Struffoli Italian Honey Balls are very small crunchy dough balls mixed with honey and decorated. So delicious, the perfect Christmas or Easter Holiday dessert.
Struffoli
StruffoliStruffoli Italian Honey Balls are the holiday addition in our house, crunchy and so tasty.
The first time I tried Struffoli was actually quite recently, when my daughter brought home a homemade one from her visit to her Neapolitan friend.
The small balls which are actually a little bit smaller than a marble (before being deep fried) are crunchy and a little soft on the inside, then coated in warm melted honey and sprinkled with sprinkles (fun fette) and I like to add some sliced almonds.
To give it more of a Christmas feel I added some red maraschino cherries.
Struffoli is a Christmas Dessert from Naples but there are also a similar ones, one from Sicily called Pignolata and another one from the North in Abruzzo called Cicerchiata.
Struffoli Italian Honey Balls
Struffoli are made with a very simple and easy dough. I added a little Grand Marnier but you could always add Rum or even orange juice if you wanted.
The only thing to remember is to make your honey balls small, a little smaller than a marble is the perfect size. Because when they are deep fried they will swell up a bit.
Be sure to drain them on a couple of paper towels before tossing them with warm honey.
A great idea is to use half an orange to help shape your struffoli, that way you don’t get your hands all sticky. Just guide the orange cut side against the honey balls to help firm it into place.
I did the traditional Italian way by adding some coloured sprinkles and sliced almonds and a few maraschino cherries once it was formed.
More Italian Desserts for Christmas.
Panettone Italian Christmas Sweet Bread
Easy Panettone French Toast Casserole
How to Store the Struffoli
Keep the it well covered and it will keep for up to three days. You can keep also keep the fried and unglazed honey balls in an airtight container for about five days.
Or they can be frozen also. If you prefer you can make the dough with a maximum of 3 hours in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator.
Struffoli Italian Honey Balls can be formed as a simple Pyramid, or as I did a donut shape, place a glass in the middle of a plate and place the honey balls around it.
Once the honey has solidified remove the glass and serve. Enjoy!
And just to share a little bit of exciting news, in the Fall 2018 I will have my first Cookbook published, Authentic Italian Desserts, because there are so many sweets to share! 🙂
Struffoli Italian Honey Balls
Ingredients
STRUFFOLI DOUGH
- 2 2/3 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 5 3/4 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1 zest orange
- 2 3/4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Orange Juice
- 3 eggs
TOPPINGS
- 10 1/2 ounces honey
- sprinkles
- slivered almonds
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, the baking powder and the salt, then add the butter, orange zest, sugar and Grand Marnier (or orange juice), start to combine with a fork until crumbly.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix to combine, when almost combined move the mix to a lightly floured flat surface add an extra 1 - 1/2 tablespoons flour and knead together to form a soft dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rest 30 minutes.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into thin ropes 1/4 inch in diameter. Cut to make small cubes and roll each cube into a ball slightly smaller than a marble. Try to make them all the same size.
- In a medium pot add 2-3 inches of oil and heat to 350°F add the struffoli (in batches) turning a couple of times and when golden drain on a paper towel lined plate and let cool.
- While struffoli are cooling in a large pan on low / medium heat, heat the honey until warm and slightly watery. Add the cooled struffoli and mix to coat, then sprinkle with sprinkles and slivered almonds.
- Then form the honey balls into desired shape, dome, donut (see video)** pyramid. It is best to oil the glass before placing it in the middle of the plate. Let the finished Struffoli sit until the honey solidifies (approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours) and then serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Cecilia says
Can the dough be made a day or two earlier & refrigerated?
Rosemary says
Hi Cecilia yes the dough can be made in advance, wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate, it should last 1-2 days in the fridge. Let me know how it goes.
Diane says
I will be making these and freezing the balls before frying. When I am ready to prepare, shall I bring the dough to room temperature?
Thank you.
Rosemary says
Hi Diane, yes I would bring the dough to room temperature, probably an hour or so would be enough time.
Nic Natarella says
Hoping in vain? Every recipe I fine results in a struffoli that is on the hard side. However, I remember my mother’s were more donut-y in texture. Is there any minor modification you might suggest to your recipe that would result in a softer ball? Thank you for your consideration. – Nic
Rosemary says
Hi Nic, I don’t think mine are too crunchy, although maybe if you made them a little bigger they should come out softer. Let me know how it goes.
Janelle says
How far in advance can you make these cookies and if you have any storage suggestions?
I have been looking all over for a recipe for these cookies. They were a staple for Christmas growing up. Great memories, thank you.
Rosemary says
Hi Janelle there are a couple of things you can do, you can make the dough three hours in advance and refrigerate it or you can make the fried honey balls without glazing it and keep them in an airtight container for up to five days or you could freeze them. Hope that helps.
Janelle says
Yes and my apologies I reread your recipe and it clearly states this. Thank you so much for your reply. Making them today and will freeze them for Christmas. Wish me luck.
Rosemary says
Hi Janelle, thats ok, no problem, let me know how it goes.
Mary Stooksbury says
Love my Italian recipes!!!!!!!
Mil says
Hi Rosemary I made these for Christmas as they reminded me of my mother in laws of which I lost her recipe so when I found your site I surprised my husband and children because it was a Christmas tradition that my mother in law brought this dish as a dessert so now it will belong to me to carry on.
Since Christmas I have made them more times than I can count as the whole family can’t get enough. I also passed on your recipe to guests over Christmas.
I switched it up a bit and made a batch with icing sugar. I put them all in a big bowl and dropped the icing sugar all over them and then spread them on a large tray to dry.
They were also a big hit.
Thanks for sharing.
Mil
Rosemary says
Hi Mil, these are so popular, my kids love them too. And great idea with the icing sugar. Have a great weekend.
Jo says
I plan to make this recipe for my Christmas dinner dessert this year. I don’t renember that this recipe is so easy. Thank you.
Rosemary says
Hi Jo, I know it looks so complicated but it isn’t :), I hope you enjoy it. Have a great week.
joeph says
italians make the best food in the world
Rosemary says
Hi Joeph, I agree! 🙂
The Napoli Alert says
I’ve also written up a version of this. Where my parents come from in the South they call it “pignolata”, but in Sicily “pignolata” is something quite different. I adore this dessert, though we do not use the glace cherries – a very pretty touch for Christmas.
Rosemary says
Thanks so much, my family loves this dessert too!
Eleanor M says
How lucky living in Italy
My dream, but came to late
Great grandparents, grandparents all Ben in Italy, even my husband’s family ( Sicily) my family Naples
Rosemary says
Hi Eleanor, thanks but as they say “nice place to visit but … ” 🙂
Angie says
I’ve tried to make struffoli like moms … my problem is after putting in honey and then cooling they get hard as a rock! I know it’s supposed to stick but rock hard is not good. Any suggestions … Buon Natale!
Rosemary says
Hi Angie, sorry to hear that, do you heat the honey so it is very runny? Heat it to a temperature of 255F (127C). Also I have heard to wait a day or two and they soften up. Hope this helps let me know. 🙂
maria says
This was one of my mom’s specialty and it would not be Christmas without these honey fritters. Interesting that you use butter in the dough Rosemary, my mom would always use vegetable oil. I guess that is the beauty of regional Italian cooking. Great post! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi Maria, that is absolutely true about every region being different, my mother-in-law always used butter. And thanks so much, have a great weekend.