No Bake Hedgehog Cakes

No Bake Hedgehog Cakes are playful chocolate cookie desserts made without an oven and shaped to resemble little hedgehogs. Made with crushed cookies, cocoa, butter, and condensed milk, they’re rich, nostalgic, and as fun to decorate as they are to eat.

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This is one of those recipes where the method couldn’t be simpler, but the final result feels charming and special. It’s a hands-on dessert, perfect for slowing down a little and enjoying the decorating process. So, let’s dive into these No Bake Hedgehog Cakes.

What Are Hedgehog Cakes?

Hedgehog cakes are no-bake chocolate cookie desserts shaped to resemble small hedgehogs, with seeds or nuts used to create the spiky texture. They’re popular across several Eastern European kitchens and are especially loved for their whimsical appearance and simple preparation. While the base mixture is quick to make, the charm of these cakes lies in shaping and decorating them by hand.

Why You’ll Love These No Bake Hedgehog Cakes

• No oven required: Perfect for warm days or quick dessert prep.
• Simple ingredients: Everything comes together with pantry staples.
• Playful and visual: Shaped like hedgehogs, they’re always a conversation starter.
• Flexible sizing: Make individual cakes or one large showstopper.
• Great for decorating: Ideal for getting creative with textures and details.

Flavour and Texture Profile

These No Bake Hedgehog Cakes are rich, chocolatey, and softly fudgy. The cookie crumbs provide structure without dryness, while condensed milk and butter create a smooth, cohesive dough. Cocoa adds depth and slight bitterness, balanced by gentle sweetness. Once chilled, the cakes hold their shape beautifully while remaining tender inside.

Ingredients You’ll Need for No Bake Hedgehog Cakes

To make these No Bake Hedgehog Cakes, you’ll need cookies with the right texture and a few simple additions.

• Cookies or biscuits: Choose varieties with low moisture content and mild sweetness, such as digestive biscuits, Marie biscuits, tea biscuits, or Speculaas.
• Butter: Softened, to bind the mixture smoothly.
• Sweetened condensed milk: Adds sweetness and helps create a pliable dough.
• Dark cocoa powder: Provides chocolate flavour and colour.
• Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
• Vanilla extract: Optional, but adds warmth and aroma.
• Sunflower seeds: Toasted, for decorating and creating the hedgehog “spikes.”

Notes on Cookies and Texture

For best results, use cookies with low moisture content and a neutral flavour. Cookies with fillings, such as Oreos, can work, but they require significant adjustments, including reducing the wet ingredients. As an alternative, homemade shortbread-style cookies with reduced sugar work exceptionally well.

Depending on size, this recipe yields about 12 to 16 individual hedgehog cakes, though you can also shape the mixture into one large cake if you prefer.

Decorating Tips

While the base mixture is very easy to prepare, decorating the cakes does require a bit of patience. Sunflower seeds work especially well for creating the hedgehog look and are easy to insert into the dough. The more time you spend shaping and decorating, the neater and more realistic the hedgehogs will look. You can also use a firm frosting and a pastry bag for finer decorative details if desired.

More Delicious No-Bake Desserts

Are you looking for more fun desserts, like these No Bake Hedgehog Cakes? Be sure to check more recipes below:

• Mini “Potatoes” Cakes – No-Bake Chocolate Cookie Dessert
• Coconut Cashew Rum Cookie Truffles
• Cream Liqueur Cookie Nut Truffles
• Rum and Raisin Biscoff Truffles

I’d love for you to try these No Bake Hedgehog Cakes. If you give the recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

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No Bake Hedgehog Cakes

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Chilled and No-Bake DessertsCuisine: Eastern-EuropeanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12-18

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Decorating Time

30-45

minutes

No Bake Hedgehog Cakes made with cookies and cocoa, shaped like little hedgehogs and decorated with seeds. A fun, easy chocolate dessert.

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Ingredients

• about 400 gr. cookies with a low moisture content and not overly sweet (Such as digestive biscuits, Marie biscuits, tea biscuits, Speculaas, etc.) – see notes

• 100 gr. butter, softened

• 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sweetened condensed milk

• 1/3 cup dark cacao powder

• a pinch of salt

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

• about 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds (for decorating) – see notes

Directions

• Place the cookies or biscuits in a blender or food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Alternatively, crush them using a rolling pin and a plastic bag. You should end up with about 2⅔ to 3 cups of packed crumbs.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, softened butter, and vanilla extract, if using, until smooth and well combined. To soften butter quickly, you can microwave cubed butter for about 10 seconds.
• Stir in the cocoa powder, salt, and about 2½ cups of the cookie crumbs. Mix well using a wooden spoon or spatula, then gradually add more crumbs as needed until the mixture comes together into a soft, slightly sticky but pliable dough. Avoid adding too many dry crumbs, as this can make shaping and decorating more difficult.
• Scoop small portions of dough, about 3 tablespoons each or adjusted to your preferred size, and roll them into ovals. Gently shape each one to resemble a hedgehog.
• Press sunflower seeds into the surface to create the hedgehog “spikes.” Decorate 2–3 cakes at a time, as the dough firms up while resting and becomes harder to work with.
  
• Arrange the finished cakes on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes until set. They can be enjoyed right away, but the flavour and texture improve once chilled.

Notes

• It’s a good idea to have a small amount of extra ingredients on hand, both dry and wet. The moisture content of cookies and other ingredients can vary, so the dough may occasionally feel slightly too soft or too dry. If needed, crumble in 1–2 extra cookies or add a spoonful of cocoa to firm it up, or stir in 1–2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to loosen the mixture.
• For decorating, sunflower seeds work especially well, but you can also use pine nuts, almond slivers, or similar toppings for variety.