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The first time I heard of Kalter Hund was in 2019, when the home cooking app I was working for published an article on the culinary classics of Germany alongside a video series titled Weird German Food. In the videos, myself and some of my international colleagues had to guess what German dishes were from their “weird” names alone.
Kalter Hund, or “cold dog” in German, obviously made that list, but luckily for us, it isn’t nearly as weird as it sounds.
Kalter Hund, sometimes called “German hedgehog slice” in English, is a simple chocolate and biscuit dessert that’s like a cross between a rich chocolate icebox cake and rocky road. In Germany, it’s seen as a nostalgic, retro sweet. The recipes we see today stem from Schokoladenkuchen aus Leibniz-Keks (literally “chocolate cake with Leibniz cookies”) published in the 1920s by the German company Bahlsen, who manufacture the iconic Leibniz Butterkeks biscuits.
Making Kalter Hund is easy: simply melt chocolate with some coconut oil and heavy cream. Once completely smooth, layer it into a lined loaf pan with butter cookies, then let it chill in the fridge until solid enough to slice into thick pieces and serve.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
How to Serve It
Kalter Hund is a humble dessert that can be served and enjoyed as is, but is also fun and easy to decorate. It’s often served unwrapped on a large plate or cake server, topped with chocolate icing, and finished with sprinkles, chocolate shavings, fresh fruit, or coconut.
You can also serve slices with a little ice cream or whipped cream to balance out the richness of the chocolate.
Simple Tweaks
This straightforward no-bake dessert is typically made with just four simple ingredients, but there is some room to play around with them and switch them up to your preference. Here are a few swaps and substitutions you can make that will give you a slightly different outcome without adding much more effort:
- For a slightly lighter, less rich flavor, use a mix of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate
- Swap the plain butter cookies for Biscoff cookies, graham crackers, digestive biscuits, or your favorite thin cookie (no thicker than about 1/4 inch)
- Use unsalted butter in lieu of coconut oil
- Sprinkle each chocolate layer with finely chopped toasted nuts or coconut before adding the next layer of cookies
- Use an 8×8-inch square pan instead or a loaf pan to make bars instead of slices
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
More Easy No-Bake Desserts
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18 ounces (3 cups) chopped bittersweet chocolate (65% cocoa)
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3 tablespoons coconut oil
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3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, room temperature
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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5 ounces thin butter cookies, preferably Leibniz Butterkeks or Petit Beurre (about 36 cookies)
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Prep the pan:
Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, making sure to use a big enough piece to cover the entire pan and have additional overhang on the sides.
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Melt the chocolate mixture:
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring each time with a spatula and making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well, just until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and salt and stir until combined and smooth.
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Layer:
Pour a little bit of the chocolate mixture into the lined loaf pan, using just enough to cover the bottom. Place as many butter cookies into the pan as you can without breaking them or stacking them (you want one even layer). Pour more of the chocolate mixture on top to cover the cookies. Tap the loaf pan gently on the work surface to level the chocolate as you add layers.
Repeat layering the cookies and chocolate until you’ve used them all up. Depending on the size and shape of your pan and the type of cookies you use, you should get between 6 and 8 layers, ending with chocolate.
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Chill:
Fold the overhanging plastic wrap to cover the top, then place the loaf pan in the fridge to chill until firm, at least 5 hours.
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Slice and serve:
Unwrap the top of the cake, then invert onto a cutting board and remove the plastic wrap. Run a chef’s knife under hot running water, then dry it with a clean towel. Slice the Kalter Hund with the hot knife into 1-inch-thick slices, rewarming the knife as needed, and serve.
Wrap any remaining cake back into the plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can also wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and keep them in the freezer, if desired.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 496 | Calories |
| 40g | Fat |
| 25g | Carbs |
| 9g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 10 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 496 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 40g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat 26g | 129% |
| 40mg | 13% |
| 89mg | 4% |
| 25g | 9% |
| Dietary Fiber 9g | 31% |
| Total Sugars 4g | |
| 9g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 1% |
| Calcium 69mg | 5% |
| Iron 9mg | 51% |
| Potassium 458mg | 10% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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