Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Recipe (Italian)

These Italian Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Recipe are authentic Italian cream-filled pastries for the Feast of St Joseph. Follow the step-by-step photo guide to achieve perfect results. The pastry is light and airy with a luscious cream filling.

You will also love Bomboloni Recipe (Italian Donuts with Cream Filling), Chiacchiere di Carnevale Recipe, Zeppole Recipe (Easy Italian Donuts), and Authentic Struffoli Recipe (Italian Honey Balls).

St. Joseph’s Day Italian Pastries with Cream

Starting in February, in preparation for St. Joseph's Day, you will see these baked zeppole or little nests filled with pastry cream filling in pastry shops all over Italy.

This is a tried and true recipe with clear instructions to achieve the best baked zeppole. Trust me. You've landed on an authentic Italian recipe you can trust and come back to every time you crave these sweet treats.

What are Zeppole Di San Giuseppe

Italian Zeppole di San Giuseppe, St. Joseph's pastries, bignè di San Giuseppe, or Neapolitan Zeppole (many different names for these delectable treats!) are Italian pastries made to celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph (March 19th), which is also Father's Day in Italy.

They are cream puffs made with classic choux pastry dough, filled with traditional Crema Pasticcera (Italian pastry cream), and topped with amarena cherries. The presentation is beautiful, and they taste delightful! My uncle's name is Giuseppe, and these always remind me of him.

They are easier to make than you think and worth it for a special day! These Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Recipe (Italian) should not be confused with the fried zeppole popular for Italian Carnevale.

Bake or Fried Zeppole Di San Giuseppe

There is a lot of debate on how you should cook these. There are delicious both baked and fried (al forno or fritte). You can fry them, but I prefer them baked. They are lighter and still produce a crispy and airy doughnut texture.

Simple Ingredients

Choux Pastry Dough

• Unsalted Butter divided 
• Granulated sugar
• Salt (a pinch of salt)
• Water
• 00 flour or all-purpose flour 
• Large Eggs

Italian Pastry Cream

• 1 recipe for Classic Italian Pastry Cream 

Toppings

• Amarena Cherries
• Icing Sugar or powdered sugar for dusting 

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Italian Recipe ( with Step-by-Step Photos)

Make the Choux Pastry Dough

Preheat oven to 400℉—place rack in the center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Beat the room-temperature eggs in a medium bowl, cover with cling wrap or plastic wrap, and set aside. 

Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the water and butter over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. After boiling for about 30 seconds, remove the saucepan from the heat.

Add the flour mixture in one addition and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Return the saucepan to the stove. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the mixture forms into a smooth ball and comes away from the sides of the pan (5 minutes total). This is KEY to letting some of the water evaporate- skipping this step yields to a runny dough. 

Transfer the choux dough mixture to a large mixing bowl. Let cool for a few minutes.

Add the beaten eggs, ¼ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition with a wooden spoon, stand mixer paddle attachment or hand-held beaters.

It may seem like the dough won't incorporate, but it does- keep mixing.

How to assemble Baked Zeppole

Make Italian pastry cream and set it in the fridge to cool. Make it up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. I like to place my pastry bag in a tall cup for easy filling. 
Pipe dough into 2" nests on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Turn off the oven and open the door slightly.

The dough resembles a donut's shape and size with a hole in the middle.
Place in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Let the pastries cool for about 10 minutes in the oven. 
Remove the pastry shells from the oven and let them cool completely. 

Assemble the Baked Zeppole 

Once cooled cut the baked zeppole in half with a serrated knife.

Fill another pastry bag fitted with an open star tip with Italian pastry cream and pipe on one-half of the zeppole shells; you can also use a spoon for the pastry cream.

Cover with the other half of the baked zeppole and pipe another tablespoon over the top, OR make a small hole and pipe pastry cream directly in the cavity; and top with more pastry cream. You can also leave the tops plain.

Top the baked zeppole with amarena cherries and a dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar). Enjoy!

Substitutions

If you are in a hurry and want to make an easier variation, try Puff Pastry filled with Italian Chocolate Cream.

Zeppole Variations

Filling

The traditional Neapolitan pastry was made with a lemon-infused pastry cream piped over a fried dough.

You can fill these traditional zeppole with Italian Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera), Best Italian Pistachio Cream, Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream, Nutella, or jam. They are delicious plain as well.

Topping

You can use the following cherry variations to top the baked zeppole.

• Sour Cherry Sauce
• Sour Cherries
• Italian Amarena Sauce
• Maraschino Cherries

Add a dusting of powdered sugar or icing sugar to give an extra special touch.

Tools for Making Italian Baked Zeppole

You’ll need large, heavy-duty piping bags or a pastry bag to pipe out the choux pastry dough and a large open star tip.

How to Store Baked Zeppole

Store the non-filled zeppole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Once filled, keep them in the refrigerator and consume them within a couple of days.

It is not recommended to store the raw dough. Make the choux pastry fresh before baking the zeppole.

FAQs

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Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Recipe (Italian)

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These Italian Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Recipe are authentic Italian cream-filled pastries for the Feast of St Joseph. Follow the step-by-step photo guide to achieve perfect results. The pastry is light and airy with a luscious cream filling.

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Choux Pastry Dough

• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) of granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt (a pinch of salt)
• 1 cup (240g) water
• 1 cup (120 g) 00 flour or all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Italian Pastry Cream

• 1 recipe for Classic Italian Pastry Cream

Toppings

• Amarena Cherries
• Icing Sugar or powdered sugar for dusting

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Italian Pastry Cream 

1. Make the pastry cream first and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. 

Make the Choux Pastry Dough

1. Preheat oven to 400℉—place rack in the center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Beat the room-temperature eggs in a medium bowl, cover with cling wrap or plastic wrap, and set aside. 
3. Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
4. In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the water and butter over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. After boiling for about 30 seconds, remove the saucepan from the heat.
5. Add the flour mixture in one addition and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Return the saucepan to the stove. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the mixture forms into a smooth ball and comes away from the sides of the pan (5 minutes total). This is KEY to letting some of the water evaporate- skipping this step yields to a runny dough. 
6. Transfer the choux dough mixture to a large mixing bowl. Let cool for a few minutes.
7. Add the beaten eggs, ¼ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition with a wooden spoon, stand mixer paddle attachment or hand-held beaters. It may seem like the dough won't incorporate, but it does- keep mixing!

Shape and Bake the Dough

1. Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. I like to place my pastry bag in a tall cup for easy filling. 
2. Pipe dough into 2" nests on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough resembles a donut's shape and size with a hole in the middle.
3. Place in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Let the pastries cool for about 10 minutes in the oven. 
5. Remove the pastry shells from the oven and let them cool completely. 

Assemble the Baked Zeppole 

1. Once cooled cut the baked zeppole in half with a serrated knife. 
2. Fill another pastry bag fitted with an open star tip with Italian pastry cream and pipe on one-half of the zeppole shells; you can also use a spoon for the pastry cream. Cover with the other half of the baked zeppole and pipe another tablespoon over the top, OR make a small hole and pipe pastry cream directly in the cavity; and top with more pastry cream. You can also leave the tops plain. 
3. Top the baked zeppole with amarena cherries and a dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar). Enjoy!

Notes

CHOUX PASTRY TOP TIPS

• Use room temperature ingredients.
• Stir the flour vigorously until combined with the hot liquid.
• Important to cook the pastry in the pan for 5 minutes so that the water can evaporate. If you skip this step, the dough will be runny, and the final choux dough will be flat and dense.
• Let the mixture cool immediately after it forms into a smooth dough ball.
• Beat the eggs first, then add ¼ cup additions to the dough.
• Cool the finished pastry in the oven with the door open.

 

 

STORAGE

Store the non-filled zeppole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Once filled, keep them in the refrigerator and consume them within a couple of days.

It is not recommended to store the raw dough. Make the choux pastry fresh before baking the zeppole.

• Author: Elena Davis
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
• Category: Sweet
• Method: Italian
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: baked zeppole, Baked Zeppole Di San Giuseppe Recipe, Cream puff pastry, Italian pastry cream