Beehive Cookies (Czech Vosi hnizda)

Vosi hnizda is a popular no-bake cookie in the Czech Republic, made just before Christmas. I guarantee they won't last long on the cookie tray during the holidays!

➜ What are Czech beehive cookies?

Beehive cookies in Czech style are a traditional Christmas treat made by every Czech family. These are lovely no-bake cookies in the shape of a beehive, which is how they got their name: beehives (vceli uly), also called wasp nests (vosi hnizda).

The cookie dough comes from ground biscuits, nuts, sugar, and butter. The dough is then pressed into a beehive mold and filled with an incredibly delicious rum custard. The cookie base is formed with a piece of rounded vanilla biscuit.

MY TIP: Last minute Christmas cookies? Try these quick no bake rum balls!

➜ Beehive cookie mold

You need a special mold to prepare the candy. In the Czech Republic, it can be easily bought in kitchen supply stores. I dare to suggest that if you live outside of the Czech Republic, you purchase the mold online at Amazon.

I own two beehive molds myself. Both are made of plastic, with one being openable (the white one in the picture above), so it's easier to take the cookie out of it when making.

What should I use if I don't have the original beehive mold? Don't worry; there are some options for these cases too! 

A small shot glass that expands conically from the bottom towards the edges will be fine. The other option you can consider is an egg carton. If you have a paper one, line it with cling film. If you have a plastic egg box, wash and dry it thoroughly before using it.

➜ Ingredients

To make Czech beehive cookies from scratch, you will need:

Cookie dough

• Vanilla biscuits or wafers; by far, the most commonly used biscuits for making beehive cookies in the Czech Republic are the so-called "piskoty". In the USA, Nilla Vanilla waffles are a good choice. 
• Ground walnuts; they add a new flavor dimension to the cookie dough. If you are allergic to nuts, replace them in a 1:1 ratio with ground wafers.
• Powdered sugar
• Unsalted butter; soft. Take the butter out of the fridge about half an hour in advance. It will be easier to work with.
• Cocoa powder; unsweetened
• Rum; the Czechs love their "tuzemak", which is basically not even a real rum. If you are based in the US, I recommend Kirkland spiced rum (available at Costco) or Austrian Stroh 54 – these types taste similar to Czech "tuzemak" rum.
• Milk; for a softer dough

Rum custard

• Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature. Soft butter is required for the filling to be successfully prepared! When you press a spoon against properly softened butter, it will loosen up nicely under pressure. The butter, however, must not be melted. I leave the butter for the custard filling to soften overnight at room temperature on the kitchen counter.
• Powdered sugar
• Egg yolk; if you don't want to use the yolk, replace it with two tablespoons of eggnog or sweet condensed milk
• Rum; on the type of rum see above

For the biscuit base, prepare small round biscuits (Czech piskoty or Nilla Vanilla wafers) about 1 and ¼ inches (3 cm) in diameter.

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ Instructions with photos

Make ahead: Take the butter out of the fridge the day before to soften. You will need it to make the custard filling.

Cookie dough

STEP 1: Grind the vanilla biscuits with a hand grinder or crush them on the work surface with a rolling pin. Alternatively, use a hand grating box to grate them.

STEP 2: Place the ground biscuits, ground nuts, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter, cutting it into smaller pieces. Pour in milk and rum.

STEP 3: Make a smooth dough. Gradually work the butter with your fingers, rubbing it with the other ingredients until crumbs form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and knead by hand into a compact dough.

NOTE: At first, the mixture may seem too powdery, but don't worry; it will gradually come together into a firm dough.

STEP 4: Wrap the dough in cling film and put it to rest in the fridge for two hours.

Custard filling

In a separate bowl, put softened butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk, and rum. Using a spoon, whip everything until light and airy (1 minute or so).

NOTE: If the butter is not softened properly at room temperature, lumps will form in the filling.

Assembling the cookies

STEP 1: Sprinkle a half cup of granulated sugar on the work surface.

STEP 2: Rinse the cookie mold with cold water and sprinkle it with the sugar inside that you have previously poured on the work surface. Tap the mold lightly to shake off the excess sugar.

STEP 2: Take the cookie dough out of the fridge. Scoop out a small piece of dough and squeeze it a few times in your palm. The heat in your palm will help soften the butter in the dough, making it easier to work with. Now press the dough into the sugar-dusted mold.

STEP 4: Carefully make a hole in the middle, either with your finger or the round end of a wooden spoon. Do not use too much pressure; the cookie won't come out easily and will tear. 

STEP 5: Fill the hole with rum custard. I myself use a teaspoon for this.

Step 6: To finish the base, use a round biscuit or wafer to seal the bottom.

STEP 7: Tap the mold on the work surface to release the cookie.

STEP 8: Sprinkle the inside of the mold with sugar again (do not rinse anymore!). Repeat making beehive cookies until you have used up all the dough and filling.

➜ Storage

As these are unbaked sweets, stack the cookies in a resealable container and store them in a cool place, ideally in the fridge. Consume within a week.

Beehive cookies can also be frozen in a suitable, sealed container. The beehives will keep in the freezer for three months without any problems.

➜ Useful tips

• When to make beehive cookies? If this cookie is intended for the Christmas holidays, make it the day before Christmas or even on Christmas Eve. The sweets are meant to be eaten immediately; they don't need to rest.
• If you have trouble unmolding the cookies, try this trick. Take a piece of soft plastic wrap and line the candy mold with it. Then press the dough into the mold. After you fill and seal the cookie, pull the plastic wrap gently to get the beehive out of the mold.

More traditional Czech recipes for Christmas cookies:

• No bake Christmas mushroom cookies
• Coconut meringue cookies (kokosky)
• Walnut shaped cookies (orechy)

Vosí hnízda – Czech Beehive Christmas Cookies

These non-bake Christmas cookies just melt in your mouth. In the Czech Republic, Vosí hnízda are the ultimate holiday treat! Authentic Czech recipe for beehives / wasp nests.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 30 Beehives

Calories: 147kcal

Author: Petra Kupská

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course: cookies

Cuisine: Czech

Keyword: vánoce

Ingredients

Beehive dough:

• ▢ 6 ounces vanilla biscuits (170 g) Czech piskoty or in the US, vanilla wafers
• ▢ ⅓ cup ground walnuts (40 g)
• ▢ 1 stick unsalted butter (110 g)
• ▢ 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar (180 g)
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons rum

Rum custard:

• ▢ 1 stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar (60 g)
• ▢ 1 egg yolk or 2 Tbsp eggnog or sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons rum

Bottom base:

• ▢ 30 pieces round vanilla wafers Nilla Vanilla Wafers (in the US stores)

Others:

• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g) to dust the cookie mold

Instructions

Cookie dough:

• Grind the vanilla biscuits with a hand grinder or crush them on the work surface with a rolling pin.
• Place the ground biscuits, ground nuts, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter, cutting it into smaller pieces. Pour in milk and rum.
• Make a smooth dough. Gradually work the butter with your fingers, rubbing it with the other ingredients until crumbs form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and knead by hand into a compact dough.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and put it to rest in the fridge for two hours.

Rum custard filling:

• In a separate bowl, put softened butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk, and rum. Using a spoon, whip everything until light and airy (1 minute or so).

Assembling the beehive cookies:

• Sprinkle half a cup of granulated sugar on a work surface.
• Rinse the cookie mold with cold water and sprinkle it with the sugar inside that you have previously poured on the work surface. Tap the mold lightly to shake off the excess sugar.
• Take the cookie dough out of the fridge. Scoop out a small piece of dough and squeeze it a few times in your palm. The heat in your palm will help soften the butter in the dough, making it easier to work with. Now press the dough into the prepared mold.
• Carefully make a hole in the middle, either with your finger or the round end of a wooden spoon. Do not use too much pressure; the cookie won't come out easily and will tear. 
• Fill the hole with rum custard. I myself use a teaspoon for this.
• To finish the base, use a round biscuit or wafer to seal the bottom.
• Carefully tap the mold on the work surface to release the cookie.
• Sprinkle the inside of the mold with sugar again (do not rinse anymore!). Repeat making beehive cookies until you have used up all the dough and filling.

Notes

• Makes about 30 beehive cookies.
• STORAGE: As these are unbaked sweets, stack the cookies in a resealable container and store them in a cool place, ideally in the fridge. Consume within a week.
• FREEZING: Beehive cookies can also be frozen in a suitable, sealed container. The beehives will keep in the freezer for three months without any problems.
• When to make beehive cookies? If this cookie is intended for the Christmas holidays, make it the day before Christmas or even on Christmas Eve. The sweets are meant to be eaten immediately; they don't need to rest.
• Instead of an original beehive mold, use a small shot glass or an egg carton. 

DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

Conversion chart

Nutritional Estimate pro portion

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.