5 Best Malted Milk Powder for Milkshakes/Baking/Ice Cream

Malted milk powder is a mix of grains like barley and wheat and evaporated whole milk powder.

It’s a common ingredient in beverages like hot cocoa or milkshakes, but it’s also an ingredient you can use to add a unique sweet and nutty flavor to baked goods.

However, not all malted milk powder products are the same. Read on to learn more about the best malt powder money can buy.

Five Best Malted Milk Powders Review

The following products stand out in terms of taste and quality.

• Best for Everyday Use: Carnation Malted Milk
• Best Malt Powder for Milkshakes: Soda Fountain Malted Milk Powder
• Best Diastatic Malt Powder: Anthony’s Diastatic Dry Malt Powder
• Best Chocolate Malt Powder: Nestle Ovaltine Milk Flavoring Chocolate Malt
• Best Classic Malt Flavor: King Arthur Malted Milk Powder

Best for Everyday Use: Carnation Malted Milk

You can’t go wrong with a classic. Carnation has been making quality food products since 1899, and you’re probably familiar with staples like condensed milk or breakfast powder mixes.

Carnation’s malted milk powder has a pleasant and slightly nutty flavor thanks to the quality wheat flour and malted barley extracts used.

From a nutritional point of view, you’ll get 90 calories and two grams of protein for three tablespoons. We like the fact that this product is low in sodium. However, a serving contains 12 grams of added sugar.

Carnation is an excellent choice if you’re looking for an affordable malted milk powder you can use to make your daily breakfast drink. It’s also the best malted milk powder for pancakes since it’s easy to measure.

Pros

• Great value with a three-pack available.
• Carnation is a classic brand that delivers a quality product.
• The bottle packaging is convenient for measuring the powder and storing it.

Cons

• This product contains added sugar.

Best Malt Powder for Milkshakes: Soda Fountain Malted Milk Powder

Available in three sizes, this malted milk powder from Soda Fountain is an excellent option for making milkshakes, homemade ice cream, or baked goods. You can save by purchasing the one or two-pound container.

The brand uses natural ingredients, including malted barley and wheat extracts, sugar, milk, salt, and baking soda. The list of ingredients is short and doesn’t include any added chemicals.

The downside of this product is that it’s richer in carbs and added sugar compared to other brands, but it’s still an excellent option for an occasional treat.

Pros

• Save with a large canister.
• Great sweet and nutty flavor.
• The product doesn’t contain any unnecessary ingredients.

Cons

• There are 15g of added sugar for two tablespoons.
• You’ll also get 18g of carbs for two tablespoons.

Best Diastatic Malt Powder: Anthony’s Diastatic Dry Malt Powder

Why should you use a diastatic malt powder?

This type of malt powder contains enzymes that enhance the natural reaction that occurs when you bake with yeast. These enzymes support the formation of starch, which is essential when baking bread.

This diastatic malt powder from Anthony’s is your best bet if you want to make baked goods with a sweet and nutty aroma. It contains fewer carbs and added sugar compared to other brands, and the enzymes will result in a fluffy texture combined with a crispy crust.

Pros

• The diastatic enzymes result in better-baked goods.
• Healthier than other malted milk mixes.
• The list of ingredients is simple and transparent.

Cons

• The pouch container isn’t ideal for long-term storage.

Best Chocolate Malt Powder: Nestle Ovaltine Milk Flavoring Chocolate Malt

Chocolate and malted milk are popular flavor combinations. You can enjoy this delicious mix of sweet and nutty flavors with this product from Ovaltine.

We highly recommend this chocolate-flavored powder for breakfast drinks since Ovaltine adds 12 essential vitamins and nutrients to this product, including the four nutrients young children are more likely to lack [1].

It’s a great alternative to fortified breakfast cereal if you have children who don’t like to eat in the morning.

Pros

• Great value with a pack of six.
• Three flavors, including chocolate malt, classic malt, and rich chocolate.
• There are 12 essential vitamins and nutrients added to this malt powder mix.

Cons

• There are 9 grams of added sugar per serving.

Best Classic Malt Flavor: King Arthur Malted Milk Powder

Look no further if you want to recreate the classic malted milkshake flavor from vintage soda fountains.

King Arthur makes one of the best malted milk powders with a rich nutty aroma and characteristic malt taste.

This product contains a mix of malted barley, wheat, and hydrolyzed wheat gluten, an ingredient that can enhance baked goods’ nutritional value and texture.

It’s an ideal malt powder for baking thanks to the small amount of added sugar, but it’s also an excellent product for milkshakes, ice cream, and hot cocoa, thanks to its strong nutty flavor.

Pros

• One of the best tasting classic malt flavors.
• The hydrolyzed wheat gluten will improve the texture of baked goods.

Cons

• It costs more than other products.
• It contains more sodium than other malt mix powders.

What to Consider When Choosing a Malted Milk Powder

Are all malted milk powders the same? The answer is no. It’s essential to consider ingredients and consider what you’ll do with the powder before choosing a product.

Check the Ingredients

You should always take a few minutes to review the ingredients when buying any kind of food. As a general rule of thumb, the fewer ingredients, the better. If you want a product with natural ingredients, consider the malted milk powder from King Arthur since it’s a recognized B-corporation [2].

Malted milk powder should have three key ingredients: wheat, barley, and milk. If you plan on using the product to make malt-flavored drinks, milkshakes, or ice cream, you don’t need any additional ingredients.

However, there are benefits to choosing a product with additional ingredients like baking soda, wheat gluten, or enzymes for baking.

Unfortunately, there are no recommendations for the best gluten-free malt powder since the main ingredients, wheat, and barley, contain gluten.

Consider Quantities, Price, and Containers

Many Americans turned to baking during the pandemic. If you discovered a passion for making bread or are one of the 72% of consumers [3] who prefer products that remind them of their childhood, malt milk powder is a staple that will take your confections to the next level.

It’s fine to opt for a larger container that will help you save money if you bake regularly or simply want to keep your pantry stocked.

However, we recommend smaller containers for making daily breakfast drinks since these containers will be easier to store and handle, especially if your children are preparing these drinks by themselves.

You may like: Top 15 Diastatic & Non-diastatic Malt Powder Substitutes

Conclusion

Malted milk powder is a great food staple to keep around the house.

We reviewed malted breakfast drinks and milkshakes and recommend Carnation Malted Milk for its classic malt taste or Nestle Ovaltine Milk Flavoring Chocolate Malt for its added vitamins.

If you’re after a nutty malted milk powder that will enhance your bread and baked goods, look no further than Anthony’s Diastatic Dry Malt Powder and its added enzymes.