Zserbó Golyó – Easy Hungarian Gerbeaud Balls
- artisanistshop
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
If you love the classic Hungarian Zserbó (Gerbeaud cake) but don't feel like spending an afternoon baking and layering a cake, these little Zserbó Golyó are the answer.
They combine some of the most recognizable flavors of traditional Hungarian zserbó — walnuts, apricot jam and chocolate — in an easy, no-bake bite-sized dessert.
Growing up in Hungary, zserbó was one of those sweets that seemed to appear especially around holidays and family gatherings. The traditional cake is wonderful, but it takes considerably more work. Zserbó golyó gives you those familiar flavors in a much simpler form.
Mix everything together, roll the mixture into balls, chill them, dip them in chocolate and finish each one with a piece of walnut.
That's it.
They're rich, chocolatey, slightly fruity from the apricot jam and full of walnuts — and they're especially lovely with a cup of coffee.
What Is Zserbó Golyó?
Zserbó golyó literally means "Gerbeaud ball" in Hungarian.
It's a modern, no-bake sweet inspired by traditional Hungarian zserbó, a layered pastry made with walnuts, apricot jam and chocolate.
Instead of making and baking pastry layers, the main ingredients are combined into a soft mixture and shaped into little balls. They're then covered in chocolate.
The result is much easier but still has that wonderful walnut-apricot-chocolate combination that makes zserbó so recognizable.
And because there's no baking involved, this is a great recipe when you need a quick homemade dessert for Christmas, a party, or simply something sweet for the weekend.
Love Traditional Zserbó?
These little Zserbó Golyó are inspired by the classic Hungarian zserbó — layers of pastry filled with walnuts and apricot jam and finished with a rich chocolate topping.
If you'd like to make the traditional version you see below, my full Hungarian Zserbó recipe is included in my Hungarian Christmas Baking book, together with more of the sweets and baked treats I grew up with in Hungary. ❤️
Zserbó Golyó Recipe
Hungarian No-Bake Gerbeaud Balls
Makes: approximately 24–30 balls
Prep time: 25 minutes
Chilling time: about 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
For the balls:
200 g (about 7 oz) finely ground plain tea biscuits or graham-style biscuits
200 g (about 7 oz) finely ground walnuts
50–75 g (½–⅔ cup) powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like them
approximately 200–250 g (¾–1 cup) apricot jam
finely grated zest of ½ lemon, optional
For the chocolate coating:
250 g (9 oz) dark or semi-sweet chocolate
1–2 tablespoons neutral oil
For decorating:
walnut halves or small walnut pieces
How to Make Zserbó Golyó
1. Make the walnut mixture
Place the finely ground biscuits and ground walnuts into a large bowl.
Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest, if using, and mix everything together.
2. Add the apricot jam
Start adding the apricot jam gradually while mixing.
Don't add all of it at once because the amount you need will depend on how thick your jam is.
Continue adding jam until you have a soft, moist mixture that can easily be shaped with your hands but isn't sticky or runny.
3. Shape the balls
Take small portions of the mixture and roll them between your palms into bite-sized balls.
I like mine around the size of a walnut.
Place them onto a tray or plate lined with parchment paper.
4. Chill
Refrigerate the balls for approximately 30 minutes.
This makes them firmer and much easier to coat in chocolate.
5. Melt the chocolate
Melt the chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in the microwave in short intervals.
Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of neutral oil. This helps make the chocolate smoother and gives the finished coating a beautiful shine.
6. Dip the zserbó balls
Using a fork, toothpick or dipping tool, lower each chilled ball into the melted chocolate.
Make sure the entire ball is covered.
Allow the excess chocolate to drip off before placing it back onto the parchment paper.
7. Decorate
Before the chocolate sets, place a small piece of walnut on top of each ball.
Allow the chocolate to set completely.
And they're ready! ❤️
The Secret Is the Apricot Jam
Don't worry too much about measuring the apricot jam perfectly.
This is one of those recipes where the texture tells you when you've added enough.
Some jams are very thick while others contain considerably more liquid. Start with less and gradually add more until the mixture holds together easily when you squeeze it in your hand.
You want it moist enough to roll without crumbling, but not so wet that the balls become sticky.
And definitely use apricot jam if you can. The combination of apricot, walnuts and chocolate is what gives these little treats their classic zserbó character.
Dark or Milk Chocolate?
I prefer dark or semi-sweet chocolate for zserbó golyó because the filling already contains powdered sugar and apricot jam.
The slightly bitter chocolate balances the sweetness beautifully.
If you prefer a sweeter dessert, however, you can use milk chocolate or a combination of milk and dark chocolate.
Make Them Ahead
Zserbó golyó is actually a wonderful make-ahead dessert.
Keep the finished balls refrigerated in an airtight container. They taste even better after they've had some time to sit because the flavors of the walnut and apricot jam develop together.
Take them out of the refrigerator a little before serving so the filling isn't completely cold.
Perfect for the Holidays 🎄
Although you can make these throughout the year, I especially love them during the Christmas season.
Hungarian holiday tables tend to have no shortage of walnut desserts, and these little chocolate-covered bites fit right in.
They're also much easier than baking a full traditional zserbó, which makes them perfect when you're already preparing several dishes for a holiday gathering.
Arrange them on a pretty platter, add a few walnuts or dried apricots around them, and you have a simple homemade sweet that looks beautiful on the table.
A Little Taste of Hungary in One Bite 🇭🇺
There are desserts that immediately remind you of home, and for me the combination of walnut, apricot and chocolateis one of them.
Zserbó golyó takes those familiar Hungarian flavors and turns them into something incredibly easy to make.
No oven. No layers. No complicated technique.
Just a few simple ingredients and a little chocolate — and somehow they disappear from the plate very quickly. 😃
Jó étvágyat! ❤️
More Hungarian Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed these Zserbó Golyó, explore more traditional Hungarian sweets and home-cooked recipes here on From My Hungarian Kitchen.
And if you're planning your holiday baking, don't forget to check out my Hungarian Christmas Baking collection for even more recipes and inspiration.
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