Hedgehog Cookies with Chocolate and Coconut

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

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. 

25 thoughts on “Hedgehog Cookies with Chocolate and Coconut”

  1. 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
  2. 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
    • 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
  3. 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

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