These classic No-Bake Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar) are so easy to make and delicious....and you don't even need to turn on the oven!
A simple of mixture of butter, oats and cocoa powder and chocolate chips, these Swedish Chocolate Balls come together in about 20 minutes. After a brief chill in the fridge they are ready to enjoy with your afternoon cup of coffee.
This Swedish Chocolate Ball recipe is a Scandinavian classic on par with cookies like Swedish Oatmeal Cookies (Havreflarn), Swedish Chocolate Cookie Slices and Pepparkakor. You will find them at nearly every bakery you visit in Sweden. Chokladbollar are often one of the first treats that children in Sweden learn to make because the recipe is simple and requires no stove or oven, making it a fun and safe kitchen activity for kids.
Jump to:
The Ingredients for No-Bake Swedish Chocolate Balls
- Old-fashioned rolled oats provide the structure of these no bake cookies and give them a hearty texture.
- Butter brings richness and helps the balls hold together.
- Granulated sugar provides sweetness.
- Salt helps bring out the best in all of the other flavors in this recipe and provides a necessary counter balance for the sugar.
- Cocoa powder adds chocolatey flavor.
- Chocolate chips are not a typical ingredient in Chokladbollar, but they are a nice addition as they bring extra chocolate flavor and a nice contrast in texture.
- Vanilla extract adds floral notes and rounds out the chocolate flavor in these cookies.
- Brewed coffee is a delightful addition which enhances the flavor of the cocoa powder and chocolate, and gives the oat balls a slight mocha flavor.
- Pearl sugar or sprinkles make a nice crunchy coating for chokladbollar. Pearl sugar can be found in Scandinavian specialty stores and online.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Substitutions
- If you don't have a food processor, simply use quick cooking oats in place of the rolled oats. These are already processed more finely than rolled oats so they don't require any additional chopping. Chop the chocolate chips by hand with a knife or simply use mini chocolate chips instead.
- If you don't like coffee, feel free to use milk or even water in place of the coffee.
- You can omit the chocolate chips entirely if you prefer.
- In place of the pearl sugar and/or sprinkles, consider using flaked coconut or even freeze-dried raspberries that have been pulsed in the food processor as a coating for these balls.
Variations
- Vegan: Substitute vegan butter or coconut oil for the regular butter and make sure that your chocolate chips and cocoa powder are vegan.
- Gluten-free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats. While oats do not technically contain gluten, they need to be processed in a gluten-free facility in order to be gluten-free.
How to Make This Recipe
- Step 1: Pulse the oats in the food processor until they have broken down a bit. This should take about 8 pulses. Transfer the oats to a bowl and set aside.
- Step 2: Place the chocolate chips in the now empty work bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the chips have broken down somewhat. Transfer the chocolate to the bowl with the oats.
- Step 3: Combine the coffee, cocoa powder and vanilla together in a small bowl. Stir until the cocoa powder has dissolved. Set aside.
- Step 4: Cream the butter, sugar and salt together in a mixer or by hand until light in color and fluffy. Add the cocoa mixture, oats and chocolate to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Step 5: Roll the mixture into balls that are about an inch in diameter.
- Step 6: Roll in pearl sugar or sprinkles, pressing as necessary to adhere. Chill and serve!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to chop the oats for best results. I tested this recipe using whole rolled oats and chopped, and the chopped oats were the hands-down winner. The texture is still pleasantly oat-y but also refined.
- If you are having a hard time rolling the balls into a perfect ball shape, chill the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes and try again. These balls should be easy to roll right away, but if you feel the mixture is too soft to work with, chilling it briefly will harden it up a bit.
- The balls must not be fully chilled in order for the coating to stick. If you have briefly chilled the balls prior to rolling, that will be fine but the coating won't stick to a fully chilled ball. Let them warm up a bit or roll them between your hands prior to rolling in the coating.
- Lightly press the coating into the surface of each ball as necessary to get it to adhere. It may take a little effort to get that coating to stick so be patient and don't be afraid to press down so that it stays put.
Recipe FAQs
They must remained chilled so store them tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chokladbollar are often associated with fika, the Swedish custom of taking a break to enjoy coffee and a small treat with friends, family, or colleagues. Swedish Chocolate Balls are a popular choice during fika because they are quick and easy to make, require no baking, and are delicious with coffee.
Related Recipes
Looking for more fun Scandinavian cookie recipes? Here are a few delicious favorites from the blog:
If you tried this No-Bake Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
No-Bake Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats pulsed 8-10 times in a food processor
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips pulsed 8-10 times in a food processor
- Pearl sugar sprinkless or shredded coconut for rolling the balls
Instructions
- Combine the coffee, vanilla and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter, sugar and salt together until light and fluffy. Add the coffee/cocoa mixture, the chopped oats and chocolate. Stir to combine.
- Roll the mixture into balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Roll the balls in pearl sugar, sprinkles or coconut. Chill until firm.
Anne
Can these be frozen?
Kristi
Yes!