• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Contemplating Sweets

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Popular Posts
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • My Videos
  • Video Production Services

December 11, 2017

Hedgehog Cookies

These adorable hedgehog cookies are topped with chocolate coconut spines, and will be sure to delight kids and adults alike. 

Jump to Recipe

These adorable hedgehog cookies are topped with chocolate coconut spines, and will be sure to delight kids and adults alike. 

These adorable hedgehog cookies are topped with chocolate coconut spines, and will be sure to delight kids and adults alike. 

Christmas is coming up, and I wanted to share a cookie recipe… because is it really Christmas without cookies? (Last year I made Swedish pearl snowball cookies and milk chocolate lacey cookies!)

This hedgehog cookie, as you can see, is totally adorable. I mean, look at this little guy, SO CUTE! Hedgehogs are already a super cute animal, so of course it would make a cute cookie!

Collage of steps in making cookies. Shape cookie dough, cover with coconut mixture, and shape around it.

Most hedgehog cookies I’ve seen online involve shaping the cookie, baking it, dipping it in chocolate and then dipping it in nuts or sprinkles. Those are cute too, don’t get me wrong, but I think the coconut really makes the difference here. It’s just so… quilly.

Actually, as I was writing the description for this cookie, I learned that hedgehogs do not have quills. That is for porcupines only, apparently. Hedgehogs have spines. Which sounds silly because who doesn’t have a spine? But they are called spines, so what can you do.

These adorable hedgehog cookies are topped with chocolate coconut spines, and will be sure to delight kids and adults alike. 

The key to an ultra-cute hedgehog is good shaping and good sesame seed placement. As you can see in the photo above, you shape it into a teardrop-like shape, then you slightly flatten the bottom, and I like to turn the nose up a little bit. My husband is the one shaping it in the top picture, and he is better at it than me! He’s a designer, so he’s got an eye for this sort of thing. What a great skill to have, amiright?

As a warning, the dough for this cookie is really quite crumbly and not the easiest to work with. But we need a dough that hardly expands when baking, so you’ll just have to work with it. Sorry! I find that it helps to take each piece and squeeze it a few times to warm it up before shaping. Also, we’re mostly just concerned with the nose. If the back of the cookie has a small crack or isn’t shaped the best, well, it will be covered up with coconut so who cares?

Two hedgehog cookies eating star sprinkles.

Seriously though, look, they are eating little candy stars! GAH! So cute!

A couple more points. I like to take the coconut mixture and flatten it out like a little blanket (see picture above), drape it right over the back 2/3 or so of the cookie, and then use my fingertips to form it nicely around the cookie. Make sure not to start the coconut too far back, or else the head will look too big and the proportions won’t be right.

I also find that the placement of the sesame seeds is pretty critical in the cuteness factor of these little guys, so play around with it until you find the perfect placement! You can also use melted chocolate and pipe the eyes and nose, but I like the simplicity and sharpness of the seeds. Up to you!

Yes, these hedgehog cookies take a little effort, but you can be sure that it will be met with squeals of excitement and “OH MY GOSH SO CUTE!”s, so it’s totally worth it.

The specialty ingredients here are almond flour and black sesame seeds which you can either get online, or at most grocery stores.

Since it’s Christmas, I got together with some bloggers to do a #VirtualCookieExchange ! Check out their creations below!

What Should I Make For · Ugly Sweater Gingerbread Cookies

The Sweet Nerd · Gingerbread Cookies – All Spruced Up

Girl Heart Food · Orange Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies

The Beach House Kitchen · Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Beyond Mere Sustenance · Brandy-Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate

Seasons & Suppers · Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Ciao Chow Bambina · Lemon Drop Italian Cookies

The Busy Spatula · S’mores Cookies

Salt & Lavender · Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Meg is Well · Bradshaw Cookies: A Sour Cream Cookie with Cream Cheese Frosting

These adorable hedgehog cookies are topped with chocolate coconut spines, and will be sure to delight kids and adults alike. 
5 from 9 votes
Print

Hedgehog Cookies

These adorable hedgehog cookies are topped with chocolate coconut spines, and will be sure to delight kids and adults alike. 

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 75 kcal

Ingredients

Cookie

  • 150 g all purpose flour
  • 40 g granulated sugar
  • 30 g almond meal/flour
  • 60 g unsalted butter melted
  • 2 Tbsp milk

Coconut coating

  • 80 g unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 large egg white
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder

Face decoration

  • black sesame seeds
  • sugar water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 265 degrees F.

    In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and almond flour. Add the melted butter and the milk, and stir with a spatula to combine. Use your hands to fully combine, and then squeeze it together into one solid ball. Place the ball on a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, and shape into a log. Squeeze it tight while you shape it, so the dough sticks together and doesn't crumble.

  2. Cut the log in half (2 pieces), cut the two pieces in half again, and then cut the pieces in half again. You should now have 8 pieces. Now take each piece and cut it into thirds, to get 24 pieces. Ready a cookie sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone mat. 

  3. Take each piece, and using your palm and fingertips, shape into a teardrop shape (see pictures above), with a point that will be the hedgehog's nose. Don't worry too much about how pretty the back looks, as it will be covered with coconut. Shape the nose to point up a little bit, for a cuter face. Flatten the bottom just a little, so it won't roll on the cooking sheet. Place on the cookie sheet and start the coconut mixture.

  4. In a small saucepan, add an inch of water and bring to a simmer.

    In a glass, heat safe bowl, combine the egg white, sugar, and cocoa powder with a whisk. Place the bowl over the small saucepan (the bowl needs to be bigger than the saucepan so it won't fall in), and whisk continuously until the mixture is no longer gritty and the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and add the unsweetened shredded coconut and mix to fully combine.

  5. Take about 1.5-2t of the coconut mixture and place on the palm of your hand, or your fingers (see pictures above), and gently press until you form a little coconut "blanket". Drape the blanket over the hedgehog body, and using your fingertips to pack and form the coconut around the body, leaving the face and nose uncovered. Note: don't leave too much of it uncovered, or else the proportions will not look right. See photos above to get an idea of how much should be covered.

  6. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely before touching them. The coconut can be quite soft until it fully cools. 

  7. When the cookie cools, mix a pinch of sugar with an equal amount of water in a very small dish, and stir until combined. Place some black sesame seeds in the sugar water (this is to help it stick to the cookie). Using your fingertip, take a sesame seed and place it on the face portion of the cookie. I used a toothpick to help get it off of my fingertip, and to push the seed into the correct place. Place two sesame seeds for eyes, and one for the nose.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Cookpad (Japanese). 

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Yummly
Yummly

Filed Under: Dessert, Popular Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. annie@ciaochowbambina says

    December 11, 2017 at 5:58 am

    5 stars
    These are adorable! My nieces and nephews will love them! Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 8:15 am

      Thank you! Happy holidays to you too 😀

      Reply
  2. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    December 11, 2017 at 6:48 am

    Oh my goodness – how cute are these?? I almost, just almost, don’t want to eat them 😉 My niece and nephew would love these too!

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 8:14 am

      Yes! I always eat the least cute ones first haha!

      Reply
  3. cathy | whatshouldimakefor.com says

    December 11, 2017 at 8:21 am

    5 stars
    stop it! i mean how freaking adorable are these!? my kids will go crazy for them and can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 11:27 am

      Yes! Kids love these!

      Reply
  4. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says

    December 11, 2017 at 8:39 am

    5 stars
    These are just the cutest little cookies ever! And delicious, too. Win. Win 🙂

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 11:26 am

      Thanks Jennifer!

      Reply
  5. Cindy says

    December 11, 2017 at 8:56 am

    5 stars
    These are so fun and absolutely adorable. My kids would eat these up in a snap. Coconut coating? YUMMY. I am in and will be sharing this amazing recipe this year.

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 11:26 am

      Thanks Cindy! The coconut gives it the perfect look doesn’t it?

      Reply
  6. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    December 11, 2017 at 10:10 am

    Absolutely adorable Alisa! I’m sure these are a total hit with all the kids! What a creative recipe!

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 11:25 am

      Thank you Mary Ann!

      Reply
  7. Meg | Meg is Well says

    December 11, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    5 stars
    These are so cute! I agree with you about the slightly upturned nose and the sesame seeds, they really make the hedgehogs look adorable.

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 12:18 pm

      Thanks Meg! It’s all in the details XD

      Reply
  8. Kendall says

    December 11, 2017 at 3:11 pm

    5 stars
    Any ideas on how to make this vegan? I genuinely think this is the cutest cookie I’ve seen this year. What a great idea.

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 11, 2017 at 3:31 pm

      Thanks Kendall! I don’t have a lot of experience with vegan baking, but if you can find a snowball type cookie that is vegan, one that doesn’t expand too much or change shape while baking, you may be able to sub it. As for the egg white in the coconut mixture, I suppose you could try finding another binder and replacing it? I can’t make any guarantees though, sorry. Let me know if you find something that works, I’d love to hear!

      Reply
  9. Giselle @ The Busy Spatula says

    December 11, 2017 at 5:05 pm

    5 stars
    Can’t get over their coconut spines! Such a creative way to add texture and flavor to the cookie. I also like the sesame seeds. Easier cleanup and crisp lines!

    Reply
  10. Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says

    December 12, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    5 stars
    Awww these are just too cute!! Love them!

    Reply
  11. Cassie says

    December 14, 2017 at 9:56 am

    These are absolutely adorable! What a clever idea!

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 16, 2017 at 5:36 pm

      Thanks Cassie!

      Reply
  12. Shannon @loveatfirstbento says

    December 18, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    These are insane out of this world cute Alisa!!! I also shrieked in glee at the picture of them eating the little star sprinkles, SO CUTE! Love how you used coconut for their “spines”, I am such a huge coconut lover. My sister loves hedgehogs, so I think I’ll have to save this recipe to try and make for her birthday (she will definitely flip). I totally get you when you say the placement of the sesame seed eyes is everything – it seriously makes such a huge difference! Such a good tip to point out.

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      December 18, 2017 at 12:51 pm

      Thanks Shannon! Let me know if you make it! I would love to see it. Hedgehogs are seriously the cutest!

      Reply
  13. Rachel says

    May 5, 2018 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    I love these so much! I was so scared to make them at first, but they turned out pretty great anyway!
    I really enjoy the taste too. Perfect combination of macaroon and Almond Joy.

    Reply
    • Alisa says

      May 5, 2018 at 11:46 pm

      Rachellll! I’m so glad you tried it! And even more glad that they turned out cute! 😀

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Never miss a recipe!

Hey there!

Welcome to Contemplating Sweets, where you'll find traditional Japanese, Japanese inspired fusion, and dessert recipes. Take a look around!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

Contemplating Sweets is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Privacy Policy

Copyright© 2021 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks