Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn)

These Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn in Swedish) are possibly like no other oatmeal cookie you've had before. Light, crispy and nearly see-through thin, these cookies are wholesome, delicate and SO satisfying, particularly with that afternoon cup of coffee or tea.

Thankfully, havreflarn are also easy to make and come together in less than an hour. Ready to make a batch of these sweet and crisp Swedish Oatmeal Cookies in your kitchen? Keep reading for all of the tips, tricks and step-by-step instructions!

Why This Recipe Works

These cookies are something special because:

• They contain a short list of wholesome ingredients and come together quickly.
• They are light as air but still satisfying thanks to the addition of hearty rolled oats.
• This recipe contains a special ingredient (brown butter) which elevates these cookies from good to out of this world.

Ingredients

• Old-Fashioned Rolled oats are the star of this recipe. I like to pulse mine in the processor briefly to break them up a little. You could also use quick cooking oats instead (which are already processed into smaller pieces).
• Butter brings richness and, because we will be browning it in a skillet before adding it to the recipe, nutty caramel-y flavor.
• Sugar adds sweetness and an egg binds everything together.
• Vanilla extract brings it's signature seet-floral notes to this recipe.
• Salt, baking powder and a mere 1 tablespoon of flour finish off our list of ingredients for these easy cookies.

How to Make This Recipe

• Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and lining to baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine the oats, flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
• Place the butter in a medium skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium low heat, swirling the pan frequently.  Once the butter has melted, continue to cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color.  Immediately transfer brown butter to a bowl to cool.

• In a large bowl, combine the sugar and egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until the sugar has dissolve and the mixture is frothy. Add the brown butter and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.

• Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Be sure to leave a couple of inches between the cookies so that they don't spread together. You should be able to get four rows of three or twelve cookies on each sheet.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes, either one sheet at a time or both at the same time, rotating the pans half way through. Once the cookies are cool, remove them from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• If you are using old-fashioned rolled oats, break them up a little by pulsing them a few times in the food processor.
• You could certainly just use melted butter here but brown butter adds so much flavor to these cookies! Definitely take the time to do that step.
• Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes to let the oats fully hydrate before spooning the dough onto the baking sheets.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack. If you try to move them too quickly they have a tendency to stick to the parchment paper.

FAQs

Related Recipes

Looking for other classic Swedish cookie recipes? Give these a try!

Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn)

Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn) are light and crispy with a delicate crunch. They are the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea or coffee!

4 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Fika, Snack

Cuisine: Nordic, Swedish

Keyword: crispy cookies, fika, havreflarn, oat cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Kristi

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups rolled oats pulsed briefly in a food processor (or use quick rolled oats instead)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.
• Place butter in a medium skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium low heat, swirling the pan frequently.  Once the butter has melted, continue to cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color.  Don’t walk away from the stove! Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. Immediately transfer brown butter to a bowl to cool.
• Whisk oats, flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
• Combine egg, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissoved and mixture is frothy.  Add brown butter and whisk until everything has just come together. Add dry mixture and stir to combine.  Let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes prior to making the cookies.
• Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of batter onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie (they will spread considerably).  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the edges are golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Notes

Storing Swedish Oatmeal Cookies:  These cookies keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days. They will become a little softer/chewier as time goes by so for maximum crispness, enjoy as soon as possible. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container.

Chocolate variation:  Drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate before enjoying if you like!  Microwave 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips at 50% power for one minute at a time, stirring between each interval. In my microwave, it took about three minutes to melt one cup of chocolate.  Place the warm melted chocolate in a quart-sized ziploc freezer bag and snip a tiny hole in the corner. This creates a makeshift pastry bag that produces a nice, even zig zag drizzle every time. 

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn) and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.