Homemade Struffoli Recipe with Honey and Pecans

Bring out the Italian in you with this super tasty Homemade Struffoli Recipe with Honey and Pecans that is perfect for the holidays!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings

Calories 176kcal

Dough: add the eggs, butter, sugar, and salt to a standing mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
Next, switch to the hook attachment and add in the flour and mix on medium speed until combined and then mix for 3 to 4 minutes to knead.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces and then roll out each one like a long rope about a ½” thick. Then, cut the rope again into ½” pieces and roll them in your hands to form them to a ball.
Place them on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and sprinkle on a little flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
Next heat the oil in a pot or fryer to 350°. Cook the struffoli balls a little a time for a few minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle. Set aside on a paper towel to dry.
Sauce: add the sugar and water to a small pot and bring to a boil and then cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, which takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the honey.
Next, add the struffoli to a large bowl along with the simple syrup honey and pecans, and mix until combined.
Form the struffoli into a wreath shape on a plate and garnish with optional garnishes.
Serve!

Chef Notes:

Kneading the dough is a crucial step to incorporating the ingredients and making sure you form strong gluten from the flour, so do it for at least 5 minutes.

It's important to make sure you let the dough rest for the full 30 minutes so that it is not over worked resulting in tough dough.

Fry the dough in batches so that they do not stick together and form big clumps of dough balls

To enhance the flavor further you can also whisk in some orange or lemon zest into the simple syrup and honey mixture for a tasty citrus flavor.

As the struffoli topping cools down, the dough balls will become very sticky which is perfect when forming your desired shape, a ring or a mound.

Remember to cover it when storing it at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When re-serving it, slightly reheat it in the microwave or in the oven covered in foil for a few minutes at 350° to soften up the dough and loosen up the simple syrup honey topping.