Most oatmeal cookies are a hearty affair, craggy and thick, chock full of extras such as dried fruit, chocolate or butterscotch chips. While there is nothing wrong with your standard oatmeal cookie, let me introduce you to something entirely different....the Swedish Oat Crisp. It is like no other oatmeal cookie you've had before. Light and crispy and nearly see-through thin, these Brown Butter Swedish Oat Crisps are a very Scandinavian take on the oatmeal cookie. And thankfully, they are also an incredibly easy afternoon baking project that comes together in less than an hour and makes an ideal accompaniment to your afternoon cup of coffee.
Brown Butter for Rich, Nutty Flavor
My recipe for Swedish Oat Crisps is pretty straightforward but with one little extra step: browning the butter. 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).
The Best Way to Melt and Drizzle Chocolate
I tried several methods for both melting the chocolate and drizzling it over the cookies. 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.
I hope you give these Swedish Oat Crisps a try! They are a perfect afternoon fika treat...light, crispy and a little bit chocolate-y. Just right for coffee. Let me know how it goes in the comments below!
Brown Butter Swedish Oat Crisps (Havreflarn)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups quick rolled oats or old-fashioned oats pulsed briefly in a food processor
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
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.
- 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.
- Drizzle cookies attractively with warm melted chocolate. Allow to dry before serving.
I know what I'm making tomorrow! These look and sound like they will be delicious!
Yay! You’ll love them. Let me know how they turn out!
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!
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!
Suggestions for something other than chocolate to drizzle on these?
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
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.. ?
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
Sound yummy but I prefer savoury. Could I replace weight of sugar with small seeds?
Hi Fiona,
I've never tried to make a savory version but that sounds really tasty!
Kristi