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Zeppole, Italian Ricotta Doughnuts are so incredibly light. They’re sweet and crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. As an added bonus, they’re simply a snap to make at home.
What are Zeppole
Zeppole, are essentially deep fried Italian dough balls.
They come in a variety of sizes and the more popular ones being the Zeppole di San Giuseppe which have a filling of ricotta or even custard and topped with an amarena cherry. These are traditionally eaten during la Festa di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph’s Day), which is celebrated every March 19.
They’re also known by other names such as Sfinge, but in my family they were always called castagnole fritte (deep-fried sweet pastry balls).
My mom would make sweet fritters for Easter and savoury fritters filled with anchovies for New Year’s Day.
This zeppole recipe you see here today however has the ricotta mixed in the dough and are so simple to make. They truly make a fuss free treat.
How To Make Zeppole Italian Doughnuts
This zeppole recipe comes together fairly quickly. There’s no kneading and no rising involved at all. How wonderful is that?!
You’ll need two mixing bowls.
One for sifting together the dry ingredients:
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- sugar
The second bowl for beating together the ricotta and the eggs until fairly smooth.
You’ll then stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined. And, you’re now ready to deep fry the batter into little yummy nuggets.
I prefer to use a cookie scoop of approximately 1 1/2 inch in diameter but you can just as easily use two spoons to drop the dough into the hot oil. Just be careful to avoid any splashes.
This however, goes without saying when working with very hot oil!
Also I would avoid deep frying with olive oil as it doesn’t have a high smoking point. Any other neutral tasting oil will do.
How long do Zeppole, Italian Doughnuts need to be deep fried?
A few minutes are all that’s needed to deep fry these Italian doughnuts.
Use the two to three minutes of deep frying as a guideline. It will depend on how big or small you make them.
Mine were ready at the 3 minute mark!
They turn out light, fluffy on the inside and with a lovely crispy exterior every time!
All that’s needed to dress up these Italian doughnuts, is a dusting of powdered sugar for a little extra sweetness and for just a prettier overall look.
You can also roll them in a cinnamon sugar concoction if you wish. Or skip the cinnamon and roll them in just the granulated sugar.
Then simply pile them high on a serving platter and serve while still warm.
We love them so much so, that whenever I have some canned pumpkin purée I’ll make these adorable Pumpkin Ricotta Zeppole (Italian Doughnuts) These pumpkin zeppole are soft and fluffly and rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix. A pure delight!
But if you’re not a fan of ricotta. you may want to try these other yummy fritters, Italian Orange Frittelle (Italian fried dough balls) This variation of the Italian doughnut is partially made with finely ground almonds in the mix. And definitely just as yummy!
How Long do Zeppole Stay Fresh?
These Zeppole, Italian Ricotta Doughnuts are best eaten right after they’re deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar. That’s when they’re at their absolute best! Both crispy and soft to the bite.
Although, they’ll rarely make it past day one!
You really must try them because they are simply heavenly!
But fair warning, these Italian doughnuts are highly addictive and will disappear in a flash!
If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!
This recipe was last published February 8, 2018 and republished February 26, 2020 with updated photos and content.
Zeppole, Italian Ricotta Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (full fat)
- 2 large eggs
- canola oil or vegetable oil for deep frying
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a Medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and the 3 tablespoons of sugar and then set aside.
- In a stand mixer or a hand held mixer, beat together the eggs and the ricotta cheese just until fairly smooth.
- Stir the flour mixture into the ricotta mixture until thoroughly combined.
- In a large heavy pot or a dutch oven, pour in enough oil to reach 2 inches high and heat to 375*. A candy thermometer comes in handy in order to get the right temperature and ensuring the oil does not drop under 350*, while you are frying between batches.
- If the oil is not hot enough the doughnuts will be too soggy and if it is too hot then the outside will darken quickly leaving the inside under cooked.
- Use a 1 1/2 inch scoop or 2 small spoons to drop bits of dough into the hot oil.
- Fry the zeppole for about 2 to 3 minutes, turning often until they are puffed, fluffy and golden brown.
- Larger sized doughnuts will need extra time. Use a slotted spoon to remove the zeppole from the pan and drain them on paper towels. Repeat until you have used up all the batter.
- Dust with icing or powdered sugar and serve while still warm.
mmmmm! looks delicious i personally would like them with ricotta!!!!!tku and enjoy them!
These sound delicious especially if they are filled with Nutella as you suggest. My mom used to make zeppole with zucchini flowers inside them.
Zeppole with zucchini flowers sounds very intriguing! I’m sure they were just as addictive! I’ll have to try them that way.
Can I substitute flour to gluten free? Also struffoli can be don done with gluten free flour? Thank you.
My apologies for the late reply Silvana. I somehow missed this message. Although I haven’t tried the two with GF flour, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try it, feel free to come back and let us know how they turn out. Thank you Silvana.
I recently acquired a mini-fryer, these would be perfect for it! I’m intrigued with the ricotta as an ingredient. Just a clarification, is that 3/4 cup of flour? I’m assuming it’s not 3/4 tablespoon plus a tablespoon.
Hi Kathryn its always wonderful to have an extra set of eyes! Yes you are right its 3/4 cup of flour plus a tablespoon. I just corrected it. How nice to have a mini fryer, I’m sure you’ll put it to great use! Do let me know if you try them and thanks so much!
These sound amazing, I will have to try! Kids in Germany are fond of something similar, called “Quarkbällchen”, in other words quark doughnuts. So I ´m curious to see how these taste with ricotta!
Sabine, I hope you get to try them I’m sure you’ll love them! And now I’m curious about those quark doughnuts….I’ll have to look into those??
I haven’t made zeppole in the longest time! I am excited to try your recipe! These look perfect….and who can say no to a little Nutella filling?
Annie they are so ridiculously easy to make and everyone loves! You’ll want to make sure your not home alone when making them, cause they’re too tempting…just saying?
So pretty these doughnuts look. And your recipes sounds super easy. I am going to try these soon now. Also I won’t have to lick raspberry jam with my fingers now. 😉
Fair warning, these are extremely addictive you might just want to make a double batch…just saying? thanks so much!
I love ricotta zeppole and yours look perfectly light and delicious! Love the recipes on your blog!
That they are….extremely light, delicious and disappear so quickly! Thanks so much Marcellina and I’m glad to hear your enjoying the recipes??
Made these tonight after dinner as a quick dessert and they were extremely fluffy! I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for years and am very glad I finally got to try it now that our fridge is full of ricotta! Our ricotta was a bit on the wet side so the final dough was also extremely wet and it was hard to shape them into perfectly round balls, but it didn’t matter. They were gobbled up within a minute of it coming out of the fryer. We might have to make more tomorrow night. Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear you got around to trying them and yes they are indeed fluffy!
When my ricotta is more on the wet side, I find draining the liquids really helps in this recipe!
I’ve been meaning to try different flavour variations and making homemade ricotta. Hopefully they’ll be upcoming recipes to post.
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and comment!
These look great. How do you fill them?
Lynn you’ll need a round piping tip fitted into a piping bag. Hope this helps.
Is it possible to make batter ahead of time and refrigerate. Will it need to then warm to room temperature?re. I
Hi, I’ve never made the batter ahead of time but I’d definitely allow the batter to come to room temperature. Hope this helps.
Hi Marisa. I want to make these in the morning for an evening event. Will they still be okay or tough
Hi Rosemary, they’ll still be soft by evening time but will lose that crispness on the outside as is common when deep frying ahead of time! Dust them with powdered sugar just before serving! Enjoy!
Will it be okay to make the batter and let sit for 2 hours?
Hi Lily, I couldn’t say for sure as I’ve never let it sit for any amount of time! But if you do let me know how it goes! Other readers might be interested to know as well. Thank you!
Is it possible to make with almond flour, instead of wheat flour?
Jennifer I’ve never tried using almond flour for this recipe so I couldn’t say with certainty! If you give it a go let me know how it turns out!
Can I roll them in the powdered sugar instead of dusting them?
If you prefer extra sugar why not!!
I made these for a large party dessert and they all loved them. Light and airy. Delish!
I’m so happy to hear this and glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for the feedback!
I just made these and they are delicious !!! So easy to make.
Yes Rochelle they are indeed easy to make! So happy you love them!
just made them. first time ever always thought difficult. aside from not having a candy thermometer to know temp of oil they came out good. i added some lemon zest and vanilla. def do again thanks for sharing.
Happy to hear you enjoyed them Rosemary! They’re a keeper!
These are my favorite to make! They are a hit at every dinner party! I also serve them with a caramel, chocolate and strawberry sauce! My guest like to drizzle their own sauces! Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Donna! They’re always a hit at my house as well. I’ll need to try them with the sauces next time!