Malted milk powder is most associated with chocolate-covered malted milk balls eaten at the movie theater, or in milkshakes. But before it was a confection, this ingredient was used in the mid-1800s to keep babies healthy. It was also used to provide a nutritious option for travelers and servicemen who couldn't always get fresh foods. Today, most malted milk powder still gets made with three key ingredients: barley, evaporated whole milk, and wheat flour.
What is Malted Milk Powder?
Created in 1869 by James and William Horlick, two British brothers living in Wisconsin, malted milk powder originally got made from evaporated whole milk powder, barley and wheat flour. The idea behind the product was to offer infants a nutritional supplement and to treat digestive orders. Soon after, the malt powder got used as rations for emergency services and military expeditions. Eventually the ingredient maintained popularity as the key ingredient in a sweet drink dubbed "malted milk," which involved the powder mixed with milk and chocolate syrup.
The malted milk drink went out of fashion in the early 1900s when another creamy malted beverage took its place: the malted milkshake. Reportedly invented in 1922 by Ivar "Pop" Coulson, a soda jerk who worked at a Walgreens in Chicago. He was the first to popularize adding malted milk powder to ice cream, something that's still a beloved dessert today. Malted milk powder can be used in other dishes as well, though often it's best for desserts and sweet foods.
Related: How to Make an Ice Cream Milkshake
How to Use Malted Milk Powder
The easiest way to incorporate malted milk powder is to add it to a milkshake, about three tablespoons per serving. Though this proves popular, it's not the only use for the ingredient. Take chocolate or vanilla malt powder and add to frosting for a new layer of flavor. It's also good in baked goods and can take a basic chocolate chip cookie and bring it to a whole new level, imparting a subtle, richer difference.
Also use malted milk powder to make a lighter version of chocolate milk or hot chocolate. Whipped into cream, the ingredient sings as well, giving more body and a touch of sweetness. Cooks can even add malted milk powder to homemade barbecue sauce for an extra dash of sweetness and some oomph to the condiment that will have people wondering what's in it.
Alone, malted milk powder isn't appetizing. But once mixed with ice cream, soda, milk or in a smoothie, it gives those foods a new level of flavor. Since the two flavors are either chocolate or vanilla, the taste depends on which one is chosen. Once added, the malted milk powder gives a creamy, milky and sweet essence to the food. In a way it rounds out the flavors already there.
Recipes
When using malted milk powder in recipes there's a lot of wiggle room for over and under measuring. It's easy to work with and can be added to so many, mostly sweet foods without altering the cooking or baking chemistry. But before starting on a malted experiment, try one of these tested recipes first.
Classic Vanilla Malted Milkshake
Chocolate Cupcakes With Malted Milk Frosting
Malted Milk Powder Selection
When shopping for either the chocolate or vanilla malted milk powder make sure to look for actual malted milk powder, not malt or powdered milk or malt syrup. These aren't the same things. The main maker of commercial malted milk powder is Nestle Carnation, though there are some smaller brands on the market as well. 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.
Malted Milk Powder Storage
Keep in an airtight container away from moisture. Water is the main destroyer of malted milk powder since it's a dehydrated product. Unopened, this ingredient can last years, which is one reason it's used for dry good rations.
Malted milk or malt powder is a powder made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. The powder is used to add its distinctive flavor to beverages and other foods, but it is also used in baking to help dough cook properly.
Soymilk powder and rice malt syrup are two non-dairy options that have subtle flavors and sweetness that can be great if you're trying to avoid allergic reactions. Ovaltine is a wonderful substitute for malted milk powder if you're interested in a bit of chocolate being added to the mix.
Malted milk powder is a combination of malted products (usually malted barley and malted wheat flour) mixed with evaporated milk powder. It adds a distinctive sweetness that some describe as toasty.
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.
“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.
Powdered milk can be substituted for malted milk powder as long as you add sugar or a sweetener, since powdered milk is unsweetened. However, malted milk powder does not make a good substitute for powdered milk because it contains additional ingredients and has a much sweeter taste.
Diastatic malt powder is made by taking a grain (often barley), sprouting it, drying it, and then grinding it into a fine flour. By letting the grain form a small sprout, the enzymes within it are activated.
Malt extract is also often used in commercial bread baking to improve the browning and add depth and a touch of sweetness. The same goes for malted milk powder in your home baking.
So how should you use these two ingredients and where will you find them? Malted milk powder is the easier to find of the two ingredients, available in most grocery stores from nostalgic brands like Ovaltine, Nesquik, Milo, and Nestlé Carnation.
See what I mean with the layers? That is why products with malted milk powder taste so scrumptious! They've got a lot of good stuff going on. In addition to the flavor that malted milk powder imparts, the extra flour thickens baked goods further and creates a chewier product.
Canada has banned the sale of a string of iconic British foods such as Marmite, Ovaltine and Irn-Bru because they contain illegal additives, it was claimed.
Ovaltine was developed in 1904 by chemist Albert Wander (1867–1950), in Bern, Switzerland, where it is also known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for "egg", and malt, which were originally its key ingredients).
In 2002, Novartis divested its Health Food Division and sold Wander Ltd and many of its famous brands to Associated British Foods (ABF), one of Europe's largest food companies. The Ovomaltine (Ovaltine) powder for all the European markets is still produced in Neuenegg, Switzerland.
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.
Even quick breads can benefit from malted milk powder, as the lactose (milk sugar) in the milk solids will help promote browning. Additionally, it's ideal for adding flavor to pancakes, waffles, and whipped cream.
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.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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