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Susamielli are Neapolitan Christmas cookies built on honey, toasted almonds, and a spice mix called pisto, shaped into curved S forms or loose knots and finished with a thin sugar glaze. No butter goes anywhere near the dough.
What makes them work is the almond-honey ratio. The almonds add body and a little grit, while the honey keeps the crumb dense and slightly chewy rather than crisp like a shortbread.
The dough needs a real chill, not a quick 10-minute rest. Skip it and the ropes flatten in the oven instead of holding their curve, which is the one mistake that ruins the shape.
Baking ammonia gives old-school susamielli their particular lift and a faint sharp smell while warm that bakes off completely. Baking powder and soda work as a substitute if you can’t find it.
These keep for weeks in a tin, which makes them a practical addition to a Christmas cookie plate you build over several days, right alongside a homemade pandoro star loaf.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No butter or eggs needed in the dough itself
- Keeps 2 to 3 weeks, so you can bake ahead of the holidays
- Uses pantry spices you likely already have
- Dough can be shaped into simple curves with no cutter
Ingredient Notes
- Almonds: Toast them whole first for deeper flavor, then chop finely by hand or pulse briefly in a food processor. Pre-ground almond flour works but the cookie loses some texture.
- Honey: Use a mild honey like wildflower or acacia. Chestnut honey works too but adds a bitter edge that some cooks prefer for this cookie.
- Baking ammonia (ammonium bicarbonate): This is the traditional leavener for Neapolitan honey cookies. Substitute 1 tsp baking powder plus 1/2 tsp baking soda if you can’t source it.
- Orange zest: Fresh zest only, not dried. It cuts through the honey and keeps the cookie from tasting flat and one-note sweet.
- Colored sprinkles (diavulilli): Traditional Neapolitan nonpareils in red, green, and white. Any small sugar sprinkle works if you can’t find the Italian version.
Neapolitan Susamielli: Spiced Honey Almond Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Toast the almonds in a dry 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Cool, then chop finely by hand or in short pulses in a food processor.
- Warm the honey and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pourable, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and orange zest.
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Dissolve the baking ammonia in 2 tbsp warm water and add it to the bowl along with the warm honey mixture and chopped almonds.
- Mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand in the bowl for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and holds together when pressed. Wrap in plastic and chill for 60 minutes, until firm enough to shape.
- Heat the oven to 170 C / 338 F and line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan with parchment.
- Pinch off pieces of dough about 20 g each and roll into ropes 10 cm / 4 inches long. Curve each rope into an S shape or a loose knot, then space them 2.5 cm / 1 inch apart on the sheet pan.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are pale golden at the edges and still soft in the center. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add more water a few drops at a time if it's too stiff.
- Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze, letting excess drip back into the bowl, then set them glazed-side up on the rack.
- Scatter colored sprinkles over the wet glaze while it's still tacky. Let the glaze set at room temperature for 30 minutes before storing.
Notes
- Chill the dough fully or the cookies spread flat in the oven
- Toast almonds before chopping for deeper flavor
- Baking ammonia smells sharp while warm; the odor bakes off completely
- Glaze sets faster on fully cooled cookies, not warm ones
Tips for Success
- Chill the dough the full 60 minutes so the ropes hold their curve in the oven.
- Toast the almonds before chopping to pull out more flavor than raw almonds give.
- Dissolve baking ammonia completely in warm water before mixing to avoid bitter pockets.
- Let cookies cool fully before glazing or the icing slides off instead of setting.
- Scatter sprinkles while the glaze is still wet, since dried glaze won’t hold them.
Variations
- Swap half the almonds for toasted hazelnuts for a rounder, less sharp nut flavor.
- Add 1 tbsp anise liqueur to the honey mixture for a licorice note common in some Naples households.
- Dip cookies in melted dark chocolate instead of sugar glaze for a mostaccioli-style finish.
Storage and Reheating
Susamielli keep for 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature, and the texture actually improves after a few days as the honey softens the crumb further.
These cookies don’t need reheating since they’re eaten at room temperature, not warm. Just keep the tin somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sun which can soften the glaze.
If you want to bake ahead, the raw dough freezes well for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before shaping and baking as directed.
Serving Suggestions
Susamielli belong on a Christmas cookie plate alongside other Neapolitan classics like mostaccioli and roccocò, since they share the same spice base but different textures.
A small glass of vin santo or moscato pairs well, the sweet wine matching the honey without fighting the cinnamon and clove. Espresso works too if you want something to cut the sugar glaze.
Pack a few in cellophane bags tied with ribbon for a homemade gift, the same way you’d wrap slices of a no-bake salame di cioccolato. They travel well and don’t need refrigeration.
FAQ
Why are my susamielli spreading too much in the oven?
The dough was likely too warm when shaped. Chilling it the full 60 minutes firms up the honey and almonds so the ropes hold their curve at 170C/338F instead of flattening into puddles. Double-check your honey measurement too, since extra honey loosens the dough enough to cause spreading.
Can I use baking powder instead of ammonium bicarbonate in susamielli?
Yes, substitute 1 tsp baking powder plus 1/2 tsp baking soda for the baking ammonia. The surface will be slightly less crisp since ammonium bicarbonate gives an extra lift, but the cookie still turns out close to the original. It’s what gives old-school susamielli their light, dense crumb.
How far ahead can I make susamielli, and how long do they keep?
Susamielli keep 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature and taste better after a few days as the honey softens the crumb. You can also freeze the unbaked dough for up to 1 month, thawing it overnight in the fridge before shaping and baking.
What’s the best drink to pair with susamielli at Christmas?
A small glass of vin santo or moscato works well since the sweet wine echoes the honey without competing with the cinnamon and clove. Espresso is a good option too if you want bitterness to cut through the sugar glaze. Both are classic Neapolitan Christmas pairings.
Is this susamielli recipe dairy free?
Yes, susamielli are naturally dairy free since the dough relies on honey and almonds instead of butter or milk. The glaze is just powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water, so nothing in the recipe contains dairy unless you swap in a butter-based icing.
What’s the difference between susamielli and mostaccioli?
Susamielli are honey-almond cookies shaped into S curves or knots and finished with a thin sugar glaze, while mostaccioli are diamond-shaped cocoa-spiced cookies coated in dark chocolate. Both come from the same Neapolitan Christmas tradition and share spices like cinnamon and cloves, but mostaccioli lean chocolate rather than almond.