Hedgehog slice
A no-bake chocolate slice of broken biscuits and walnuts set in butter, sugar, cocoa and egg, under a layer of chocolate icing.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Rest
- 1 hr 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Hedgehog slice is the no-bake chocolate slice of Australian and New Zealand childhoods. Butter, sugar and cocoa melt together in a saucepan, a beaten egg goes in and is cooked gently until the mixture thickens, then broken plain biscuits, walnuts and coconut are stirred through. It is pressed into a tin, chilled and covered with a thin chocolate icing. The broken biscuit pieces poke up through the top like spines, which is probably where the name comes from. It needs a fridge, not an oven. Break the biscuits by hand so you get chunks and crumbs, not dust.
What you'll need
12 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Slice
- Icing
Ingredients
Slice
- Malt biscuits, or Marie or Milk Arrowroot biscuits, broken into rough pieces250 g
- Walnuts, roughly chopped75 g
- Desiccated coconut (optional)30 g
- Butter125 g
- Sugar100 g
- Cocoa powder44 ml
- Egg, beaten1
- Vanilla, extract4.9 ml
Icing
- Icing sugar200 g
- Cocoa powder30 ml
- Butter, soft20 g
- Water, hot30 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper. Break the biscuits by hand, or in a bag with a rolling pin, into rough pieces: some the size of a thumbnail, some crumbs. Mix them with the walnuts and coconut in a bowl.
8 min
Step 2
Melt the butter, sugar and cocoa together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Take it off the heat, let it cool for a minute, then whisk in the beaten egg quickly.
5 min
Step 3
Return the pan to very low heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and looks glossy, about 70°C if you have a thermometer. Do not let it boil. Stir in the vanilla.
3 min
Watch: Too much heat scrambles the egg, so keep it below a simmer and keep stirring. The egg is only lightly cooked; for pregnant, very young, elderly or immune-compromised eaters, use the condensed milk version.
Step 4
Pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuits and nuts and stir until everything is coated. Press it firmly into the tin and chill for an hour until set.
60 min
Step 5
For the icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, add the soft butter and hot water and beat until smooth and spreadable. Spread it over the slice and chill until set, about 30 minutes.
35 min
Step 6
Cut into 16 squares with a knife dipped in hot water. Keep the slice in the fridge.
5 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 255 kcal
- Protein
- 2.8 g
- Carbs
- 31.8 g
- Fat
- 13.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 7.1 g
- Fibre
- 1.2 g
- Sugar
- 22.6 g
- Sodium
- 70 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Eggs
- Tree nuts
- Vegetarian
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Egg → Half a tin (about 200 g) of sweetened condensed milk
Melt it with the butter and cocoa and cut the sugar to 2 tbsp. Softer and sweeter, with no risk of scrambling.
Tips
- Use a firm, plain biscuit. Rich or soft biscuits go to mush when the warm chocolate hits them.
- For a nut-free slice, replace the walnuts with more biscuit or with sultanas.
History & culture
It is cake-stall food: school fetes, church fundraisers, the Country Women's Association table, a plate taken next door. Children make it because there is no oven involved. It sits in family recipe books under several names, and every family insists on its own biscuit. New Zealand makes it the same way and claims it just as firmly.
Uncooked slices built from bought biscuits probably spread in the first half of the twentieth century, as packaged biscuits from companies such as Arnott's became cheap and every pantry had a tin of cocoa. Hedgehog slice was in community cookbooks by the middle of the century. The egg-cooked version written here is the older one; many newer recipes use condensed milk instead.
Traditional — The biscuit varies by family: Marie, Milk Arrowroot, Nice or malt biscuits. Some recipes top it with melted chocolate rather than icing; icing is the older finish.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Hedgehog slice take?
1 hr 55 min all in — 20 min prep, 5 min cook, 1 hr 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 16 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk, Eggs, Tree nuts. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Rolling pin, Saucepan, Mixing bowl, Chef's knife.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much sugar?
100 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Egg → Half a tin (about 200 g) of sweetened condensed milk. Melt it with the butter and cocoa and cut the sugar to 2 tbsp. Softer and sweeter, with no risk of scrambling.
What should I watch for?
Too much heat scrambles the egg, so keep it below a simmer and keep stirring. The egg is only lightly cooked; for pregnant, very young, elderly or immune-compromised eaters, use the condensed milk version.
Any tips from this recipe?
Use a firm, plain biscuit. Rich or soft biscuits go to mush when the warm chocolate hits them. For a nut-free slice, replace the walnuts with more biscuit or with sultanas.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Caramel slice
A coconut shortbread base, a thick layer of condensed-milk caramel and a thin snap of dark chocolate on top. Cut into squares.
Easy
Rocky Road Fudge
Rocky Road Fudge from United States.
Medium
Lolly cake
A no-bake log of crushed malt biscuits, butter and condensed milk studded with chewy fruit puffs and rolled in coconut.
Very easy
Chocolate Coconut Squares
Chocolate Coconut Squares from Australia.
Medium