Neapolitan Christmas sweets: struffoli, roccocò, mostaccioli and more
In Naples you can tell it's Christmas by the tray: struffoli coated in honey, roccocò as hard as stones, chocolate-covered mostaccioli. Most of these sweets were born in convents, and every family makes or buys them from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December) onwards. Here is how to recognise them and what to take home.
At a glance
- When
- In pastry shops from late November; by tradition people start making them on 8 December
- The most famous
- Struffoli: little balls of fried dough in honey, with candied peel and coloured sprinkles
- The dry sweets
- Roccocò, mostaccioli, susamielli: they keep for a long time and travel well in a suitcase
- The spices
- Many are made with pisto, the Neapolitan spice mix with cinnamon and cloves
The sweets on the Christmas tray
Struffoli
Small balls of fried dough, piled into a dome or a ring and coated in honey, with candied orange peel, citron and diavulilli, the little coloured sprinkles. Every family has its own recipe. They are made a few days before Christmas and eaten until Epiphany.
Roccocò
Hard rings made of almonds, flour, sugar and pisto. The name comes from the French rocaille, after their rounded, shell-like shape. By tradition they are made from 8 December. The classic version is rock hard: you dunk them in sweet wine or vermouth. Today you can also find a soft version.
Mostaccioli
Diamond-shaped sweets covered in chocolate, soft inside and fragrant with spices. The name recalls the grape must (mosto) that was once one of the ingredients: similar biscuits already existed in Roman times.
Susamielli
S-shaped biscuits made with honey, almonds and pisto. The name is said to come from the sesame that once covered them.
Raffiuoli
Ovals of sponge cake filled with jam and covered in white icing. They are the softest on the tray.
Divino amore and pasta reale
Divino amore is a small almond-paste sweet with candied fruit and pink icing. Pasta reale is marzipan shaped and coloured to look like fruit.
Where they come from
Many of these sweets were born in Naples' enclosed convents: the nuns made them for the holidays and gave them to benefactors and noble families. That is why they are also called dolci conventuali (convent sweets). The recipes then passed to pastry shops and to people's homes.
Where to buy them
From late November you will find them in every pastry shop and in many bakeries around the city. In the historic centre, between Via dei Tribunali and Spaccanapoli, and near the Central Station there are some of the best-known historic pastry shops.
Tip: if you want to take them home, choose the dry sweets, that is roccocò, mostaccioli and susamielli: they keep for weeks and won't break in your suitcase. Struffoli in honey are more delicate: buy them in a sealed tray.
The other flavours of the holidays
Christmas in Naples is not only about sweets: Christmas Eve dinner is all fish, with spaghetti with clams, fried salt cod and insalata di rinforzo, a salad of cauliflower, olives and papaccelle (pickled peppers). Read also our guide to typical Neapolitan dishes.
More flavours of Naples
- Neapolitan pastriessfogliatella, babà, pastiera
- Typical Neapolitan disheshome cooking
- Coffee in Napleshow to order
- Christmas in Naplesnativity scenes and traditions
Frequently asked questions
What are the traditional Neapolitan Christmas sweets?
Struffoli, roccocò, mostaccioli, susamielli, raffiuoli, divino amore and pasta reale. You can find them in pastry shops from late November.
What are roccocò?
Hard rings made of almonds, flour, sugar and spices (pisto). By tradition they are made from 8 December and dunked in sweet wine.
Which Neapolitan sweets can you take home?
The dry sweets, that is roccocò, mostaccioli and susamielli: they keep for a long time and travel well in a suitcase.
Where to stay for Christmas in Naples
202 places to stay in the Historic Centre on Napolibnb.it, the Naples holiday-rental portal: you contact the host directly, with no booking fees. Every listing shows its official CIN code.
