Struffoli are one of the most traditional Christmas desserts from Naples. These small pieces of fried dough are coated in warm honey and decorated with colorful sprinkles and candied fruit, creating the festive look that makes them instantly recognizable.
This Struffoli recipe, also known as Italian honey balls, is especially popular in Naples and throughout Campania during the Christmas season. Along with desserts such as Pastiera Napoletana, struffoli are an important part of Neapolitan pastry tradition.
Similar fried sweets coated with honey can also be found in other parts of central and southern Italy, sometimes under different names. One of the best-known examples is cicerchiata, traditionally made in regions such as Abruzzo, Marche, Umbria, and Molise.
Making struffoli at home is quite simple. The dough is cut into tiny pieces, fried until golden, then tossed with warm honey and finished with rainbow sprinkles and candied fruit. You can arrange them in a mound or shape them into a festive ring for the Christmas table.
Struffoli can also be prepared ahead of time, making them especially convenient for holiday gatherings and Christmas dessert tables.
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 45 Min | Resting Time: 30 Min | Cook Time: 15 Min | Servings: 8 to 10
For the Struffoli
- 400 g (3⅓ cups) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 80 g (5½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 40 g (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons anise liqueur, or rum, orange liqueur, or Limoncello
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon baking powder, optional
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- About 1 liter (1 quart) peanut oil or other neutral frying oil, or as needed for deep-frying
- 250–300 g (¾ to ⅞ cup) wildflower or acacia honey
For Decoration
- Rainbow nonpareils or sprinkles, as needed
- About 50 g (1.75 oz) mixed candied fruit, such as candied orange peel, citron, or cherries
How to Make Struffoli
Make the Struffoli Dough
Step 1) - Melt the butter in a double boiler or in a small saucepan over very low heat, then let it cool.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder (if using), and salt.
Step 2) - Add the sugar, melted butter and anise liqueur to the flour mixture.
Step 3) - Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Begin mixing the ingredients with a wooden spoon, then add the finely grated orange zest.
Step 4) - Continue mixing with the spoon until the dough starts to come together. Then knead with your hands until you have a smooth, uniform dough with no dry patches or lumps.
Step 5) - Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Shape the Struffoli
Step 6) - After the resting time, divide the dough into several pieces.
Using your palms, roll each piece back and forth on the work surface to form a long rope about 1 cm (⅜ inch) thick.
Step 7) - Using a small knife, cut each rope into pieces about 1 cm (⅜ inch) long.
Step 8) - At this point, you can leave the struffoli as small pieces or roll each one gently between the palms of your hands to form tiny balls.
Shaping them individually takes a little more time, but it gives the finished struffoli a more even, rounded appearance.
Continue until all the dough has been shaped.
How to Fry Struffoli
Step 9) - Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat it to 170–175°C (340–350°F).
If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, test the oil with a small piece of dough. It should begin to sizzle and form bubbles around it as soon as it touches the oil.
Fry the struffoli in small batches so the oil temperature remains steady and they cook evenly.
Turn them gently while frying. They cook very quickly and are ready when puffed and evenly golden, usually in about 30–60 seconds, depending on their size.
Step 10) - Remove the fried struffoli with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate or tray lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Continue frying the remaining struffoli in batches.
Coat and Decorate the Struffoli
Step 11) - Pour almost all the honey into a large saucepan, big enough to hold all the struffoli, and add some of the rainbow sprinkles.
Warm over very low heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, just until the honey becomes more fluid and easier to work with. Do not let it boil.
Step 12) - Turn off the heat and add the fried struffoli to the warm honey.
Add another tablespoon of sprinkles and gently mix until all the struffoli are evenly coated with honey.
How to Shape and Decorate Struffoli
Transfer the struffoli to a serving platter while they are still warm. As the honey cools, it begins to set, making the struffoli harder to shape.
You can arrange them in a simple mound or create the traditional ring shape, similar to a Christmas wreath.
Step 13) - Place a glass in the center of the serving platter. Using a spoon, arrange the warm struffoli around the glass to form an even ring. Let them cool completely in this shape.
Step 14) - Decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles and candied fruit. Once the struffoli are completely cool and the honey has set, carefully remove the glass.
Your Struffoli Napoletani are now ready to serve. They also make a beautiful homemade Christmas gift when carefully wrapped.
Tips for Perfect Struffoli
Keep the pieces small. Struffoli puff slightly as they fry, so cut the dough into very small pieces. About ⅜ inch (8–10 mm) is enough. If they are too large, they may brown outside before cooking properly inside.
Watch the oil temperature. Keep the oil around 170–175°C (340–350°F). If it is too hot, the struffoli will darken too quickly; if it is too cool, they may absorb too much oil.
Fry in small batches. Adding too many struffoli at once lowers the oil temperature and makes them cook unevenly. Give them enough room to move freely in the oil.
Warm the honey gently. Heat the honey only until it becomes fluid and easy to mix. Avoid boiling it, which can change its flavor and make the coating too thick once it cools.
Shape them while still warm. Once coated with honey, transfer the struffoli to the serving platter without waiting too long. As the honey cools, it begins to set and the struffoli become harder to arrange into a mound or ring.
Storage
Struffoli can be prepared ahead of time, especially if you store them before adding the honey and decorations.
Once fried and completely cooled, keep the plain struffoli in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5–7 days. When ready to serve, warm the honey and coat and decorate them as described in the recipe.
Struffoli that have already been coated with honey and decorated can be kept at room temperature for about 4–5 days, covered with a cake dome or stored in an airtight container.
Keep them in a cool, dry place and avoid refrigerating them, as the cold can affect their texture.
Struffoli Variations
Different Decorations - Rainbow sprinkles and candied fruit are the classic decorations, but you can personalize your struffoli with chopped almonds or walnuts, small pieces of dark chocolate, or nougat. Red and green candied cherries are also a popular choice for a festive Christmas presentation.
Anise Liqueur Substitutes - Anise liqueur gives struffoli their characteristic aroma, but you can replace it with rum, orange liqueur, or Limoncello if you prefer a different flavor.
With or Without Baking Powder - Traditional recipes do not always include baking powder. You can leave it out for a firmer, more classic texture, or add the small amount indicated in the recipe for slightly softer and lighter struffoli.
Butter or Lard - Older Neapolitan recipes often use lard instead of butter, either in the dough or for frying. Today butter is a more common and convenient choice, but lard remains a traditional alternative and gives the dough a slightly different flavor and texture.
Baked Struffoli - Frying gives struffoli their traditional golden exterior and characteristic texture, but you can also bake them for an alternative version. Arrange the small pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at about 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Once baked, coat them with warm honey and decorate them with sprinkles and candied fruit as described in the recipe. Keep in mind that baked struffoli will be slightly drier and less crisp than the traditional fried version.
History and Origins of Struffoli
Struffoli are one of the best-known traditional sweets of Naples, but their exact origins are not completely certain.
One of the most widely accepted theories links them to the ancient Greeks, who settled in the area of Naples centuries before the Roman period. Similar fried sweets coated with honey still exist in Greek cuisine, such as loukoumades, and the name struffoli may derive from the Greek word strongoulos or stroggulos, meaning “rounded.”
The first known written references to a similar preparation date back at least to the late 17th century, when the cook Antonio Latini mentioned “strufoli” or “struffoli alla romana” in his culinary writings.
In Naples, struffoli later became strongly associated with Christmas. According to local tradition, nuns in Neapolitan convents prepared them during the holiday season and offered them as gifts to noble families who had supported charitable works.
Another theory connects struffoli with the Spanish piñonate, a sweet made with fried dough and honey. This may reflect the long period of Spanish influence in Naples, although the exact relationship between the two desserts remains uncertain.
Whatever their earliest origin, struffoli eventually became firmly rooted in Neapolitan Christmas tradition, where they are still prepared with fried dough, honey, colorful sprinkles, and candied fruit.
More Italian Christmas Desserts to Try
If you're planning an Italian Christmas dessert table, here are a few more festive sweets to enjoy during the holiday season:
- Panforte – A traditional Christmas cake from Siena made with nuts, candied fruit, honey, and warm spices.
- Ricciarelli – Soft Tuscan almond cookies with a delicate chewy center and a generous coating of powdered sugar.
- Italian Christmas Cookies – Buttery pasta frolla cookies cut into festive shapes and decorated for the Christmas season.
- Pandoro Tiramisu Cups – An easy Christmas dessert that combines soft Pandoro with coffee and mascarpone cream.
- Sicilian Almond Cookies – Soft almond paste cookies decorated with almonds, pistachios, or candied cherries, perfect for holiday gifting.
- Chocolate Pinecones – Festive no-bake chocolate treats shaped like pinecones for a fun Christmas dessert.
Recipe Card
Struffoli Recipe (Italian Honey Balls)
Ingredients
For Struffoli
- 400 g Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour - 3⅓ cups
- 3 large eggs
- 80 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled - 5½ tablespoons
- 40 g granulated sugar - 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoons anise liqueur, rum, orange liqueur or Limoncello
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon baking powder - optional
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 liter vegetable oil for frying - 1 quart
- 250 g wildflower or acacia honey - ¾ cup
For Decoration
- rainbow nonpareils or sprinkles - as needed
- 50 g mixed candied fruit, such as candied orange peel, citron or cherries - 1.75 oz
Instructions
Make the Struffoli Dough
- Melt the butter in a double boiler or in a small saucepan over very low heat, then let it cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder (if using), and salt.
- Add the sugar, melted butter and anise liqueur to the flour mixture.
- Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Begin mixing the ingredients with a wooden spoon, then add the finely grated orange zest.
- Continue mixing with the spoon until the dough starts to come together. Then knead with your hands until you have a smooth, uniform dough with no dry patches or lumps.
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Shape the Struffoli
- After the resting time, divide the dough into several pieces.Using your palms, roll each piece back and forth on the work surface to form a long rope about 1 cm (⅜ inch) thick.
- Using a small knife, cut each rope into pieces about 1 cm (⅜ inch) long.
- At this point, you can leave the struffoli as small pieces or roll each one gently between the palms of your hands to form tiny balls.Shaping them individually takes a little more time, but it gives the finished struffoli a more even, rounded appearance.Continue until all the dough has been shaped.
How to Fry Struffoli
- Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat it to 170–175°C (340–350°F).
- Fry the struffoli in small batches so the oil temperature remains steady and they cook evenly.Turn them gently while frying. They cook very quickly and are ready when puffed and evenly golden, usually in about 30–60 seconds, depending on their size.
- Remove the fried struffoli with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate or tray lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.Continue frying the remaining struffoli in batches.
Coat and Decorate the Struffoli
- Pour almost all the honey into a large saucepan, big enough to hold all the struffoli and add some of the rainbow sprinkles.Warm over very low heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, just until the honey becomes more fluid and easier to work with. Do not let it boil.
- Turn off the heat and add the fried struffoli to the warm honey.Add another tablespoon of sprinkles and gently mix until all the struffoli are evenly coated with honey.
How to Shape and Decorate the Struffoli
- Transfer the struffoli to a serving platter while they are still warm. As the honey cools, it begins to set, making the struffoli harder to shape.You can arrange them in a simple mound or create the traditional ring shape, similar to a Christmas wreath.
- Place a glass in the center of the serving platter. Using a spoon, arrange the warm struffoli around the glass to form an even ring. Let them cool completely in this shape.
- Decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles and candied fruit. Once the struffoli are completely cool and the honey has set, carefully remove the glass.Your Struffoli Napoletani are now ready to serve. They also make a beautiful homemade Christmas gift when carefully wrapped.
Thomas says
I made these and some other cookies for my wife and I, as well as my son and daughter and son and their significant others, who were here for Christmas dinner. I didn't have orange or citrus peel so I used lemon extract. I can not use alcohol due to healy considerations so I used Chinese Five Spice which has anise and fennel and fried the dough in Vegetable oil. They turned out very good and were eaten up by the end of the evening.
Norina says
Love this recipe. It is work intensive, but it sounds very much with the recipe that I grew up with.
My only reservation is the addition of yeast (my family in Naples used it) however, I do not know how much and does the dough have to rise?
Barbara says
Hi Norina!
Yeast is optional as suggested in the ingredients list. 1/2 teaspoon is enough, just to make the struffoli softer inside. No need to let the dough rise.
Norina Lundy says
grazie tanto ci siamo!