make sure the water is warm, but no more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so the yeast will fully activate and your dough will rise and become airy.
- Allow enough time to rise- If your zeppoles don’t have enough time to rise, then they will be less airy and light, and more dense and heavy.
- Proper oil temp is crucial- If your oil temperature is too high, your donuts will be too dark on the outside and raw on the inside. If the temp is too low, they will absorb too much oil and become greasy and rubbery.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot- Too many zeppoles in the pot will mean they are touching each other instead of being surrounded by the hot oil and cooking. Avoid overcrowding for the best zeppole taste and texture.
Nutrition
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Cris says
Can these be baked or adjusted for baking?
Dina says
Hi Cris, unfortunately these donuts cannot be baked since the dough is too wet. It needs to be quickly deep fried.
Corinne says
Too many servings for my crowd … would cutting all ingredients in half be ok?
Dina says
Hi Corinne 🙂 Yes, you can cut this recipe in half. I hope you love these zeppole donuts! Let me know how they turn out. 🙂
Wossen says
Hi Dina; thanks for the simple and delicious Italian zeppole . Following your steps made it to simple.
Dina says
You are very welcome! Happy to hear you found this recipe delicious and easy to follow! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback and support! 🙂
shi-ann says
can I use canola oil or vegetable oil in place of corn oil?
Dina says
Yes you can 🙂
Amanda says
Hi Dina ,
Can the dough be made in advance and fried the next day?
-Amanda
Dina says
Hi Amanda 🙂 I have not tried making the dough ahead of time. I am not sure it will work due to the yeast. If you give it a try let me know how it goes! 🙂
Jaru says
Hi Dina!! c
Can granulated sugar (white or light brown) be substituted in place of the honey and if so, what would the amount translate to? Really wanting to try this recipe!!
Dina says
Hi Jaru, yes you can use equal amounts of sugar in place of honey. Enjoy! 😊
Radica says
So quick, easy and delicious! My family was in zeppole heaven. For sure will keep this recipe handy for future treats. Thank you for taking the extra time to break down the steps.
Dina says
You are very welcome! Happy to hear you and your family loved this zeppole recipe and that it will be a repeat recipe in your home! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
Nilsa says
Hi. Can I use a food processor with the plastic blade to mix dough? Thank you
Dina says
Hi Nilsa 🙂 I wouldn’t recommend using a food processor with a plastic blade to mix this zeppole dough. The best way would be a stand mixer with a hook attachment. You can mix the dough by hand but it will take a bit longer. I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes 🙂
MaryAnn says
Can these be made a day in advance of serving? Thanks. MaryAnn
simplyhomecooked says
Hi MaryAnn 🙂 I recommend making these fresh and eating them right away. They won’t be the same the next day. If you don’t have any options you can try reheating them in the oven the next day. This should help them crisp up a little to get them a little closer to the original. However, I have not tried this for this Zeppole recipe so can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Simst says
I tried many recipes i found online until i chose the one i liked most, guess which one was my favorite 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Yay! Awesome to hear you thought my zeppole recipe was the best 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Paul says
I was so thrilled to see that this was the easy version of zeppole. The pate choux dough method is too much work. Thanks for the terrific and tasty recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Paul, thank you for the kind feedback! I love simplifying recipes, especially desserts. A quick tip: If you want to save even more time, you can make zeppole with store-bought pizza dough! How awesome is that?? 🙂
Mary says
Just made this Zeppole recipe, so delicious! I tried them with powdered sugar and filled some with homemade jam 🙂 Really good either way 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
So happy you loved this Zeppole recipe! Jam definitely sounds like a delicious addition 🙂 Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Leslie P says
Do you think this would work in an air fryer?
Dina says
Hi Leslie, I don’t think this recipe will work in the air fryer since the dough is pretty wet and sticky.