Struffoli
intro
Crispy bite-sized fried dough balls coated in glossy warm honey, dotted with colorful sprinkles and candied peel, a beloved Neapolitan Christmas classic.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix and rest dough
Mound 400g all-purpose flour on a clean work surface and create a deep well in the center. Add 4 large eggs, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 30g cooled melted butter, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt into the well. Whisk wet ingredients with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the well edges until a shaggy mass forms, then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and non-sticky. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Shape tiny dough balls
Unwrap the rested dough and cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 1cm (½-inch) thick rope on a lightly floured surface, then cut each rope into 1cm (½-inch) wide segments. Roll each segment between your palms to form smooth, pea-sized balls, then spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring no balls touch to prevent sticking.
Fry to golden crisp
Heat 750ml vegetable oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F) on a candy thermometer. Fry dough balls in 4–5 small batches (do not overcrowd the pot, as this drops oil temperature) for 45–60 seconds per batch, stirring gently with a slotted spoon, until evenly puffed and deep golden brown. Remove batches with the slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined wire rack to remove excess oil.
Warm honey for coating
Add 250g raw honey to a small saucepan over low heat, warming for 2–3 minutes until thin, runny, and easily pourable, taking care not to let it boil or burn. Turn off the heat, add all fried and slightly cooled dough balls to the pan, and stir gently with a wooden spoon for 1–2 minutes until every ball is evenly coated in glossy honey.
Mound and decorate struffoli
Transfer honey-coated dough balls to a large round serving plate, piling them into a tall, rounded wreath shape while the honey is still warm. Scatter 3 tbsp rainbow nonpareil sprinkles and 50g chopped candied orange peel evenly over the surface, pressing gently so decorations stick to the sticky honey coating.
Set and serve
Allow assembled struffoli to rest at cool room temperature for 20 minutes so the honey coating sets slightly and holds the mound shape. Serve at room temperature, pulling apart small clusters of the crispy, honey-sweet balls to enjoy.
Tips
2.Keep dough balls uniformly pea-sized so they cook evenly, avoiding burnt outer edges or raw, doughy centers.
3.If your honey is too thick to coat the balls smoothly, stir in 1 tsp of warm water while heating to thin it without making the coating runny.
OMG, I’ve been looking for a real-deal struffoli recipe ever since my Nonna stopped making them for Christmas Eve! Tried this last night for our family dinner and it tasted exactly like I remembered. The honey glaze is perfect, not too cloying, and the little dough balls fried up so light and crispy. My kids loved it so much they were sneaking pieces off the platter before we even finished setting the table! 10/10 will be making this every holiday from now on.
Really solid recipe! I brought these to my office holiday potluck and everyone was raving and asking for the link. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I struggled a little getting the dough to the right consistency at first — I think my apartment was extra cold last week so it took way longer to come together than the recipe said. Once I got it right though? SO good, the orange zest in the dough adds such a bright pop that cuts through the sweet honey. Will definitely make again next year!
Total game changer! I’d never even heard of struffoli before my neighbor brought some over last Christmas, and I’ve been craving them ever since. This recipe was way easier to follow than I thought it would be even with the medium difficulty rating — I was worried frying would be a huge mess but the instructions for oil temp were totally spot on. Ended up topping mine with extra rainbow sprinkles and nonpareils just like the recipe photo, looks so festive on my holiday dessert table!
Made these for my kid’s winter break class party and they were a total hit! I was a little nervous about making a fried treat for a school event but they held up really well even after sitting out for a couple hours. I split the batch and did half with the traditional honey glaze and half with a chocolate drizzle for the kids who don’t love honey, and both versions were gone in 10 minutes flat. Will absolutely be adding this to my annual holiday baking rotation!
I’ve been making struffoli for my family’s annual Christmas dinner for over 40 years, and I have to say this recipe is almost identical to the one my mother brought over with her from Naples! The only small tweak I make is adding a tiny splash of anise extract to the honey glaze, just like my mom used to. Don’t skip the little bit of lemon zest either, it makes all the difference to cut the sweetness. So glad to see this traditional recipe getting shared so more folks can enjoy it for the holidays!
Taste was incredible, but I ran into a little issue when I was making these last weekend! My dough balls kept puffing up way too much and sticking together when I fried them, so I ended up with a few big clumps instead of perfect little individual balls. They still tasted amazing, so my roommates didn’t complain at all, but I want to get it right for Christmas Eve dinner at my boyfriend’s grandma’s house — any tips for next time?