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
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.
Brown butter is quite simply butter that is melted in a skillet on the stove until it smells nutty and turns golden brown in color. It is easy to make and adds toasty, caramel notes to baked goods. If you've never baked with brown butter before you are in for a treat. If you enjoy the rich, nutty flavor it brings to these Swedish Oat Crisps, try it in my recipe for Krumkake or this delicious Simple Brown Butter Carrot Cake). If you don't want to use brown butter here, simply substitute melted butter instead.
Adding drizzled chocolate is entirely optional, but should you chose to go that route, I achieved the best results with microwaving 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.
As far as drizzling goes, I tried using a fork (not very easy to control), but found that it was much easier to 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. Better Homes and Gardens magazine has a great article about melting, dipping and drizzling chocolate here if you are interested in learning more.
Related Recipes
Looking for other classic Swedish cookie recipes? Give these a try!
Recipe
Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn)
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
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
Nutrition
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.
Pam says
Followed instructions as written, and came out with delicious cookies in the texture I had been looking for. I have tried numerous recipes for oatmeal lace cookies, and none came as close to what I had in mind as these. I don't know what going with plain melted butter is like because I didn't do it--brown butter all the way!
Kristi says
Hi Pam. So glad you enjoyed the cookies! I agree.....brown butter is the BEST!
Kristi
Sophie says
These were delicious!! Thank you so much for the recipe. Is the nutritional value posted at the end of the recipe per cookie? Thanks again
Kristi says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Yes, that is per cookie, assuming you are getting 24 cookies out of the recipe.
Beach3 says
These were delicious. I’ll definitely make again.
Beavchhouse3 says
Everyone like these and I will make again. Made as instructed with the quick oats option
Mathias says
Is the baking temp in °F or °C?
Kristi says
Hi Mathias,
It is in fahrenheit.
Kristi
Ericka says
Well you are serious about the spread. I couldn’t find my cookie sheet so I used my small air fryer and it’s pan. Lol, I have one big cookie .
So, so good!
Fiona Tucker says
Sound yummy but I prefer savoury. Could I replace weight of sugar with small seeds?
Kristi says
Hi Fiona,
I've never tried to make a savory version but that sounds really tasty!
Kristi
Urvi says
My first batch spread out and were super thin, crisp and super delicious !!!
Though the next two batches didn't spread out much and I got thick cookies instead which were also delicious but I really liked the thin crisp ones
Could you tell me where I went wrong.. ?
Kristi says
Hi Urvi,
Thanks for your question! I wonder if the batter maybe thickened up a bit while it was sitting? I would try loosening it with just a splash of water (maybe just a teaspoon) and see if that helps them come out thinner. Let me know if that is helpful!
Kristi
Jennifer says
Suggestions for something other than chocolate to drizzle on these?
Kristi says
Hi Jennifer, you could skip the drizzle altogether....they are delicious plain. Otherwise I think a simple white icing or a caramel drizzle would be nice!
Kristi
Patricia Donovan says
OMG these are SO good! I didn't even drizzle chocolate, I'm just eating them off the tray before they completely cooled 🙂
I did not have unsalted butter so they are a little bit salty. I cut the added salt to about 1/8th teaspoon. Also, you are not exaggerating when you say they expand! I put six on a tray and that filled it once they spread out. Thanks, Kristi, for sharing this awesome recipe and for making my stir crazy Sunday delicious!
Kristi says
I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for the feedback! You are totally right...they don't need the chocolate drizzle. They are just as delicious plain!
Pat Donovan says
I know what I'm making tomorrow! These look and sound like they will be delicious!
Kristi says
Yay! You’ll love them. Let me know how they turn out!