Gluten-Free Zeppole di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Fritters)

Every March 19th, Italian bakery windows fill with zeppole — fried or baked choux crowns piped with pastry cream and topped with sour amarena cherries. Choux converts beautifully to gluten-free, which means St. Joseph’s Day is back on the calendar.

Yield: 12 zeppole · Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 batch gluten-free choux paste (1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup GF flour blend, 4 eggs)
• 2 cups pastry cream (milk, sugar, yolks, cornstarch, vanilla)
• 12 amarena cherries in syrup
• Powdered sugar
• Oil for frying, or bake instead

Directions

1. Pipe the choux into 3-inch rings on parchment squares using a large star tip.
2. Fried: lower rings paper-side up into 350°F (175°C) oil, peel away the paper, and fry 3–4 minutes per side. Baked: 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, then 350°F (175°C) for 18 more.
3. Cool, then split or top each ring.
4. Pipe pastry cream in a generous rosette.
5. Crown with an amarena cherry and dust with powdered sugar.

Pro tip: The parchment-square dip trick is how bakeries get perfect rings into hot oil without a single burn.

Gluten-Free Notes

If you are cooking for someone with celiac disease, cross-contact matters as much as ingredients — clean surfaces, dedicated utensils, and certified or labeled gluten-free packaged goods are the safe path.

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Browse more in Cakes & Desserts, or explore our gluten-free breakfast recipe database and hot cereal guide.