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Nonna's Italian struffoli balls on a white platter sprinkled with sprinkles and maraschino cherries
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4.60 from 5 votes

Nonna's Struffoli Recipe

Italian struffoli are small fried dough balls covered in a sweet, sticky honey mixture. Learn how to make this decadent dessert just the way my Nonna did and impress everyone you serve it to!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Chill Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 48 balls
Calories: 155kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Zest of one orange optional
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice optional
  • canola oil for frying
  • Maraschino cherries and sprinkles for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt; set aside
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla and orange zest until smooth
  • Add flour in and mix until fully incorporated, dough should be thick
  • Divide dough into 4 equal portions; chill for at least 30 minutes
  • Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan until 375 F
  • Roll dough into 1 inch diameter tubes, then slice every ½ inch along, roll into balls and place into large bowl (you can lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking)
  • Drop the dough balls into hot oil one at a time in batches of 10 and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked balls and place on a paper towel lined dish; repeat until all dough has been used
  • Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the honey, sugar and orange juice until just starting to bubble, remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes
  • add the dough balls in batches to the saucepan and stir around until fully coated with the honey syrup, then transfer to a serving platter
  • Add sprinkles and cherries

Notes

  • Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the oil is at the right temperature. The oil should be at 375 to get the perfectly crisp exterior and soft fluffy interior.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when you are frying them..
  • Make sure you warm the honey mixture. It makes it easier to get an even coating.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg