# Żeppoli ta' San Ġużepp (Maltese St Joseph's Pastries)

Source: https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/zeppoli-ta-san-guzepp/

Traditional Maltese St Joseph's pastries filled with sweet ricotta and finished with honey, nuts, or icing sugar.

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 zeppoli
Tags: dessert, st-joseph, pastry, ricotta, maltese-classic, festive, traditional



## Ingredients

Measures: **1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml.** For local ingredient names and substitutions, see our [guide to Maltese ingredients abroad](/maltese-ingredients-abroad/).



- **Pastry**

- 250ml water

- 75g butter

- 150g plain flour (all-purpose flour)

- Pinch salt

- 4 eggs

- Vegetable oil, for frying

- **Filling**

- 500g ricotta, well drained

- 80g icing sugar (powdered sugar)

- Zest of 1 orange

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 40g dark chocolate, finely chopped

- Honey, chopped pistachios, or icing sugar (powdered sugar), to finish


## Instructions

1. **Make the choux pastry**: Put the water, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough pulls away from the sides. Cool for 5 minutes.

2. **Add the eggs**: Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth and glossy.

3. **Fry**: Heat oil to 170°C. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the oil and fry until puffed, golden, and cooked through, turning often. Drain on kitchen paper.

4. **Make the filling**: Mix the ricotta with icing sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and chopped chocolate.

5. **Fill and finish**: Split the cooled zeppoli and fill with ricotta. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with nuts, or dust with icing sugar.

Żeppoli ta' San Ġużepp are traditional Maltese pastries associated with the feast of St Joseph. They are made from light fried choux pastry and filled with sweet ricotta, citrus, and chocolate.

## Serving Suggestions

- Serve on St Joseph's Day or during festive gatherings
- Finish with honey and chopped pistachios
- Dust with icing sugar for a simpler version
- Best eaten the day they are made

## Traditional Notes & Tips

- The ricotta should be well drained so the filling stays thick
- Fry at a steady temperature so the centres cook through
- Some versions are baked rather than fried
- Orange zest is a classic flavour with the ricotta
- Fill shortly before serving for the best texture

## Pastries for St Joseph's Day

Camilleri associates sweet ricotta-filled Żeppoli with St Joseph's feast on 19 March. See [Maltese Folklore, printed page 199](https://ktieb.org.mt/app/uploads/2025/03/Maltese-Folklore_extract_compressed.pdf#page=71).

That occasion is distinct from Easter Sunday, even though both sit in the spring calendar. The version above pairs the filling with honey, nuts, or icing sugar; choose a finish that leaves the ricotta flavour noticeable and fill the pastries close to serving for a crisper shell.





## Explore the collections

- [Maltese festa and celebration food](https://www.malteserecipes.com/collections/maltese-festa-and-celebration-food/)

- [Maltese desserts and sweets](https://www.malteserecipes.com/collections/maltese-desserts-and-sweets/)

- [Maltese Easter food](https://www.malteserecipes.com/collections/maltese-easter-food/)


## Serve with or cook next

- [Kannoli Maltin (Maltese Cannoli)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/kannoli-maltin/): Try sweet ricotta in crisp pastry tubes.

- [Figolli (Maltese Easter Almond Pastries)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/figolli/): Explore another sweet associated with Malta's spring celebrations.

- [Kafè Malti (Maltese Spiced Coffee)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/maltese-coffee/): Serve the filled pastries with a small cup of spiced coffee.