Italian Donuts Recipe

Name: Italian Donuts Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Water; 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter; 2 Tablespoons Sugar; 1/4 teaspoon Salt; 1 cup All Purpose Flour; 4 Large Eggs (Room temperature); Vegetable Oil (for frying); Powdered Sugar (for serving)

Italian Donuts Recipe is fried to perfection and rolled in sugar. This Zeppole recipe is light and fluffy while being easy to make.

Italian donuts in container topped with powdered sugar.

This easy Zeppole Recipe is one of the best Italian desserts. They are bite size Italian donut holes fried to absolute perfection. I have been making these for at least 5 years or more.

These Italian doughnuts are soft and fluffy. Each bite is so delicious and topped with generous portions of sugar.

Why We Love This

This recipe is so easy but turns out wonderful. Plus, it is so much cheaper than ordering these at the restaurant and they taste better.

The entire recipe is extremely budget friendly and so decadent. The powdered sugar gives these such a rich flavor and we absolutely love them.

Ingredients

Butter. Unsalted.
All Purpose Flour. I recommend spooning the flour into a cup instead of scooping it. This is more accurate and prevents excess flour being packed into the cup.
Large Eggs. Room temperature.
Vegetable Oil. This is for frying. It is the best oil because it is a neutral oil.
Powdered Sugar. For serving.

Find the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page in the recipe card.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1 – Get out a saucepan. Heat the water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk the ingredients together and heat until the butter melts.

Step 2 – Add the flour. Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir until a dough is formed into a ball. Then continue to cook the dough for 1-2 more minutes to cook the flour.

Step 3 – Remove from heat. Place the dough in a mixing bowl. Let it cool until steam is no longer coming off the dough.

Step 4 – Gradually add the eggs. Then add the eggs in one at a time and beat with a hand held mixer until the eggs are incorporated into the dough.

Step 5 – Heat the oil. Add the oil. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large pot over medium heat until the oil reaches an internal temperature of 375 degrees F. Don’t use too much oil.

Step 6 – Transfer the dough to a ziplock bag or a piping bag. Cut a hole in the corner of a ziplock bag or the piping bag.

Process photos of frying dough and topping with sugar.

Step 7 – Pipe the dough. Start by piping the dough out of the bag and cut the dough into the oil. Make sure to pipe closer to the hot oil so that the oil does not splash out of the pan.

Step 8 – Fry the dough. Fry for 4-5 minutes (flipping them overlay halfway through the cook time) until they are golden brown on both sides.

Step 9 – Move to a plate lined with paper towels. This will help to soak up the excess oil with a slotted spoon.

Step 10 – Add topping. Serve topped with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Storage

Place the leftovers inside an airtight container or bag. They will last up to 3 days but please note they are best served fresh.

We suggest placing parchment paper in the container to absorb any grease while stored.

The best way to reheat these is using the oven. Cover the donuts in foil and place on a baking sheet. Reheat for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make in advance?

You can make the dough up to 3 days in advance. Simply make the dough as normal, cover and refrigerate.

Then fry as normal when ready. We suggest this method if you need to make in advance since they are best eaten fresh.

What does zeppole mean in Italian?

This means Italian pastry that is deep fried. It is a traditional doughnut style dessert.

What are Italian donuts made of?

They are made with a pate choux dough. Cream puffs and eclairs with pastry cream also use this type of dough.

This type of dough is created by cooking the water with butter and flour. Then eggs are incorporated into the batter.

The dough is formed into small bite size balls and fried until golden.

What is the difference between zeppole and beignet?

They are both fried dough but have different shapes. Zeppoles are small and round shaped dough balls.

Beignets are square and thinner. However, both are typically topped with powdered sugar.

Toppings

Powdered Sugar – Generously dust the donuts with powdered sugar.
Granulated Sugar – Roll the warm donuts in a bowl of white sugar.
Cinnamon Sugar – Place the mixture in a shallow container or bowl. Roll each zeppole in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Dipping Sauce – Chocolate sauce, Nutella or raspberry sauce make great ideas for dips. Jam is also delicious.

Pro Tips

Cooking Method – We used a large pot but you can also use a deep fryer or Dutch Oven to cook these.
Paper bag for coating – You can use a paper bag to place the donuts and powdered sugar in. Shake to coat them for an easy and mess free idea.
Stand Mixer or hand mixer – Either options is fine for combining the eggs with the mixture.
Oil for frying – This recipe is best with an oil with a high smoke point. These include: vegetable oil, peanut oil or canola oil. This means that the donuts will not burn at a high temperature.
Pipe close to the oil – When piping the dough into the hot oil, pipe low and close to the oil. This will help to prevent the hot oil from splashing.
Oil temperature – It is crucial that the oil is medium high heat at 375 degrees. If the oil is too hot, it will quickly burn the outside while the inside will be undercooked.
Don’t overcrowd the pot. Make sure that each zeppole has ample room to move around and to be surrounded in oil. You don’t want it so crowded that all of the donuts are touching each other. Sufficient room will ensure the best texture and outcome.
Instant read thermometer. It is helpful to use an instant read thermometer to monitor the oil temperature. This will ensure it does not fluctuate and burn the donuts.
Same size donuts. Try to make each donut the same size. This will help them to cook evenly and for the same amount of time.

More Easy Donut Recipes

Italian donuts are the best treat. Make these today and leave a comment. I love hearing from you!

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