Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Italian Potato Donuts, from Calabria, also known as Zeppole Potato Donuts, are famous during Christmas and New Year’s.

You can enjoy zeppole potato donuts coated with granulated sugar or cinnamon, orange or lemon zest, or stuffed with anchovies.

Today, let me show you how easy it is to make this delicious Italian Christmas recipe.

Italian Zeppole Potato Donuts Are Calabrese

Ring in Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s with a sweet or savory Italian potato donut, also called Zeppole or Zippuli, among many others.

You may have heard of these potato donuts in different parts of Italy during the holiday season.

Other Traditional Names

You will find even more traditional names for these delicious Italian fried potato donuts.

• Cullurielli
• Cuddruriaddi or Cuddrurieddri
• Grispelle
• Graffe
• Ciambelle
• Culluraci
• Crustela
• Fried Dough
• Zippuli

Italian Tradition For Zeppole

Zeppole in Italy is a traditional fare served on Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19, and during the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays.

Last week, I asked our Italian friends Marco and Christina about getting some information about their famous Italian recipe for savory potato donuts.

Being British, I joke around and call them spud nuts donuts just because that’s what we call potatoes in the UK.

I turned their zeppole donut into my Zeppole Spudnut based on the same concept but adding personalized flavours.

Cake Donuts vs. Yeast Donuts

Since moving to Canada and being exposed to Tim Horton’s donuts, I have always wondered about how to make them.

It can’t be that difficult, and with the myriad of donut flavors available, you can’t go wrong with a homemade donut recipe.

I understand there are two types of donuts: a cake donut and a yeast donut, but I’m not a donut connoisseur.

Is a donut a cake?

For example, when you bite into a Boston Cream Donut, a yeast donut is light and puffy.

When you bite into a sour cream glazed donut, that is a cake donut.

The textures in the mouth differ and appeal to my sweet desires.

Eating Dinner At Our Italian Friends’ House

Every time we go to Marco and Christina’s house for dinner, we know they will fill the table with Italian food dishes that amaze us.

When Christina and Marco introduced us to this odd mashed potato donut recipe, we were surprised by the taste and texture.

They were so good. I ate three that night and wanted to know more about their recipe secrets.

Their Italian Zeppole donut is crispy on the outside and light and chewy in the middle.

Zeppole Potato Donut Variations

You can make a few variations of this Italian fried donut, which we’ve tried and enjoyed.

There is also the sfinge, a baked cream puff called zeppole.

Zeppole filled with ricotta cheese and chocolate

You can also find potato zeppole donuts filled with a sweet ricotta filling and topped with chocolate and custard cream.

Plain or Sugar-Coated Zeppole Donuts

Below are photos of the plain zeppole potato donut, which you can keep savory or roll in granulated sugar.

Italian Potato donuts filled with salty anchovies are considered savory zeppole potato donuts.

Using the plain recipe for zeppole potato donuts, make a long straight donut, flatten it, and fill it with anchovies, then close it before deep-frying.

Typically, the plain zeppole and anchovy-filled zeppole are eaten with dinner or on their own.

The sweet zeppole donuts might be enjoyed with Italian espresso, coffee, tea, or milk.

Donut Frying Safety

Donut frying is likely one of the reasons many people shy away from making homemade donuts.

Frying with oil can be scary, but not if you are prepared and take time.

Always consider safety first if you are deep-frying, and keep all water away from hot oil.

These donuts are best served hot, rolled in granulated sugar, or left plain.

We have also taken the dough that we made ahead of time and froze it for a later occasion.

How To Make Zeppole Italian Potato Donuts

Tools To Make Zeppole Italian Potato Donuts

Scroll Down For the printable version of the Zeppole recipe

• Huge tinfoil lasagne pan to roll donuts in sugar
• Large pot
• Spoon
• Measuring cups
• Large bowl
• Peeler
• Strainer
• Potato masher or ricer
• Tinfoil
• Deep-frying thermometer

Zeppole Ingredients 

I made the plain, orange, sugar-coated, and anchovies stuffed potato donuts.

• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 5 cups of all-purpose flour (you may not need it all)
• 5 cups boiled potatoes riced
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• zest of 4 oranges (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (for coating optional)
• Anchovies (optional)
• Canola oil, Corn oil, or Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 1/2 cup bench flour for the surface

Note: To keep your Zeppole Potato donuts plain, eliminate the orange zest, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.

You can coat your plain zeppole donuts in granulated sugar or leave them as is.

Another version, as suggested, is to add salty anchovies to the middle before frying your Zeppole donuts.

Step By Step Zeppole Prep With Photos

• Boil potatoes until tender in salted water, then mash them or put them through a ricer (if you have one)

• Add 5 cups of flour, dry yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients (potatoes) into the bowl and combine.
• Pour the dough onto a flour-dusted counter and knead it until it forms a ball. (2 mins)
• Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
• You do not need to add liquid, as the potatoes have enough moisture.
• Return the dough to the bowl and cover it with a tea towel for up to 3 hours to let it rise.

• Turn the bowl onto a floured surface, and divide it in half or quarters.

Shaping The Potato Dough

• Start to rip off dough balls and roll them on the floured surface until you make a 1-inch rope-like shape, then twist it to form a ribbon, or leave them as balls or form them into a simple round donut. It’s up to you.

• Let the donuts rest for 10 minutes to proof.
• Heat the canola oil to about 360-375 degrees for deep-frying.
• Frying takes just a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.
• I suggest timing cooking one and tearing it open to ensure it is cooked all through, as everyone has different stoves and deep fryers.
• The colour of the potato should be golden brown.
• When they come from the oil, toss them into a foil pan with a layer of granulated sugar to coat.
• Shake off the excess sugar from the donuts, then place them on a tray or into another foil pan to cool.
• You can make the same recipe without the orange, cinnamon, and nutmeg for a plain zeppole Italian potato donut that is crispy and chewy, as seen in the photo above.
• Also, you can fill the dough with anchovies, but you must seal the dough before frying.

You can store your Italian zeppole potato donuts for a few days under a tea towel to keep that crispy outer texture, but I’m betting they won’t last long.

Whatever you do, please don’t put the donuts in a plastic bag, or they will go soggy.

Please don’t say I didn’t warn you!!

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, making this recipe perfect for preparing in advance.

Happy Holidays, everyone.