Havregrynskugler are Danish oatmeal balls that were invited in 1943 when the German forces occupied Denmark. Because of the occupation, some of the products were scarce, and the Danes were using ration stamps to purchase certain products, such as sugar and butter.
Havregrynskugler is also a traditional pastry in Sweden, but they have a different name for these delicious oatmeal balls, which is Chokladbollar (chocolate balls).
Oatmeal balls are a very popular pastry, especially among children in Scandinavia, and they are so easy to make that even and child can do it, and many of us Danes have made them in our childhood. We do not just make them during December in Denmark, although that is when they are most common on kitchen tables, they can be enjoyed all year round.
Cocoa oatmeal balls recipe
While the original oatmeal balls recipe was published in a small booklet on page 62 for housewives called Ingenuity in a time of crisis (Danish: Opfindsomhed i en krisetid) during the second world war, it has both been improved and the measurements have been adjusted since then, and the version below is a present-day version. The original cocoa oatmeal balls recipe was as follows: 125g oatmeal, 100g butter, 100g powdered sugar, 25g cocoa, rum essence or almond essence, and coffee.
Cocoa oatmeal balls ingredients
- 4.5-decilitre fine-cut oatmeal
- 2-decilitre powdered sugar
- 2-decilitre desiccated coconut
- 0.5-decilitre cocoa powder
- 100-gram butter
- 1.5 tablespoons of water (the water can be exchanged with rum for adults)
How to make Cocoa oatmeal balls
- Put the sugar, cocoa, oatmeal, and butter into a bowl and mix it together with a hand blender.
- Add the water and mix it until it sticks together.
- Roll the dough into about 25 small balls, and then roll them in the desiccated coconut.
- Place them in the refrigerator until they are firm.
Serve the Havregrynskugler with a glass of milk, or a cup of tea or coffee. They taste best the same day that they are made.