9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (2024)

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The sweet and nutty powder that makes desserts more flavorful.

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The Serious Eats Team

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Published September 06, 2019

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9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (1)

Spend enough time sifting through the Serious Eats dessert archives and baking your way through Stella Parks' masterful recipes, and you'll notice a common thread running through many of our favorite treats: malted milk powder. The mixture of wheat flour, malted barley extracts, and milk adds a layer of nutty, rich, butterscotch-like flavor to all sorts of sweets. And because of the lactose it contains, malted milk powder helps baked goods brown evenly. In other words, malted milk powder can do no wrong, and these nine recipes prove our point.

  • Malted Chocolate Chip–Pecan Cookies

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (2)

    A combination of white sugar and barley malt syrup makes these cookies soft and chewy in the middle, with perfectly crisped edges. Malted milk powder joins the sugars in tenderizing the cookies, and adds the needed lactose for them to brown evenly in the oven. Chunks of rich, buttery pecans round out an already-rich and flavorful cookie.

    Get the recipe for Malted Chocolate Chip–Pecan Cookies

  • Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (3)

    Brown butter and malted milk powder turn these otherwise-classic shortbread cookies into something extraordinary. Thanks to a low moisture content, these cookies are tender and chewy, and will keep for weeks in an airtight container. That means you'll probably want to make a double batch—at least.

    Get the recipe for Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies

  • Homemade Brownie Mix

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (4)

    There's no denying that the ease and convenience of boxed brownie mix is great. But the flavor is often so-so. This homemade mix stores well for up to one year, and bakes rich, dark fudgy brownies every time.

    Get the recipe for Homemade Brownie Mix

  • Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (5)

    The only thing better than a chocolate chip cookie? A very, very big chocolate chip cookie. Though this enormous cookie bakes up to look like a decadent cake, it's made with a classic chocolate chip cookie dough, plus a few teaspoons of malted milk powder. The addition of malted milk powder contributes a rich nuttiness, and pairs nicely with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

    Get the recipe for Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

    Continue to 5 of 9 below.

  • Stovetop Butterscotch Pudding

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (6)

    This velvety butterscotch pudding is best served warm, but it certainly does the trick when it's cold and slightly wobbly, too. The pudding gets its creaminess from white chocolate—a light flavor that doesn't overpower the flavors of malted milk powder and toasted sugar.

    Get the recipe for Stovetop Butterscotch Pudding

  • Homemade Chipwiches

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (7)

    This recipe produces a twist on the classic ice cream sandwich. While the cookies may seem oddly soft and cakey straight out of the oven, they're perfectly crunchy but tender when filled with creamy fior di latte gelato, and frozen. Malted milk powder added to the cookies ensures they remain complexly flavored even after they're chilled.

    Get the recipe for Homemade Chipwiches

  • Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (8)

    The idea of hot chocolate mix is great, but the storebought stuff tends to be one-note and overly sweet. By making your own mix, you can have a constant supply of thick, decadent hot chocolate. Our recipe combines toasted sugar, white chocolate, dark chocolate, instant espresso powder, and malted milk powder.

    Get the recipe for Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

  • Pumpkin Skillet Coffee Cake With Streusel Topping

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (9)

    This coffee cake is something between a pumpkin streusel muffin and a rich, chewy blondie. It's hearty, satisfying, and warmly spiced. Melted white chocolate in the cake dough gives it a fudgy texture, while malted milk powder bumps up and accentuates the earthiness of pumpkin.

    Get the recipe for Pumpkin Skillet Coffee Cake With Streusel Topping

    Continue to 9 of 9 below.

  • Texas Sheet Cake

    9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (10)

    As soon as this enormous slab of chocolate cake comes out of the oven, it's covered in a hot fudge and buried under a mountain of crunchy pecans. Thank malted milk powder for the undercurrent of toffee that runs through each bite.

    Get the recipe for Texas Sheet Cake

  • Desserts
9 Dessert Recipes Starring Malted Milk Powder (2024)

FAQs

What can I make with dry malt powder? ›

In other words, malted milk powder can do no wrong, and these nine recipes prove our point.
  1. Malted Chocolate Chip–Pecan Cookies. ...
  2. Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies. ...
  3. Homemade Brownie Mix. ...
  4. Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie. ...
  5. Stovetop Butterscotch Pudding. ...
  6. Homemade Chipwiches. ...
  7. Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix.
Sep 6, 2019

What does malt powder do to cookies? ›

The blend of concentrated grain extracts gives malted milk powder a roasted, toasty, earthy flavor, while the powdered milk adds a bit of creamy richness. In the oven, the extra lactose helps baked goods brown, while also lending a cooked-milk flavor along the lines of butterscotch or toffee.

How much malted milk powder to add to brownie mix? ›

Nowadays, I always level up a batch of brownies, whether they're chewy homemade or from a box (like our pecan pie brownies), by adding malted milk powder directly to the batter. A few tablespoonfuls is all you need to take your brownies from good to great.

Can you bake with malted milk powder? ›

Carnation malted milk powder is the most common variety sold in grocery stores, and because it doesn't contain any additional flavorings (like chocolate) it's the perfect thing to amp up baked goods without changing their flavor profile.

How to use malt powder in baking? ›

The best way to use diastatic malt is as a replacement for some of the sugar in your recipe. It is important to use it sparingly, as too much malt can lead to over-proofed dough and an unpleasant sour taste. Many bread flours already have added malt powder, so be sure to check the ingredients before adding any more.

What is the difference between malt powder and malted milk powder? ›

Malt powder is made from wheat flour and another grain, usually barley. On the other hand, malted milk powder is malt powder with milk solids added to it.

What does malt powder do in ice cream? ›

What Is a Malt Ice Cream? Malted milk ice cream is ice cream made with milk that has the addition of malted milk powder before going through the churning and freezing process. The barley in the malt gives the milk a slightly earthy and savory flavor that complements the sweetness of the ice cream.

Can you sprinkle malt powder on ice cream? ›

Enhance classic ice cream flavors: Malted milk powder can be sprinkled over vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or frozen custard — it'll make the flavors taste richer and warming, even though they're frozen. It's also delicious as a garnish dusted on top of chocolate cake.

Is Ovaltine the same as malted milk powder? ›

Ovaltine, a powdered chocolate drink created in 1904, is another type of malted milk powder, though it has other ingredients in it so can't be used exactly the same way.

How long does malted milk powder last? ›

Most manufacturers recommend using powdered milk (also known as dried milk) within 18 months, but this is really just a "best by" date. According to the USDA, powdered milk can be stored indefinitely. 1 An unopened package is probably still usable for 2 to 10 years after the printed "best by" date.

Is malted milk powder healthy? ›

It's full of antioxidants that may help in brain development and boost memory. “Malted milk is a great source of zinc, magnesium, vitamin A, and B12,” said Jo. According to her, these nutrients are essential for brain development, especially among children.

What does milk powder do in desserts? ›

“Milk powder has an amazing way of adding a terrific baseline flavor,” she explains. “It can make ice creams milkier, denser, silkier—and cookies chewier.” It's the sort of “secret weapon ingredient” that doesn't taste like anything special straight out of the container, but works magic when it's included in a recipe.

Is it cheaper to buy brownie mix or make from scratch? ›

It was about three times more expensive to make the brownies from scratch than to use a mix, owing mostly to the cost of chocolate and walnuts.

How to make brownies even better? ›

Crushed potato chips, pretzels, and salted nuts stirred in or sprinkled on before baking can add textural interest, plus a little savoriness that can make the rich chocolate flavor more pronounced. A shower of sea salt or flaky salt like Maldon over baked brownies before slicing makes for a dramatic, sparkly finish.

Is malted milk powder good for you? ›

“Malted milk is rich in vitamin B6, B12, riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid, folate, and thiamin,” Jo explains. “All of these help in metabolizing macronutrients to provide your body with energy throughout the day.” It helps keep skin fresh and healthy.

Can you put malted milk powder in hot coffee? ›

In serving glass or mug, combine warmed chocolate milk, hot espresso, malted milk powder and syrup. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with chocolate whipped topping and shaved chocolate, if desired. Serve immediately.

What does malted milk powder do to milkshakes? ›

What Is a Malt? A malt, or a "malted shake," is a milkshake made with the addition of malted milk powder. This gives the shake a bit of a toasty, rich taste that enhances classic milkshake flavors like chocolate or vanilla. It also creates a thicker consistency.

Is malted milk powder the same as ovaltine? ›

Ovaltine, a powdered chocolate drink created in 1904, is another type of malted milk powder, though it has other ingredients in it so can't be used exactly the same way.

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