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What Are Zeppoles?

If you’re craving something sweet, zeppoles are always a good idea!

A dessert similar to donuts, zeppoles are made of deep fried dough sprinkled with confectioners sugar. The treats may also be filled with custard, ricotta cheese, buttercream frosting, honey, and more for added sweetness.

If you want to learn more about this tasty dish, stick around, because we’re doing a deep dive! If you, however, just want some zeppoles of your own, head to the bottom of this page.

Are Zeppoles Italian?

Yes, zeppoles are an italian dessert.

Many people believe that the true origin of the zeppoles recipe is Ancient Rome. It has been recorded that the Romans loved their fried dough and often topped it with sugar or cinnamon.

However, this Ancient Roman dish isn’t too similar to the zeppoles we have today. The modern recipe dates back to the 18th century. Some people say this recipe was invented by monks in a convent, others state various restauranteers. We can’t know for sure, but what we do know is when the recipe was first written down.

It was a cookbook written in 1836 by Neapolitan nobleman Ippolito Cavalcanti that held the first mention of zeppoles. In it, Cavalcanti describes fried dough sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon and often topped with chocolate.

Although these two stories are pretty accurate, there is another, third story about the origin of the zeppole. It goes back to either 6 century BC or 4 century BC and has to do with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

The story states that as Joseph traveled to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, he improvised the first zeppole recipe. Because of this story, zeppoles are often eaten on St. Joseph’s Day and other holidays.

What is Zeppoles Dough Made of?

Zeppoles dough is made from all-purpose flour, butter, milk or water, and eggs. Of course, we have to include the oil for frying as well!

The prep process is fairly simple and is used to make other sweets like eclairs and cream puffs too.

The recipe begins by heating up the liquid and flour mixture and cooking it on the stove. Once warmed, the butter is added and the eggs are slowly whisked in. It’s best to use fresh ingredients for this, as they offer the zeppoles softness and suppleness.

Once the dough is thick enough, it’s separated into 4-inch thick balls which are deep fried in vegetable oil. This can be done either in a pan or a deep fryer, depending on the restaurant. The zeppoles are fried until golden brown and placed on a paper towel to lose some of the hot oil.

When cooled, the zeppoles are topped with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar and are served in paper bags. If your chef is making a filled version, the zeppoles get globs of jam or custard before icing sugar.

If you go to a restaurant that uses fresh ingredients only, you can often run into homemade icing sugar. To make it, your chef will combine granulated sugar and cornstarch in a food processor or powerful blender and mix until united.

Are Zeppoles Healthy?

Given that these sweets are a deep fried baked good, they’re not necessarily the healthiest snack. However, a serving or two won’t hurt anyone maintaining a normal-calorie diet.

A single zeppole sports about 125 calories with 2g of protein, 13g of fat, and 4g of carbs. This is for any typical un filled version of the dish.

If you opt for a filled version, the calorie count will go up. For comparison, a tablespoon of regular custard has around 22 calories. If your zeppole contains three tablespoons, you’re looking at an increase of around 70 calories per piece.

If you’re concerned about calorie intake, we recommend opting for zeppoles that aren’t filled. However, we’d also like to highlight that the dessert is not harmful by default and should be enjoyed guilt-free!

Where Can I Find Zeppoles Near Me?

We hope you liked our overview of this iconic italian desert and found it insightful. To wrap up, we have a few restaurant recommendations for you to try!

They’re all in different cities, but serve an excellent version of the dish we’re sure you’ll love. If you can’t find your city on our short list, do head to our website. There, you’ll be able to search by location or dish. Slice is partnered with a huge number of amazing restaurants across the US, so we’re sure you’ll find your new favorite eatery in no time!

If you’re in Houston, we’d love to recommend Empire’s Pizza. Iconic and delicious, Empire Pizza serves some of the best Italian food around.

For everyone in New York, we’re highlighting Makabely Pizza Inc.

Finally, if you’re in Chicago, Rosati’s Pizza is a great choice!