Chokladbollar: Swedish No-Bake Chocolate Oat Balls

During our winter journey through Sweden, we discovered something that would forever change our afternoon snack routine: chokladbollar. These delightful Swedish chocolate oat balls became our daily obsession, transforming every afternoon into a cozy celebration of Sweden’s beloved fika culture. If you’re ready to make them, simply hit the “jump to recipe” button! Or scroll through below for more details and tips.

Discovering Chokladbollar Through Swedish Fika

Fika isn’t just a coffee break, it’s a Swedish institution that celebrates the art of slowing down. This cherished tradition involves gathering with others over coffee and pastries, creating moments of connection in our busy lives. Almost every afternoon during our Swedish adventure, we found ourselves embracing this beautiful custom, and chokladbollar quickly became our favorite treat during this ritual. (That and the cinnamon buns too, but still working on that recipe!)

These no-bake chocolate oat balls appeared everywhere: in charming cafés, in restaurants, and even grocery stores. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of rich cocoa, coffee, hearty oats, and sweet coconut. (And the good ones have a butteriness to them as well!) It’s a combination that captures the essence of Scandinavian comfort food … a little coffee and something sweet shared with friends.

A Snowmobile Guide’s Favorite Brand

Our snowmobile guide was particularly passionate about a specific chokladbollar brand. We paused for fika on a frozen lake during our tour, where he gave us each a pre-wrapped chokladbollar and a paper cup of hot lingonberry juice. Between navigating us through snowy landscapes and sharing stories of Swedish wilderness, he couldn’t stop raving about his favorite store-bought brand. His enthusiasm was infectious, so I took a picture of it and we found ourselves on a mission to track down these legendary chocolate balls at every grocery store we visited.

We finally discovered his beloved brand nestled in a supermarket in Stockholm. So of course we bought a package to bring home, hoping to extend our Swedish fika experience and share it with friends.

The Challenge of Finding Chokladbollar at Home

Back home, reality set in quickly. Swedish fika treats aren’t exactly abundant in most of our grocery stores. Our precious stash of chokladbollar disappeared faster than we’d anticipated, leaving us with a serious craving and no easy way to satisfy it. That’s when we decided to take matters into our own hands and recreate these beloved treats in our own kitchen.

Making Homemade Chokladbollar

After researching traditional recipes and experimenting with ingredients, we perfected our own version of chokladbollar. The beauty of these treats lies in their simplicity. There’s no baking required, just mixing, rolling, and chilling. Here’s our tried-and-true chokladbollar recipe:

Swedish Chocolate Oatmeal Ball Recipe

Like our recipe for Swedish crispbread, we had to adjust the measurements from deciliters to cups to make this recipe at home in the U.S. First, gather together your ingredients:

• 100 g (1/2 cup) butter, room-temperature
• 3/4 dl (1/3 cup) sugar
• 3 dl (1 1/5 cup) oatmeal (flaked oats)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• 2-3 tbsp strong cold coffee
• 1 dl (2/5 cups) dried shredded coconut (unsweetened)

In a bowl, stir the butter and sugar together until they are evenly blended.

Add the oatmeal, vanilla powder, cacao powder, and coffee. Mix until you have a smooth batter.

Roll the batter into small balls. They are typically a little smaller than a golf ball. Then pour the coconut onto a plate and roll the balls until they are covered in coconut.

Store the chocolate balls in the fridge. And when you’re ready to eat them, serve with coffee as afternoon fika.

Tips for Perfect Chokladbollar

The key to authentic chokladbollar lies in the details. Use room-temperature butter for easy mixing. And don’t skip the coffee as it adds depth and enhances the chocolate flavor without making the balls taste like coffee. The mixture should hold together well when rolled, but if it’s too sticky, chill it for 30 minutes before shaping.

Traditional chokladbollar are rolled in coconut, but some Swedish variations use pearl sugar or chopped nuts. We prefer the classic coconut coating, which adds a subtle sweetness and delightful texture contrast.

Bringing Swedish Fika Home

Making chokladbollar at home has become our way of keeping the spirit of Swedish fika alive. We’ve discovered that these simple treats have the power to transform any ordinary afternoon into something special. Whether we’re taking a break from work or entertaining friends, serving homemade chokladbollar with freshly brewed coffee instantly creates that cozy, unhurried atmosphere that makes fika so great.

The best part? Unlike many traditional Swedish treats, chokladbollar require no special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Everything you need is likely already in your pantry, making it easy to satisfy those sudden cravings for Swedish comfort food.

Storage and Freshness Tips

Proper storage is essential for maintaining the perfect texture of your chokladbollar. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for up to one week. The cold temperature helps them maintain their shape and prevents the butter from becoming too soft.

For longer storage, chokladbollar freeze beautifully for up to three months. Place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours.

We’ve found that chokladbollar actually improve after chilling overnight, as the flavors meld together and the texture becomes perfectly firm yet still tender to bite.

A Taste of Sweden, Anytime

Our Swedish adventure may have ended, but the tradition of chokladbollar lives on in our kitchen. Every time we roll these chocolate oat balls and dust them with coconut, we’re transported back to those snowy afternoons in Sweden, sharing stories with our enthusiastic snowmobile guide and discovering the gentle art of fika.

These chokladbollar represent more than just a recipe. They’re a reminder to slow down, savor simple pleasures, and create moments of connection over good food and warm conversation. In a world that often moves too fast, perhaps we all need a little more fika in our lives.

Have you tried making chokladbollar at home? We’d love to hear about your own Swedish fika experiences in the comments below!

MORE RECIPES + STORIES YOU’LL LOVE

Chocolate Chip Oatcakes Recipe

What To Pack For Winter In Sweden

Swedish Crispbread Recipe

Gulab Jamun Recipe (sweet rose flavored donut holes)