This easy chocolate hedgehog slice recipe with crushed biscuits in a chocolate fudgy base topped with melted chocolate takes just 10 minutes to prepare, and no oven is required! It’s rich, full of chocolate, and always a favourite at bake sales and coffee mornings!
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What is hedgehog slice?
Hedgehog slice is a classic Australian favourite, with a slightly chewy chocolate fudgy base studded with chunks of plain sweet biscuits, topped with a layer of melted chocolate. It is similar to chocolate tiffin, but slightly softer texture due to the addition of sweetened condensed milk. It tastes like a chewy fudgey no bake brownie, with chunks of crunchy biscuit throughout to break up all the gooey chocolate.
Slices, for my non-Aussie friends, are similar to cookie bars, in that they are baked in a rectangle tin and then cut into rectangle or square slices. They can be savoury or sweet, and come in all different flavours, from hedgehog slice, or chocolate fudge slice, to lemon slice or zucchini slice.
Why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy – it takes just 10 minutes to prepare this chocolate biscuit slice.
- This chocolate hedgehog recipe is no bake. Heating condensed milk and chocolate in a saucepan, and melting chocolate is the only heat required, then the hedgehog slice is placed in the fridge to set.
- A great recipe for bake sales and coffee mornings, the recipe is simple to scale up.
- It’s freezer friendly – make a batch (or double batch!) and keep in the freezer for a sweet treat when you’re too busy to bake.
- Nut free – making it suitable for school lunchboxes.
- Perfect for chocolate cravings – there is definitely no shortage of chocolate in this no bake treat!
- Kid friendly recipe – it’s a fun treat kids love to make.
Ingredients Notes
- Biscuits – Arnott’s Marie biscuits are a popular Australian choice, and I often use them or Digestive biscuits, but you can use any other plain biscuits/cookies such as Graham Crackers in the US, or if you are in the UK, Malted milk or Rich Tea are good options.
- Desiccated Coconut – finely shredded unsweetened coconut. Don’t use sweetened coconut as this slice is already very sweet!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – use full fat condensed milk for this recipe. You want a thick, sweet chocolate fudge base to this slice.
- Chocolate – Dark chocolate, cooking chocolate or milk chocolate. I like to use dark chocolate in the base and a mixture of milk chocolate and dark chocolate for the top. You can use all milk chocolate but be aware this is a very sweet slice!
- Cocoa Powder – I use Cadburys cocoa powder, or Nestle Plaistowe Dutch cocoa powder.
- Butter – both unsalted butter and salted butter work in this recipe.
- Coconut oil – this ingredient is optional. Coconut oil helps the chocolate topping from cracking when you cut it. You can use vegetable oil instead, or leave it out altogether. However if you intend to freeze this slice, I recommend you don’t add coconut oil as it can make the melted chocolate layer taste greasy once thawed.
How to make this chocolate slice
- Crush the biscuits, leaving some larger bits.
- Add the coconut to the crushed biscuits.
- Gently melt the chocolate, butter, condensed milk and cocoa powder together in a saucepan over a low heat.
- When the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy, remove from the heat.
- Add the biscuit crumbs and coconut and stir well to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into a lined baking tin.
- Spread out into an even layer, using the back of a spoon to make sure the top is smooth.
- Melt the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and coconut oil (optional) together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the chocolate biscuit base.
- Spread the chocolate over the top in an even layer, then place in fridge to set.
FAQ
Why is it called a hedgehog slice?
It’s a bit of a strange one, as Australia doesn’t have hedgehogs! But various sources say it has something to do with the light and dark contrast of the slice base and topping looking like the contrast in hedgehog spines.
How long does this chocolate fridge slice keep?
The slice will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What’s the easiest way to crush biscuits?
Place the biscuits in a bag and hit them with a rolling pin until you get biscuit crumbs, or place in a food processor and pulse a couple of times.
Why is my slice very sticky and not set?
If you use skim condensed milk the slice won’t set as well as if you use full fat condensed milk. Some brands of biscuits absorb less liquid than others so use a little less condensed milk.
What else can I make with condensed milk?
Condensed milk makes delicious ice cream, fudge balls, and caramel sauce.
My Recipe Tips
- Don’t crush the biscuits too much, you want to have some biscuit chunks left for some crunch.
- Line the tin – the base of this slice is sticky and fudgy (which makes it so delicious!) but you need to line the tin well with greaseproof paper or baking paper to stop it from sticking.
- Work quickly whilst mixing the crushed biscuits into the melted chocolate condensed milk mixture, as it will start to firm up as it cools.
- Take the slice out of the fridge 30 minutes before you cut it, this makes it easier to cut.
- Once sliced, return to the fridge for the base to set to make it easier to peel off the greaseproof paper.
- Depending on the brand and type of biscuits you use to make this easy hedgehog slice, you may have half a packet of biscuits leftover. For recipes to use the leftover biscuits, see the suggested no bake recipes above the recipe card below, or use them as a biscuit base like in this banoffee pie. If you only have a few biscuits leftover, these Digestive S’mores are a fun recipe to use them up.
Storage
- Fridge: Store in a covered container for up to 5 days. You can keep it on the counter or in the fridge. I prefer my hedgehog slice to be chewier so I like to keep it in the fridge.
- Freezer: You can freeze the biscuit slice for up to 2 months. Wrap it well and thaw in the fridge overnight (you can thaw it at room temperature but if it’s a hot day especially it can become extra sticky and you have to place it in the fridge any way.)
Variations
- Toppings: scatter 1-2 tablespoons of sprinkles or hundreds and thousands on top of the melted chocolate (super popular at for kids parties), desiccated coconut, finely chopped walnuts or peanuts, flaked almonds, mini smarties. Some mini eggs would be a great topping for an Easter hedgehog slice!
- Walnuts: add some chopped walnuts (toasted for extra walnut flavour) to the base and reduce the amount of biscuits you use. You can also add other nuts to the slice such as toasted almonds or hazelnuts.
- Cereal: Add a handful of rice krispies / rice bubbles, or cornflakes (these will become soft after a few days).
More no bake recipes
These easy recipes are perfect for days you don’t want to switch the oven on.
Chocolate Hedgehog Slice
Author: Robyn
This easy no bake chocolate hedgehog slice recipe with crushed biscuits, chocolate sweetened condensed milk base topped with melted chocolate, takes just 10 minutes to make, and no oven is required!
Ingredients
- 100g (3.5oz) Butter ($1.30 / £0.70p)
- 397g (14oz) Sweetened condensed milk ($1.50 / £1.05)
- 100g (3.5oz) Dark chocolate, roughly chopped ($2.50 / £0.50p)
- 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder ($0.16 / £0.08p)
- 250g (8.8oz) Biscuits, Digestives, Marie Biscuits, or other plain biscuits ($2.75 / £0.33p)
- 65g (⅔c) Desiccated coconut ($0.47 / £0.48p)
Topping
- 100g (3.5oz) Milk chocolate ($2.50 / £0.50p)
- 125g (4.4oz) Dark chocolate ($3.13 / £0.63p)
- 1 teaspoon Coconut oil, optional ($0.08 / £0.03p)
Instructions
- Line a 20cm x 25cm (7.9inch x 9.8 inch) tin with baking paper.
- Crush the biscuits, leaving some larger bits, and mix with the coconut.
- Place the butter, condensed milk, dark chocolate and cocoa powder in a saucepan and melt over a low heat until the butter and chocolate are melted (around 5 minutes). Stir often to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- When the condensed milk mixture is ready, take off the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs and coconut.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and flatten down well, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon (if the mixture is sticking to the spoon run it under hot water for a few seconds).
- To make the topping, melt the milk and dark chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or melt in a microwave.
- Pour over the biscuit base and smooth out to cover.
- Place in fridge for 3 hours to set.
- Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to slice. Using a sharp knife, cut into 20 squares.
- Place back in the fridge to fully set before taking off the greaseproof paper and serving.
- Store in the fridge.
Notes
Estimated costs: Australia $14.39. Per serve = $0.72
UK £4.30. Per serve = £0.22p.
America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please contact me and I’ll get calculating 🙂
Biscuits – Arnott’s Marie biscuits are a popular Australian choice, and I often use them or Digestive biscuits, but you can use any other plain biscuits/cookies such as Graham Crackers in the US, or if you are in the UK, Malted milk or Rich Tea are good options.
Desiccated Coconut – finely shredded unsweetened coconut. Don’t use sweetened coconut as this slice is already very sweet!
Sweetened Condensed Milk – use full fat, full sugar sweetened condensed milk for this recipe. You want a thick, sweet chocolate fudge base to this slice.
Chocolate – Dark chocolate, cooking chocolate or milk chocolate. I use dark in the base and then a mixture of milk and dark for the top – it’s a very sweet slice and therefore I like the slightly less sweet mixture of the two rather than all milk chocolate.
Cocoa Powder – I use Cadburys cocoa powder, or Nestle Plaistowe Dutch cocoa powder in Australia.
Butter – both unsalted butter and salted butter work in this recipe.
Coconut oil – this ingredient is optional. Coconut oil helps the chocolate topping from cracking when you cut it. You can use vegetable oil instead, or leave it out altogether. However if you intend to freeze this slice, I recommend you don’t add coconut oil as it can make the melted chocolate layer taste greasy once thawed.
Don’t over crush the biscuits, you want to have some biscuit chunks left for some crunch.
Line the tin – the base of this slice is sticky and fudgy (which makes it so delicious!) but you need to line the tin well with greaseproof paper to stop it from sticking.
Work quickly whilst mixing the crushed biscuits into the melted chocolate condensed milk mixture, as it will start to firm up as it cools.
Take the slice out of the fridge 30 minutes before you cut it, this makes it easier to cut.
Once sliced, return to the fridge for the base to set to make it easier to peel off the greaseproof paper.
Nutrition
Calories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg
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