Caragnoli: Italian Honey Cookies

Caragnoli are traditional Italian honey cookies from the Molise region, made with crisp fried dough and finished with warm honey-a Southern Italian Christmas cookie.

During my childhood, caragnoli-traditional Italian honey cookies-were made every Christmas by my paternal grandmother. She shaped the dough into rose-like forms, then drenched them in honey and finished them with a sprinkle of walnuts.

Across many Italian households, especially at Christmastime, variations of fried dough cookies are a familiar sight. Caragnoli fit right into this tradition, sharing similarities with other honey-coated fried dough recipes, such as crostoli or struffoli, which I've shared separately here on the blog.

I had the privilege of revisiting this Christmas Eve tradition from the Molise region of Italy thanks to a very special lady named Maria. In the Recipe Origins section, I share the details of the wonderful morning I spent with her making caragnoli the traditional Molisan way.

In this post, I'll walk you through how Maria forms her dough and share my own experience recreating this family recipe in my kitchen. I hope it inspires you to try these traditional Italian honey cookies in your own home.

Jump to:

• Quick Overview
• Ingredients
• How to Make Caragnoli
• Tips
• FAQ
• More Italian Fried Dough Recipes
• Recipe Origins
• Recipe

Quick Overview

• Prep Time: 45-60 minutes (includes resting the dough)
• Cook Time: 20-30 minutes (frying in batches)
• Total Time: 65-90 minutes
• Yield: About 2 dozen cookies, depending on size
• Serving Suggestions: These crisp, honey-coated Italian cookies are perfect with espresso or a cup of tea. Add them to your holiday platter of Italian Christmas cookies, or gift them to friends and family for a sweet holiday treat.

Ingredients

• Eggs. Extra-large; room temperature is best.
• Sugar. Granulated.
• Oil. A few tablespoons for the dough, a little more to fry with. 
• Flour. All-purpose.
• Baking powder. Just a few pinches!
• Honey. This just makes everything better, doesn’t it?

As for accessories, you will need a stand mixer (or a handheld mixer), a wooden board, a rolling pin, a small grooved board and a wooden rod, a knife, and a fluted pastry wheel.

You will also need a heavy-bottomed pot and a slotted spoon (or a spider), a large tray, and a large bowl.

How to Make Caragnoli

These traditional Italian honey cookies can be made with a stand mixer, a handheld mixer, or the old-fashioned way, by forming a well in the flour and kneading the dough by hand.

The dough itself is simple and relies more on feel and experience than exact measurements.

Since the recipe card includes a video showing the handheld mixer method, I'll outline the stand mixer method here.

Begin by whisking 3 room-temperature eggs for a couple of minutes, until they look light and slightly foamy. Add 3 tablespoons (37 grams) of granulated sugar and continue whisking for a few more minutes, then pour in 3 tablespoons of vegetable or light olive oil and mix until combined.

Switch to the dough hook and begin adding 2 cups (284 grams) of all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder. Maria recommends holding back a couple of tablespoons of flour at first. If the dough still feels sticky, add the remaining flour a little at a time.

"Farina quanto basta," Maria reminded me-use only as much flour as needed. Too much flour, she warned, will make the caragnoli hard.

Those words stayed with me throughout the process. And honestly, they still do. 

Once the dough has been kneaded for about 5 minutes, it should pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes-or, as Maria likes to say, just long enough to enjoy an espresso (or two).

After the coffee break, divide the dough into quarters and keep the unused portions wrapped in plastic to prevent them from drying out.

Roll one portion of dough into a long, thin sheet, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick and 7-8 inches / 180-200 mm long. I used my grandmother's pastry wheel cutter that she brought with her when she immigrated to Canada, but a sharp knife works just as well. Maria uses a knife, and you can see her method in the video included in the recipe card.

Now for the fun part.

Take a strip of dough and shape it into either a rose or the classic elongated form (see the video for details).

Pictured above are the caragnoli I shaped using my gnocchi board and rod. It took a few tries before I could remove the dough from the rod easily while keeping the pattern intact. Once I floured both the board and the rod properly, the dough released without any trouble.

Whichever shape you choose, pinching the dough correctly is essential. For rose shapes, pinch the dough together to reassemble the petals.

For the more intricate pattern, press the dough firmly against the grooved wooden board. If this step is skipped or rushed, the dough may separate as it expands in the hot oil. But don't worry-while they may not look perfect, they will still taste wonderful.

Using a fluted pastry wheel also helps create a pretty edge and adds to the final pattern.

Next, heat the oil (corn, canola, or peanut works well) and fry the caragnoli in batches. With the oil at the proper temperature, frying takes less than 30 seconds per side.

If you don't have a thermometer, you can use my grandmother's method: dip the tip of a wooden spoon into the oil. If bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. For those using a thermometer, aim for about 375°F (190°C).

Remove the caragnoli with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray lined with paper towels. When the oil is hot enough, they won't absorb excess oil and will not feel greasy.

The final step is to gently warm the honey and coat the fritters while they are still warm.

The end result is an authentic, old-world Italian cookie-a crisp, honey-coated fritter that makes a wonderful Christmas treat.

Tips

• Let the dough sit for at least 30 minutes before shaping. As Maria says, it's just enough time for an espresso-or two!
• Dust your rod, board, or pastry wheel to prevent sticking while shaping.
• Whether making roses or elongated patterns, pinching properly helps the cookies hold their shape.
• Properly heated oil prevents greasy cookies. Frying should be quick and light.
• Fry 2-3 Caragnoli at a time, depending on pot size, to ensure even cooking and crisp edges.
• Let the fried Caragnoli cool slightly so the honey sticks without melting off.

FAQ

More Italian Fried Dough Recipes

If you love caragnoli, you'll enjoy these other traditional Italian fried dough cookies. From honey-coated treats to crisp Christmas favorites, each recipe brings a bit of tradition to your holiday table.

Recipe Origins

By now, you may be wondering who Maria is.

Maria is my brother's mother-in-law, and she was born in Montorio nei Frentani, about 20 kilometers from my grandmother's birthplace, Ripabottoni. Both towns are located in the province of Campobasso, in Molise-Italy's youngest region.

After immigrating to Canada, Maria continued the tradition of making these Italian honey cookies every Christmas. She still uses the same tools her grandmother once did: a wooden rod and a comb, known in Italian as a fuso and pettine.

Watching Maria work is a reminder of just how much skill comes from years of practice. She effortlessly twists the dough around the rod, shaping each caragnoli with ease. You can see this process in the video included in the recipe card.

Maria also shared that her grandfather kept a small beehive on their family property. Because of this, honey plays an important role in many traditional Christmas sweets from the region, including caragnoli..

Neighboring villages shaped caragnoli in different ways. In my own family, my paternal grandmother formed them into rose-like shapes, a detail I still associate with Christmas.

Grazie, Maria, for generously sharing your family recipe with us. And on behalf of my dear friend Maria-Buon Natale a tutti.

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★★★★★ If you have made this Italian fried dough with honey recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

 

I originally published this post on December 20, 2018, and republished it on December 19, 2025, with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!