No-Bake Israeli Chocolate Balls

They are as famous as this Biscuit Cake, and in Hebrew they are called ka-du-rei sho-ko-lad, which is way cuter, but thankfully they are universally delicious.

The unspoken truth to this nostalgic dessert, is that it came about as an easy solution to a last minute homemade dessert on a hectic, very hot summer Friday. Mothers were tired and needed a dessert for shabbat dinner. So with a few pantry staples, a bowl, and barely any effort, they came together in minutes. Somewhere along the way, they got their signature sprinkle look and what started as a practical solution became one of Israel’s most beloved treat.

It’s A Kid-Friendly Recipe

The complete chocolate balls recipe is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card. When I developed this recipe, the goal was to create an easy recipe with simple, straightforward steps kids can follow. I guess I wanted to make sure other to recreate and enjoy my beautiful childhood memory.

Crush the Biscuits

Use a rolling pin to crush the biscuits. Don’t use a food processor, we want some chunks in the mixture, they soak in the liquids without losing the texture completely.

Mix the Ingredients

A kitchen scale is the best way to ensure and avoid adding to much or too little of any ingredient. Too much dry ingredient will leave you with a crumbly, dry chocolate balls, while too little will result in a sticky, messy mixture that’s difficult to roll.

Shape the Balls

After mixing, the dough is most likely too wet to roll without sticky all over, but if refrigerated too long, it might be too dry for the sprinkles to stick to the balls. So You have two options: the first is refrigerate for 20 minutes, test and if still too sticky return to the fridge for another 10 minutes and test again. The second option, is when the dough is too cold/dry, then you should roll the dough, set it a side for 15-20 minute then roll in the sprinkles.

What ever you chose to do, do not add more milk or crushed cookies.

Coat the Balls
This is where you can get creative and personalize the cookies: use ground nuts, toasted coconuts, cocoa powder, or color themed sprinkles to celebrate your team!

Place each cookie in a mini cupcake liner for an individual serving.

No-Dairy (Parve) Option

For a non-dairy alternative (parve), replace the milk with plant-based milk, and the butter with vegan butter or margarine. 

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you’d like to keep them longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw in the fridge before serving.