Gluten Free Zeppole

These gluten free zeppole are everything you want in a fried dough treat. Crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside, and covered in powdered sugar.

If you have never had zeppole before, they are classic Italian fried dough balls. They are popular at street fairs and bakeries, and once you try them you will understand why.

Making them gluten free does not mean giving up any of the taste or texture. These come out just as puffy and golden as the traditional version.

The dough comes together quickly on the stovetop, and then you just drop small scoops into hot oil. In a few minutes you have warm, pillowy bites ready to eat.

They are best served right away while they are still hot. Trust me, they will not last long once people see that pile of powdered sugar.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crispy Outside and Pillowy Inside – These zeppole fry up with a perfectly golden crust and a soft airy center that melts in your mouth.

You Would Never Know They Are Gluten Free – The tapioca starch and gluten free flour combo creates a texture so perfect that nobody will taste the difference.

Ready in Under 30 Minutes – From mixing the dough to frying the last batch you can have a warm platter of zeppole on the table in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 2 tbsp Tapioca Starch
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
• Vegetable Oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, for dusting

How to Make

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the butter is fully melted.

Step 2

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the gluten free flour and tapioca starch all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Return the pan to medium-low heat and continue stirring for about 1 minute to cook the dough slightly and dry it out a bit.

Step 3

Transfer the dough to a large bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon or hand mixer after each addition. The dough will look slippery at first but will come together into a smooth, thick, pipeable batter.

Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest.

Step 4

Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with about 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Line a plate or baking sheet with paper towels.

Step 5

Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop, carefully drop rounded tablespoons of dough into the hot oil, working in batches of 4 to 5 so you don’t crowd the pot. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are puffed, deeply golden brown on all sides, and cooked through in the center.

Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate.

Step 6

While the zeppole are still warm, dust them generously with powdered sugar. Pile them on a serving platter and serve immediately while they are hot, puffy, and irresistible.

My Tips

Add the Flour All at Once

When you take the pot off the heat to add the gluten free flour and tapioca starch, dump it all in at the same time. If you sprinkle it in slowly, you’ll get lumps that are really hard to stir out.

Have both the flour and tapioca starch pre-measured and mixed together in a bowl before you start. That way when the water mixture hits a rolling boil, you can pull it off the heat and add everything in one shot without scrambling.

Stir hard and fast with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls cleanly away from the sides. It happens pretty quickly if everything goes in together.

Let the Dough Cool Before Adding Eggs

That 5-minute cooling step after you transfer the dough to a bowl is really important. If the dough is too hot when you add the eggs, it will partially cook them on contact and you’ll end up with scrambled egg bits in your batter.

You want the dough to still be warm but not steaming. If you touch it and it feels too hot to hold your finger on, give it another minute or two.

Adding the eggs one at a time and fully mixing each one in before the next is also key. The dough will look like it’s broken and slimy after each egg goes in, but keep beating it and it will smooth out before you add the next one.

Use a Thermometer for the Oil

Keeping the oil at 350 degrees F is the difference between zeppole that are golden and cooked through versus ones that are dark on the outside and raw dough in the center. A clip-on candy or deep fry thermometer makes this easy.

The oil temperature drops every time you add a batch of dough, so keep an eye on it between batches and let it come back up to 350 before dropping in more. This is also why frying only 4 to 5 at a time matters.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Beignets
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
• Gluten Free Cream Puffs
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Fritters
• Gluten Free Crispy Funnel Cake

FAQ

Can I use a different gluten free flour blend instead of 1-to-1 baking flour?

You really want to stick with a gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour for this recipe because it already contains xanthan gum, which helps the dough hold together and puff up properly during frying. Without it, your zeppole may fall apart or turn out flat and dense.

If your blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, try adding about half a teaspoon to the dry ingredients. Results can vary between brands, so a 1-to-1 style flour is your safest bet for that classic puffy texture.