Zeppole Italian Ricotta Doughnuts

Name: Zeppole Italian Ricotta Doughnuts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp castor sugar; 1 lemon zest; 1 cup ricotta cheese; 2 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 cup all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup castor sugar; 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder; 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

These doughnuts are fuss free, fluffy, tender, crispy and light. They are easy to mix together and very delicious, not to mention only need one bowl to make.

If you are are craving doughnuts and do not want the fish of making them or using yeast etc. then this is the recipe for you. Believe me when i say they are are the simplest and most delicious doughnuts you will mix up and fry in little time. They are delicious and so yummy but also very easy to make. You do not need a lot of ingredient to make them and they are perfect for dessert on its own or with a little chocolate sauce like my every day chocolate sauce recipe. The star of the recipe is ricotta so if you do not have any, stop right here – go buy it and get mixing.

What are Zeppole? What is an Italian Zeppole?

Zeppole is an Italian style doughnut pastry that is fried and eaten hot but you can also bake them. They are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside commonly tossed in sugar before serving.

What is the difference between a Zeppole and a beignet?

Zeppole is made with ricotta and doesn’t have any yeast in it the batter while beignets need yeast in the batter and are more dough like in texture as compared to Zeppoles once fried.

What does Zeppole mean in English?

Literally it means a doughnut.

What ingredients do you need to make Zeppole?

To make the Zeppole we need ricotta cheese, this is a non negotiable ingredient. Without it you cannot make these doughnuts. You would also need eggs, lemon zest, castor sugar, vanilla, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and vegetable oil for frying. I have made a simple cinnamon sugar with cinnamon powder and castor sugar.

What equipment is needed to make Zeppole?

To make the batter we need a whisk and mixing bowl. I have also used a rubber spatula to make this recipe and it works well. Alternatively make it in a food processor or blender too. The batter is portioned by scooping it out with an ice cream scoop you could use table spoons as well. I have fried these doughnuts in a heavy bottom sauce pot. You will need a spider or webbed spoon to remove them from the oil and dunking into the cinnamon sugar bowl.

How to make Zeppole?

In a mixing bowl add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together for a couple of minutes until the sugar smells of lemon. Add the ricotta cheese, eggs, vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and whisk again, do not over mix though. Cover and let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes, in the mean time get the oil hot in a heavy bottom sauce pan.To make the cinnamon sugar, mix them together in a bowl and set aside. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop the batter into the hot oil (which should be around 175 deg C) and let them fry on each side for 1-2 minutes or until evenly golden. As soon as they are done toss in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat the process until all the batter is done. Serve it hot with coffee.

Serving and storing Zeppole?

These doughnuts are best served hot with coffee but I also like them dunked into milk. You could also not coat them in cinnamon sugar but drizzle over melted chocolate, pistachio paste or even dust over powdered sugar as well. Once fried they can be stored in a paper bag or in air tight containers – they will not be crispy any more once cold but they will still taste delicious.

Looking for more hot desserts?

Now that we have covered how to make this Zeppole recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.