Authentic Struffoli Recipe (Italian Honey Balls) (2024)

Add eggs and sugar to the bowl of a food processor; pulse until creamy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Be patient and let the sugar and eggs get to the creamy texture.

Place orange zest, liquor, and vanilla extract in the bowl and process until combined.

Add flour and baking powder to the mixture and pulse until a few times (not too much).

Add the butter pieces and pulse until thoroughly combined. The dough will be sticky.

Wrap the dough in a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

When the dough is chilled, transfer it to a lightly floured surface.

Divide dough into four even sections.

Roll each section into a long rope, about the same thickness as your finger.

Cut each rope of dough into sections ½ to 1-inch wide. Hint: I prefer mine to be slightly larger than the standard marble size.

Roll each section into small balls in the palms of your hands – the balls should be the size of a hazelnut or marble (they will puff up when frying!).

Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover them with a clean kitchen towel as you roll out all the balls.

Prepare a large plate or baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Set it next to your stove.
Add oil to a heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to reach a frying temperature of 350°F. (Use an instant-read candy thermometer to determine the oil temperature). Or, test one dough ball to see if bubbles form around it, and it quickly turns a golden brown color.

Fry dough balls in hot oil (batches of about 15).

Stir a couple of times until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to help the dough balls move in the oil to get a nice, even golden brown color.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the dough balls, carefully shake the excess oil back into the pan, then transfer the fried dough to the paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Repeat frying with the remaining dough.

Add honey and orange juice to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine. Cook, continuously stirring with a wooden spoon, until the honey is runny, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the fried dough balls to a large mixing bowl. Pour the honey mixture on top of the struffoli.

Toss to combine until the struffoli are fully coated with the honey mixture.

Spray a tall cylindrical drinking glass with non-stick cooking spray and set it in the center of a round serving platter, plate, or cake plate (alternatively- use a springform pan to set and shape the struffoli balls). You can also serve them in a large mound on a serving plate.

Use a rubber spatula to mound the glazed struffoli balls to form a wreath around the glass.
Allow the struffoli to set for 2-3 hours (you can make up struffoli until this part 1 day in advance).

Before serving, remove the glass from the center of the wreath. Sprinkle liberally with rainbow nonpareils.

Top tips

• Don’t Overmix!Mixing the struffoli dough too much willguaranteetough dough and hard-as-a-rock fried balls – so sad for all the work of these soft little dough balls!!
• Oil temperature. The oil should be between 350F-360F when you start frying. If the oil is not hot enough, the chiacchiere will absorb too much oil and feel and taste greasy. If the oil is too hot (burning/smoking), it’ll give an unpleasant burned oil flavor to the pastry.
• Toss the Struffoli as they fry. When the struffoli are frying, help them move around the hot oil with a slotted spoon. In this way, they get a nice even golden brown color.
• Let rest on paper towels - As soon as they come out of the oil, place them on kitchen towels to stay nice and crisp.
• Use a slotted spoon to stir the dough balls and gently lift the finished ones, draining any excess oil before moving to the baking sheet lined with paper towels.
• Sprinkles. Add sprinkles a few hours before serving, or the color will melt into the honey.

When do you eat Struffoli in Italy?

Struffoli are typically enjoyed December-Janurary. Struffoli Napoletani are fun to make and delicious to eat! They are commonly served on Christmas Eve, Christmas lunch, and New Year’s Eve dinner in Italy. They symbolize wealth and signify a prosperous New Year. Similar to the tradition of Italian Lentils. In some areas of Italy, they reappear in February and March for carnival or Mardi Gras.

Can Struffoli dough be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze struffoli, but it is not recommended to freeze the uncooked dough. Freeze the already-fried dough balls. Make the dough, form the balls, fry them, and let them cool for about 30 minutes. Place them into plastic freezer bags and freeze them for up to one month. When ready to serve, take them out of the freezer and defrost them at room temperature. Make the honey syrup and toss the defrosted struffoli in the syrup. Serve!

Can you make struffoli ahead of time?

Yes, you can make struffoli ahead of time. The fried and cooled dough balls can be made and refrigerated (for up to 5 days) or frozen (up to 1 month) in an airtight container. When ready to use, bring them to room temperature and coat them with the warm honey mixture. Coat with sprinkles right before serving.

Struffoli vs Pignolata

Essentailly struffoli and pignolata are made the same. In different regions of Italy there are different ways to call a familiar dish. Both recipes are fried dough balls drenched with a citrus honey coating.

How to say Struffoli

The Italian pronunciation for Struffoli (also known as Honey Balls) is - [ˈstruffoli] or /ˈstruf.fo.li/.

Best Sprinkles for Authentic Struffoli

Rainbow nonpareil sprinkles are the most traditional sprinkles for decorating struffoli. The bright colors are festive, and their texture adds a yummy crunch. Honestly, you can use whatever small festive sprinkles you have on hand. If the sprinkles are too big or heavy, they will run off the honey glaze.

Where do Struffoli Originate?

Struffoli are native to the Southern Italian region of Naples but are widely popular all over Italy. The nuns used to prepare them in the convents and gave them to the noble families. Some think the Greeks, who colonized the Gulf of Naples in the 7th century BC, brought the original Struffoli recipe to Italy. In Greek cuisine, the greek word is “loukoumades," which are small sweet balls covered with sugar, similar to our Italian struffoli.

Italian Struffoli Recipe

I love recipes that create memories in the kitchen, and this is one of those for me. I see tiny, young, older, and oldest hands working together to make these tiny dough balls for various special occasions. Everyone rolls at their own pace and speed to create one beautiful dish. This is a unique recipe for me as it ties old generations to the new. It brings everyone to the kitchen to create a beautiful round centerpiece that defines love, emotions, and experiences. I hope this recipe makes its way to your kitchens and fills the room with laughter and yumminess. Enjoy this Italian Christmas dessert any time of the year.

Keywords: struffoli, honey balls, Italian recipe, sweet dough, Christmas recipe