Basic chokladbollar ingredients: Oats
These were part of my peanut butter chokladbollar and I wanted a little bit of a crunch so I left some of the oats unbroken
Oats are the base of a classic Swedish chokladboll
The type of rolled oats you choose can affect the way your homemade chokladboll ends up. Either more crunchy and raw or mixed in thoroughly well to have a creamier texture. I like somewhere in between. Not too raw, not too creamy/mushy.
There are a lot of choices:
Oat Bran
Oat flakes
Instant baby oats
Instant oats
Raw German rolled oats
Steel cut oats
WHICH ones should you choose!? Well it really depends how you’re going to be making your chokladboll mixture.
If you are going to be mixing with a spoon and your hands then I recommend getting oat flakes or instant oats or instant baby oats. The rolled oats have enough texture but won’t be too hard or raw when mixed with the wet ingredients.
On another note, if you will be mixing with your hands, make sure to ‘break up’ the oats in the bowl when you’ve measured it out and poured it in your mixing bowl. You want to have a consistency that looks similar to oat bran or crushed biscuits. Try not to use oat bran because you will need to double up on the amount of oat bran because the wet ingredients will turn the oat bran into mush and it will be very difficult to roll them up into balls.
These organic quick cook oats by Etblisse is one of my favorite oat brands that I like to use
This is what the Etblisse oat flakes look like
I like to also use Gyllenhamars havre gryn in Sweden. A picture of classic vegan chokladbollar rolled in cacao powder
If you use an electric mixer…
Sometimes I make my chokladbollar with my latest “toy” - a Philips electric mixer - to save time and prep more complicated chocolate infusions, stuffings, or toppings. I let the mixer run while I add each dry ingredient and wet ingredient. Its one of my geeky joys to watch everything churn away into the spinning mixer.
The oats that you choose can be a little rougher or bigger but you still need to ‘break up’ and mix the mixture with your hands every now and then.
Safety precaution: Don’t forget to stop the electric mixer before you stick your hands in the bowl!
My mixer makes a loud whirring sound and can be very powerful. There’s a automatic turning function while it mixes.
If you use a food processor…
You can use any rolled oats and blend it to the slightly sticky, almost cookie dough like texture once all the dry and wet ingredients are mixed in. I do not own a food processor yet so won’t comment much further.
What is the difference between rolled oats and steel cut oats?
Rolled oats are originally from oat groats that have been minimally processed. The oat groats are stripped from its husks and steamed before being rolled into flat flakes and then lightly toasted. Precooked instant oats are the thinnest and most processed for a quicker cook time. Because of this, instant oats are the best for making protein balls, bliss balls, chokladbollar, and your other oatmeal baking needs.
Steel cut oats are less processed and have a thicker and chewier texture. These aren’t great to use for making chokladbollar
Oatmeal is good for you!
The word processed gets a bad reputation these days, but when it comes to oats - any kind of oat is good for you and substituting regular flour with oat flour or using oats for baking or overnight oats or plain porridge is a healthy way to increase the nutritional value in your diet.
I tend to make my classic chokladbollar with more cacao, dark chocolate, coffee, and less butter because I like the rich intense flavors and want something that taste like a treat but is somewhat semi healthy. But all things in moderation, you eat too much - weight gain will happen!