Struffoli

5 from 3 votes

Our struffoli features golden-fried honey-kissed dough balls adorned with a festive medley of nuts, sprinkles, cinnamon, and citrus zest! Makes one dinner-plate sized mound or wreath. Recipe can be doubled, or tripled.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1

To make glaze and coat the struffoli10

Total Time56

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 458kcal

Author: Marie

Ingredients

For the dough

3 medium eggs
1 tbsp oil vegetable or canola work best
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour* Up to 4 cups or enough flour to make a soft dough (start with lesser flour and add as needed)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

For the honey topping

1 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 medium orange grated (zest only) (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon optional

For frying and decorating

canola oil enough to fill a frying pan with 1/2 to 1 inch of oil or use deep fryer
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp non pareils plus more for topping
maraschino cherries cut in half and dried off

Instructions

To Make Dough and Cut

To the bowl of a standing mixer, add eggs, oil, and powdered sugar and beat with the wire whisk attachment until frothy (about 1 or 2 minutes)
Add vanilla and mix until combined.
Combine baking soda, flour, and salt in a small bowl, and then add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and knead in the mixer (add flour in increments to avoid flour spillover or creating a "flour cloud").
Add more flour if needed to produce a soft dough that is not sticky.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap or a plastic container that is airproof and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes or so or up to a few hours in the refrigerator.
When ready to begin rolling and cutting the dough, unwrap dough and form into a square; then cut the square into 4 or 5 strips.
Roll each strip into long ropes about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter.
Cut the ropes into small nuggets about 1/4 inch in size. it is not necessary to roll each piece into a ball - they will puff up into a round shape when cooked.
Use flour sparingly when needed to prevent sticking.

To Fry

Set a large pan with enough canola oil to fry (about 1/2 to 1 inch of oil) over medium high heat and heat for a few minutes (you'll know it's ready by dropping one piece of struffoli in it and seeing it bubble).
You may also use a deep fryer set to 350 or 375 F.
Fry the dough balls in small batches; don't crowd the pan or the oil temperature will drop too much.
The dough balls should be ready in one to two minutes - as soon as they begin turning golden brown.
Remove dough balls from oil with slotted spoon and place on dish lined with paper towels.
If you are not making the honey syrup right away, store the dough balls in a covered container overnight, or you may also freeze for up to one month. I feel like it's best to coat them right away but many people do this at a later time.

To Make the Coating

Using a medium to large deep pan, add honey, and sugar (and orange and cinnamon if using) to the pan and then cook gently over medium heat until the sugar melts.
Add the struffoli and gently toss in the syrup to coat well. Cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. If you have a digital thermometer, they are done when the syrup reaches 235 or 240 degrees.
Remove pan from heat. Let cool very slightly and toss in the nonpareils. If you add them too soon, they will bleed, and too late, they will not stick.

To Shape

To shape the wreath, place a small glass in the center of a dinner plate and arrange struffoli all around. Top with additional sprinkles if desired while the honey balls are still warm (otherwise they won't stick).
To portion into cups, use cupcake liners staged in a cupcake pan and spray the liners well with cooking spray. Add the struffoli while they are still warm - work quickly before they set.

To Serve

Stuffoli are best served within a day or two of making, but some people keep them for a while - the struffoli get harder as the days go on.

Notes

There is no need to roll each dough ball individually. They puff up and appear roundish.
Shake off extra flour before frying by staging the unfried balls in a mesh collander and shake over the sink. Too much flour in the oil will cause excessive bubbling.
The longer the dough balls are fried, the harder they get. Fry until slightly golden and then remove from oil with a slotted spoon. This is a personal preference; these can be thought of as dough "nuts" when fried longer.
Use a dish lined with a paper towel to drain the dough balls after frying
Feel free to substitute other sliced nuts for sliced almonds
May also decorate with candied/maraschino cherries
To add sprinkles or nuts, do so while the honey is still warmish, or they will not stick.

Updated 12/25/2023 with my mom's recipe, which is my favorite!

Nutrition