~Amanda~
These Swedish Chocolate Balls are one of the new Christmas cookie recipes that we tried for the first time this year as a way to honor our family heritage and bring new holiday baking traditions into our lives. It was so much fun to research different traditional Swedish cookies and learn more about the culture as well as the origins and stories behind them. Something I didn’t know was that traditionally children in Sweden were only allowed to have candy on Saturday’s (to help prevent cavities and whatnot). These chocolate balls are well known and loved by both children and parents, and because of their oat base some parents wouldn’t consider them ‘candy’ so they could be eaten on days of the week other than Saturday. Lucky for us we can eat them every single day, as I did until they ran out because they are insanely delicious!
Chokladbollar (as they are called in Sweden) are so simple to make that anyone can do it; it’s the perfect recipe to make with children too. The simple ingredient list includes oats, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, sugar, and butter. YUM! Once you mix all of the ingredients together, you get this thick chocolate oat dough that you form into little balls and then roll in your favorite toppings. In this recipe we rolled them in coconut, because coconut is one of the best things in the world in my opinion, but you can also roll them in sprinkles (red and green for Christmas!), nib sugar, nuts, or nothing at all.
The best part; once you roll them in their toppings, they’re done! There is no baking necessary and you can eat them right away or chill them in the refrigerator, which I would recommend as the texture was more firm and they’re easier to eat as they cool down. So whether you’re looking for a traditional Swedish cookie to celebrate your heritage like us, or you just want an incredibly tasty and simple no-bake chocolate cookie to make, these Chokladbollar are sure to satisfy.
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ounce baking chocolate squares, melted
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- Mix oats, sugar, and cocoa in a large mixing bowl with a spoon. Add the butter and use your hands to mix into a thick dough. Add vanilla and chocolate and mix until blended.
- Place coconut flakes in a small bowl. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll them into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in coconut flakes and place on baking sheet. Eat immediately or refrigerate in airtight container.
- *If you are not a coconut fan, you can omit rolling the balls in coconut flakes, and can substitute something like ground up nuts, cocoa powder, sugar, or sprinkles.
