Struffoli or Italian honey balls is a traditional dessert typical to Naples and Campagna region but popular all throughout Italy. In different regions they're known under a different name with a slight variation in the recipe. In Sicily, they're called Pignolata, Cicerchiata in Abruzzo, Marche and Molise, Sannacchiudere in Apulia .
These little bites are the ultimate holiday treat—crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and impossibly addictive.
This struffoli recipe came to me from a Neapolitan lady, zia Anna whose recipe has become a legend among her family, friends and beyond. But you don't have to believe me until you try for yourself.
Table Of Contents
Italian Struffoli: What's So Special?
- Texture and flavor. Lightly sweetened and flavored with orange and/or lemon zest, they are crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Once fried they coated in warm honey and decorated with sugar sprinkles and candied fruit.
- Tradition. Struffoli are more than a dessert—they’re a symbol of Italian holiday cheer, especially at Christmas. The recipe has been passed down for generations, representing family, togetherness, and celebration.
- Attract prosperity and good luck. Struffoli are believed to bring good luck because of their round shape, which symbolizes completeness, unity, and abundance in Italian culture. Each golden, honey-coated ball is like a little token of prosperity and joy. Sharing struffoli with family and friends is thought to spread happiness and bring blessings for the coming year.
- Edible Centerpiece. Their playful size and vibrant festive presentation make them a beautiful, edible centerpiece and a joyful treat for all ages!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Flour - all-purpose flour low protein content or Italian 00 flour work the best.
- Sugar - use little sugar as indicated in the recipe. The dough should have just a hint of sweetness since the main sweet flavor will be coming when they'll be coating with honey.
- Eggs - medium eggs at room temperature.
- Oil - vegetable oil or cooking lard.
- Rum - or other strong liquor like brandy, homemade Limoncello or Orangecello. You can also use anise liqueur for that special anisette flavor.
- Lemon, orange zest - from organic citrus fruit with edible zest.
- Honey - raw natural honey with delicate flavor such as flower honey, acaccia honey or linden honey.
- For decoration:
- sugar sprinkles
- candies cherries
- candied oranges
How To Make - Step By Step With Pictures
- Mix all ingredients for the dough in a food processor or with a stand mixer until a dough ball forms.
- Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes. It should be soft but not sticky. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Once the dough has rested cut off a piece of dough and roll it with your hands into ⅓ inch (1 cm) thick rope. Then cut the rope again into ⅓ inch (1 cm) pieces. You can roll the dough thinner for smaller and crunchy struffoli.
- Roll each piece quickly between the palm of your hands (or against the work surface) giving it a round shape.
NOTE 1: You should not need any flour for dusting the work surface as the dough won’t stick. But in case it does stick a little, slightly dust the work surface with as little flour as possible.
- Arrange on 6"x6" *(5x15 cm) piece of parchment paper. This will help transfer the balls into hot oil quickly and without burning yourself. Finish rolling the remaining dough.
- Preheat vegetable oil for frying in a deep pan to 350F (175C). Let the dough balls slide from parchment paper into hot oil. Fry in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
NOTE 2: Make sure to heat the oil on medium heat and use plenty of it so that the dough balls float freely in the pan. It's also important for oil to be at the right temperature 350 F (175 C) during frying. If oil is colder than that struffoli will absorb excess oil and hotter than that you'll risk burning then,
- Toss and flip the dough balls from time to time until lightly golden brown.
- Once ready transfer fried struffoli on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls.
- Warm up honey on very low heat until fluid.
- Add struffoli and stir gently to cover them all.
How To Decorate
- Cut both cherries and orange peels into small cubes. You can mix some into honey-covered struffoli or use them only for decoration at the next step.
- Mound struffoli on a serving plate forming a mountain shape or a ring shape. To make a ring shape, brush the sides of a glass or of a small ball with a litttle oil or cooking spray and place it in the center of a plate. Arrange honey balls around it. Allow struffoli to set to about 2 hours then remove the glass.
- Decorate with candied fruit and sugar sprinkles.
FAQs
Make sure struffoli are not covered with flour when you start frying them. If you followed the recipe correctly you should need little to no flour for rolling. Using parchment paper to arrange stuffoli on will also eliminate the need for extra flour. It's the flour on the surface of the struffoli that causes foam.
With this recipe you can make them both ways! If you make them medium-sized, they'll be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Make them smaller and they'll be extra crunchy.
Authentic struffoli use very little fat in the dough. Pignolata on the contrary contains more fat (butter), making honey balls crumblier. The flavor is quite similar considering they're both flavored with citrus zest.
Fun Facts
- Struffoli are believed to bring good luck. This is because their small and round shape symbolizes the coins that the new year will bring.
- Neapolitan ladies claim that the smaller they are, the better they taste. It seems that the small balls can retain the perfect amount of honey.
- Neapolitans are very superstitious, probably they’re the most superstitious in Italy. Plus they also think that too much is always better than not enough. So, to ensure maximum luck, they tend to serve the Struffoli inside a Cornucopia, a large horn-shaped container, a symbol of abundance and prosperity, made of almond or hazelnut brittle.
- Unlike many desserts, struffoli cannot be cut into slices, because the small balls do not stick together. So better give each guest a small bowl or saucer with a teaspoon. Not a fork, as Struffoli are unlikely to be pierced. But, if no one sees you, you can nibble them with your hands!
- The sugar sprinkles in Naples are called diavullili, meaning "little devils".
How To Store
Store struffoli in an airtight container at room temperature before arranging them on a plate. Do not refrigerate. Once arranged and decorated it's best to present and store them on a cake stand with a dome lid.
Make Ahead
Struffoli can be fried a few days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The day when you want to serve them prepare the honey sauce, coat struffoli, shape on a plate and decorate.
More Italian Christmas Desserts
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Full Recipe
Struffoli
Ingredients
For struffoli dough
- 400 grams flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoon rum or brandy
- 20 grams vegetable oil , 2 tablespoon or cooking lard
- 30 grams sugar , 2 tbsp
- 1 lemon (zest only)
- 1 orange (zest only)
- Pinch salt
For frying
For honey coating
- 1 ½ cup liquid honey (about 400 g)
For decoration
- sugar sprinkles
- candied cherries
- candied oranges , see notes below if you want to make homemade
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Mix all ingredients for the dough in a food processor or with a stand mixer until a dough ball forms. Knead it by hand for a few minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Wrap in a plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Roll the dough:
- Once the dough is rested cut off a piece of dough and roll it with your hands into ⅓ inch (1 cm) thick rope. Then cut the rope again into ⅓ inch (1 cm) pieces.NOTE: You should not need any flour for dusting the worksurface as the dough won’t stick. But in case it does stick a little, slightly dust the worksurface with a flour.
- Roll each piece quickly between the palm of your hands (or against the work surface) giving it a round shape.Arrange on 6"x6" *(5x15 cm) piece of parchement paper. This will help transfer the balls into hot oil quickly and without burning yourself.
- Roll the rest of the dough.
Fry Struffoli
- Preheat vegetable oil for frying in a deep pan to 350F (175C) - perfect temperature for frying.Make sure to heat the oil on medium heat and use enough of it so that the dough balls float freely in the pan.
- Let dough balls slide from parchment paper into hot oil. Fry in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Toss and flip the dough balls from time to time until lightly golden brown.
- Once ready transfer fried struffoli on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Honey Sauce
- Warm up honey on very low heat until fluid. Add struffoli and stir gently to cover them all.
Decorate
- Cut both cherries and orange peels into small cubes. You can mix some into honey-covered struffoli or use them only for decoration at the next step.
- Mound struffoli on a serving plate forming a mountain shape or a ring shape. To make a ring shape, brush the sides of a glass or a small ball with a litttle oil or cooking spray and place it in the center of a plate. Arrange honey balls around it. Allow struffoli to set to about 2 hours then remove the glass. Decorate with candied fruit and sugar sprinkles.
- Have a serving spoon and cupcake cups ready for serving.
Notes
- Don't use extra flour for rolling. When you start rolling struffoli no need to dust the work surface with flour as the dough won’t stick. In case it does stick a little, slightly dust the work surface with as little flour as possible.
- Arrange struffoli in small batches on square pieces of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking and avoid using flour for coating.
- Floured stuffoli will make oil foam when frying and you obviously want to avoid that.
- Make sure to heat the oil on medium heat and use plenty of it so that the dough balls float freely in the pan. It's also important for oil to be 350F (175C) during frying. If oil is colder than that struffoli will absorb excess oil and hotter than that you'll risk burning them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Merry Christmas and Buon Natale!
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