Are you a fan of the delightful aroma and taste of honey? Give these honey balls a try! They are a classic Czech Christmas treat-a simple yet delicious recipe that anyone can whip up.
➜ What are Christmas honey balls?
Christmas Honey Balls, known as Medovníkové koule in the Czech Republic, are truffle-like cookies with a base of honey slice crumbs and caramelized sweet condensed milk. Making them is a simple process.
First, bake the honey dough, which is both quick and easy. Then, simply combine the crumbs from this dough with softened butter and caramelized milk, shape them into balls, and then roll them in the reserved crumbs.
In the Czech Republic, honey balls are typically prepared shortly before Christmas, allowing them to grace the festive table alongside other traditional Christmas cookies (Czech Cukroví).
Note: Although baking honey dough is part of the preparation for these cookies, honey balls still fall under the category of no-bake Christmas treats.
TIP: These are additional Czech no-bake cookies in ball form: rum balls with nuts and easy coconut ball cookies.
Honey balls are a huge hit with everyone in my family. I could whip up several batches, and they'd still be gone in no time! For a fancier take on honey balls, consider making Medovník, a traditional Czech café cake. It has a similarly delicious flavor and looks classy when served.
➜ Ingredients
Just a few basic ingredients are enough to make these no-bake Christmas cookies!
Honey dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar
- Whole egg
- Baking soda; to make the dough soft. Don't confuse baking soda (soda bicarbonate) with baking powder.
- Honey; liquid. If your honey has solidified, gently melt it in a saucepan on the stove, using a water bath, or in the microwave until it becomes liquid again.
- Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature
To finish:
- Caramelized sweet condensed milk; often known as Dulce de Leche in the USA.
- Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature.
✅ See the recipe below with step-by-step photos and many helpful tips. Scroll down for the full printable recipe in both US cups and metric measurements.
Kitchen equipment: to bake the gingerbread dough, you need a baking sheet and parchment paper.
➜ How to make Christmas honey balls
STEP 1/7: Mix the flour with the baking soda and put the floury mixture in a bowl. Add the eggs, softened butter, liquid honey, and powdered sugar. First, mix the wet ingredients with the flour using a fork, then work into a soft dough with your hands.
TIP: If you have a kitchen mixer with a kneading hook, you can use it to make the honey dough.
STEP 2/7: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to rest for an hour.
The butter and honey will set in the refrigerator, and the dough will roll out well. If you try to roll the dough right after you make it, it's likely to tear into pieces.
STEP 3/7: Roll the rested honey dough into sheets about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. The shape doesn't matter too much, as the dough will be crushed into crumbs when baked. When rolling out the dough, I recommend dusting the work surface lightly with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
STEP 4/7: Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the honey dough sheets on it. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes.
Once baked, take off the parchment paper with the honey dough sheets and put them on a wire rack to cool. If you let the baked dough cool on the tray, it's fine, but in that case, I recommend placing the tray in a cool spot.
STEP 5/7: Once the sheets of dough have cooled, break them into crumbs. You can do this by hand or by placing the pieces of dough in a food processor and pulsing them a few times until they turn into small crumbs. Alternatively, you can grate the dough using a hand grater.
STEP 6/7: Set aside about half a cup of the crumbs to coat the balls. Combine the remaining crumbs with the caramelized milk and softened butter. Start by mashing them together with a fork, then use your hands to form a soft dough.
Cover the soft dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
STEP 7/7: Scoop equal-sized portions of the dough, roll each into a ball using your hands, and coat them by rolling in the reserved crumbs.
MY TIP: Like the taste of nuts? Add a handful of grated walnuts or hazelnuts to the crumbs you roll the balls in.
➜ Serving
Arrange the honey balls on a tray with Christmas cookies on the day you expect them to be eaten. These are no-bake cookies that don't do well with prolonged exposure to heat. Whenever the balls are eaten, add more.
If you want to present the cookies in a fancy way, place them in paper liners.
➜ Pronunciation
The Czech name for Christmas honey balls is "Medovníkové koule." If you are curious about how to pronounce this in the Czech language, I have recorded a short audio clip where you can hear the name of the recipe, "Medovníkové koule."
➜ How to make sweet condensed milk caramelized
The preparation is incredibly simple: just let the can of sweetened condensed milk gently boil for approximately three hours in a water bath.
Afterward, allow it to cool completely before opening it, and behold, a magical transformation has taken place! The once-light milk is now caramelized and has not only a richer flavor but also a beautiful golden-brown color.
Below in the picture, you'll find a photo of Czech caramelized milk (Salko KARAMEL) that can be bought in Czech stores. On the left, the can; on the right, its content-thick caramelized milk.
➜ Useful tips
- When to make Christmas honey balls? Honey balls are ready to serve right after you make them. They're last-minute, no-bake treats-get started on them a few days before Christmas. However, you can bake the dough sheets used for the balls up to a month in advance.
- How to store? Store the finished honey balls in an airtight container in a cool place. An ideal option is a metal box with a lid. If you were to store the cookies in a breathable paper box, the balls might dry out on the surface and lose their moisture.
- How long do they keep? The honey balls should be consumed within 2-3 weeks, provided you have stored them in a cool place. The balls are preserved with sugar, but as no-bake cookies, they tend to have a shorter shelf life than baked ones.
More Czech Christmas cookies:
Tried this recipe?
Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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📖 Recipe
No Bake Christmas Honey Balls (Czech Medovníkové koule)
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
Honey dough:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons honey liquid
- ⅓ stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
To finish:
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- ⅔ cup caramelized sweet condensed milk (or Dulce de Leche)
Instructions
- Mix 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking soda and put the floury mixture in a bowl. Add 1 egg, ⅓ stick unsalted butter (softened), 2 Tablespoons honey (liquid), and ½ cup powdered sugar. First, mix the wet ingredients with the flour using a fork, then work into a soft dough with your hands.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to rest for an hour.
- Roll the rested honey dough into sheets about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. The shape doesn't matter too much, as the dough will be crushed into crumbs after beeing baked. When rolling out the dough, I recommend dusting the work surface lightly with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the honey dough sheets on it. Preheat the oven to
320 °F. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. - Once baked, take off the parchment paper with the honey dough sheets and put them on a wire rack to cool. If you let the baked dough cool on the tray, it's fine, but in that case, I recommend placing the tray in a cool spot.
- Once the sheets of dough have cooled, break them into crumbs. You can do this by hand or by placing the pieces of dough in a food processor and pulsing them a few times until they turn into small crumbs. Alternatively, you can grate the dough using a hand grater.
- Set aside about half a cup of the crumbs to coat the balls. Combine the remaining crumbs with ⅔ cup caramelized sweet condensed milk and 1 stick unsalted butter (softened). Start by mashing them together with a fork, then use your hands to form a soft dough.
- Cover the soft dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
- Scoop equal-sized portions of the dough, roll each into a ball using your hands, and coat them by rolling in the reserved crumbs.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 24-30 honey balls depending on their size.
- SERVING: On Christmas Eve, Czechs place a platter of Cukroví cookies on the table. Arrange the honey balls alongside other Christmas cookies to be enjoyed on the day. Since these no-bake cookies aren't suited for long exposure to heat, make sure to add more whenever they are consumed. For a fancier presentation, place the cookies in paper liners.
- When to make Christmas honey balls? Honey balls are ready to serve right after you make them. They're last-minute, no-bake treats-get started on them a few days before Christmas. However, you can bake the dough sheets used for the balls up to a month in advance.
- How to store? Store the finished honey balls in an airtight container in a cool place. An ideal option is a metal box with a lid. If you were to store the cookies in a breathable paper box, the balls might dry out on the surface and lose their moisture.
- How long do they keep? The honey balls should be consumed within 2-3 weeks, provided you have stored them in a cool place. The balls are preserved with sugar, but as no-bake cookies, they tend to have a shorter shelf life than baked ones.
Reny says
I appreciate the pictures and step by step process.
I was born in Czech, but my family came to USA when I was little, so I’m really enjoying the recipes from my home country.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for your comment, Reny. Happy to hear you appreciate the pictures and instructions! 🙂
Greetings from the Czech Republic.
Cathy Smaha says
I just made these with my two grandsons, and they declared them the best cookies they’ve ever had. I love trying Czech recipes. My Fathers family was Bohemian.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hello Cathy, thank you for your comment - happy to hear the recipe was a success!
Julie says
This is lovely, but should you call it "No Bake" when clearly you have to bake this recipe? Perhaps consider changing the name!
Alexandra says
you can use leftovers like cookies or biscuits for the balls instead of baking anything. No bake the balls, just the ingredient. so yeah, no bake balls is the proper name. IMHO.
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Julie, for your comment. This type of recipe is usually called "no bake" in Czech because instead of baked dough, you can use, for example, crushed honey-flavored biscuits. Once the honey balls are made, they are no more baked. I apologise if the name is misleading.
Alexandra says
I have just discovered your page and I got three recipes saved already, including this one. I will save it for Christmas.. For the record, I have just made the Easter bird recipe and I am so into baking more for Easter table! they as cute and delicious as easy to make! Happy Easter! and thank you.
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Alexandra, for your kind words and I wish you success and fun with my recipes. Happy Easter to you too!
Silvia B says
So easy, simple and delicious! Note to those who do not know: you can find a can of caramelized milk in the hispanic section of the grocery store. It is good for two batches, so double up the recipe to use up the whole can. Thank you for the recipe and all the others! Great collection of recipes!
Petra | Cook Like Czechs says
You are very welcome! Thank you so much for your kind words. 🙂
Peter says
That sounds delicious! I’m a big Medovnik Fan, but usually too lazy to prepare it, so definatly have to try these little balls. You think it‘s possible to use Lotus Biscuits instead of baking it by myself? If so, how much biscuits should I use for the same result?
Petra Kupská says
You can definitely try it! The taste will be different from medovník, and I can’t say exactly how it will turn out, but it should still be a fun and delicious shortcut. My guess is that for this recipe, you could start with roughly 300 g (10 oz) of Lotus cookies and adjust the liquid as needed.