These are no-bake oat-coconut balls with cocoa powder. Simple to make and great in taste. These are also called Delicato balls.

Many people know about these Swedish oat balls since they are sold in IKEA. You can buy this type of chocolate ball in every grocery store in Sweden and cafes.

These are perfect little treats with a cup of coffee. These taste chocolaty with every bite. The consistency is soft. You can roll these balls small or make them bigger.

If you like chocolaty treats then you need to try out kladdkaka-Swedish chocolate cake and brownies.

What are delicato balls?

Delicato balls are Swedish oat-chocolate balls rolled in shredded coconut. They are also often dipped in dark chocolate before rolling in the coconut. Delicato balls have a mocha flavor meaning they are flavored with strong coffee.

Going to a cafe in Sweden, you can see these delicato balls sold. They might also be called kokosbollar. If you like a hint of coffee flavor, vanilla, and coconut, you must try one. For example, the coffee shop Espressohouse sells these all around Scandinavia and Germany.

Chocolate/delicato balls can also be called oatmeal balls; in Swedish havregrynsbollar.

Ingredients

Butter. Butter has salt that goes perfect with chocolate. If you use unsalted butter, you can add a pinch of salt to the batter.
Rolled oats. Use small rolled oats.
Cocoa powder. You need dutch processed dark cocoa.
Sugar. Granulated regular white sugar works great.
Shredded coconut. Use quite finely shredded coconut.
Coffee. Use espresso or dark-roasted strong coffee. You can also use coffee powder mixed with water.
Vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. Vanilla sugar is usually used in Scandinavia, but any vanilla flavoring works.

The best type of oats for chocolate balls

For these oat balls, you need pretty small rolled oats to get a smoother consistency for your chocolate balls. Do not use big rolled oats. Even quick oats work great for these balls.

If you only have large rolled oats at home, you can first make them smaller in your food processor by pulsing them a few times as dry as their own without the other ingredients.

Equipment

The balls are easiest to make in a food processor, throw all ingredients in and mix into a smooth consistency.

You can do well without a food processor. I used a hand mixer. You can even mix everything with just a spoon. -in this method, the type of oats is vital since the food processor cuts them at the same time, but by mixing with a spoon, you get the oats as a whole, and the consistency of the balls might come out different.

Instructions

Mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla with the hand mixer until thoroughly combined.

Add the coffee and mix in. Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix into a well-combined batter.

Take a spoonful of the mixture and roll it between your hands to form a small ball. The batter makes 16 medium-sized balls.

rolled chocolate balls in coconut flakes.

Roll in the coconut flakes and set them aside. Refrigerate until firm.

More flavor options

Rum flavor. You can add some rum extract. About five drops give a slight hint to the dough.
Whisky. This taste is for adults; add a few tablespoons of real whisky to the batter.
Orange zest. This is uncommon in the balls, but I think it would pair nicely. Some organic grated orange zest goes well with dark chocolate.

How do you make these taste like the Ikea chocolate balls?

Ikea chocolate balls are like this recipe with the variation that they are also dipped in dark chocolate. To make these taste like IKEA-oat balls, Dip the balls in melted chocolate (thin layer) and leave them on a rack to cool. Then roll in the shredded coconut as the final layer.

To get the best consistency and longest storing, you need to use tempered chocolate; otherwise, the chocolate melts and might get spots on it.

Easy bake sale, no-bake item

These oat balls are perfect to make for a bake sale at school or another fundraising. Kids can also make these independently since no appliances or oven is needed. You can sell them in a pretty package set of three or six balls or make these into bigger delicato balls and sell them individually.

We used to do these all the time as kids. Yes, popular in Finland also, but I went to a Swedish school, so maybe that´s why. If you have a Northern heritage, these are such a nice treat to take to school or work and serve to your friends and say these are a Scandinavian treat.

coffee cup with aa delicato ball. — Enjoy these as Fika-Read an article about Swedish Fika.

Adjusting for special diets

Gluten-free. Oats and coconut are gluten-free, but they might be processed in a facility with gluten. It is safest to choose rolled oats that are labeled as gluten-free.
Vegan. To make these chocolate balls vegan, use a vegan butter substitute. I like the VIOLIFE Vioblock vegan margarine, a mix of coconut oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil. This has the most flavor. You can also use regular margarine.
Milk-free. Swap the butter for milk-free margarine.
Sugar-free. Instead of sugar, you can use stevia sugar or erythritol, also known as keto sugar.

A cake plate with swedish chocolate coconut balls and yellow napkin and some lavendels in background.

Storing

Store the oat-chocolate balls in an airtight container in the fridge. Take them 30 minutes before serving so the butter feels softer and tastes much better at room temperature. It just melts in the mouth.

An airtight container is best for storing since it ensures they don't get any unpleasant flavors from your fridge. The balls keep for about a week. You can even freeze them.

More Swedish treats