Zeppole

Zeppole are typically irregular, small drops of fried dough often dusted with powdered sugar and sometimes filled with custard or ricotta, while bomboloni are round, yeast-risen Italian doughnuts filled with cream and rolled in sugar. Zeppole often use a choux-like dough, whereas bomboloni use a richer yeast dough closer to a traditional filled donut. Both are Italian fried sweets but differ in shape, dough, and filling style.

Zeppole are most closely associated with St. Joseph's Day on March 19th, particularly in Italian-American communities in cities like New York, Boston, and New Orleans. In Italy, especially Naples, bakeries produce special St. Joseph's zeppole filled with custard and topped with an amarena cherry. They are also commonly served at Italian street festivals and feasts year-round.

Both are fried dough pastries, but they differ in origin and preparation. Zeppole are Italian, often made with a choux-based dough and traditionally filled with custard or ricotta, while beignets are French-influenced and made from a yeast dough, most famously served plain and heavily dusted with powdered sugar at Café du Monde in New Orleans. The textures and toppings are noticeably different.

Baked versions exist that pipe a choux dough onto a baking sheet and bake it in the oven, but the result lacks the characteristic crispy exterior and fluffy interior that defines traditional fried zeppole. Deep frying at the proper oil temperature is what creates the contrast between the golden crust and soft, airy center. Most authentic recipes call for frying in vegetable oil or lard.