In this study, we successfully synthesized ZnO/CeO2 composite nanoparticles for efficient ultraviolet (UV) filtering applications using a simple precipitation route. Various ratios of Ce/Ti, 2.5 at.%, 5 at.%, and 10 at.% were used to precipitate ceria onto commercial ZnO nanopowder at pH 9. The calculated mean crystallite sizes of the resultant nanocomposites were 90 nm, 79 nm, and 41 nm for the 2.5 at.%, 5 at.% and 10 at.% ceria amounts, respectively. A stronger and more selective absorbance within the UV range was observed due to precipitation of a small amount of ceria to decorate the commercial ZnO surface. The photocatalyst results show that the addition of ceria, particularly with the precipitation amount increased up to 10 at.%, can effectively reduce crystal violet degradation by about 97% in a period of time from 0 to 30 min when exposed to ultraviolet light over 30 min or by around 99% under solar simulation for 30 min.