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Milk is a delicious, nourishing beverage for adults and children alike. For those who aren’t avoiding dairy, there are many flavoring options for your daily glass of milk.
Among the most nourishing of these is malt. Malted milk powder is widely used and is a combination of milk and barley malt. It provides a distinctive richness that is highly nutritious.
Malted milk powder is also often called for in recipes for things like smoothies and baked goods, so you might feel stuck if you don’t have any.
How Are Malted Drinks Made?
Malt is made from sprouted barley seeds. Sprouting releases the grain’s enzymes. It is then processed to make “powdered malt extracts” used in drinks, baked goods, cereals, and protein bars.
Malt went out of fashion for a while but is making a comeback as people rediscover its nutritional benefits and delicious taste.
What Are Malt’s Benefits?
Malt extract is said to enhance athletic recovery by replenishing nutrients needed for muscle health and growth. Malt extract supports gut health because it is a good source of soluble fiber.
This natural prebiotic improves digestion by feeding the good bacteria in your gut. It is even said to make you happy because it contains hordenine, a plant-based compound that studies have shown lifts the mood.
So, what to do if you’ve run out of your daily pick-me-up? Don’t worry. We have a few substitutes lined up for you that should do the trick!
Substitutes for Malt Milk Powder
1. Make It Yourself
You might get various substitutes for malt milk powder, but nothing can be better than making the real thing yourself.
So, to make it yourself, take one cup of instant powdered milk and add three spoons (tablespoons, please) of malt powder. Shake both these powders together well and store them in an airtight container.
You can store this mixture at room temperature for a month. For making a malt milk beverage, add a spoonful of this powder to a glass and add water. You can also add sugar if you want it to be extra sweet.
Bear in mind when purchasing malt powder that there are two types of malt powders – non-diastatic and diastatic.
To keep it simple, non-diastatic malt powder has a sweeter taste than diastatic malt powder. Remember to purchase the right malt powder according to your taste.
2. Ovaltine
Surely everyone at some point in their childhood was given Ovaltine in milk to drink! Ovaltine combines the two delicious flavors of malt and chocolate.
It is a milk flavoring that contains the malt extract you’re looking for, along with sugar, whey, and chocolate powder. So, if you don’t have malt milk powder, you can use Ovaltine instead.
Depending on the recipe, you may also need to add some dried milk powder as well. This is because the original Ovaltine doesn’t contain milk powder. You will find Ovaltine in most grocery stores.
3. Malt Syrup
Many of us have chocolate and caramel syrups at home for flavoring milkshakes and as ice cream toppings, but did you know you can also find malt syrup in the same aisle of the grocery store?
Malt syrup makes a great substitute for malted milk powder. Of course, it only contains the malt part but doesn’t have the milk, so you will still need to add this.
So, take a glass of milk and add some malt syrup to it, and it will make a perfect substitute for malt milk powder.
4. Maca Powder
This is a fine substitute for malt milk powder because maca powder delivers a somewhat similar flavor and taste. The flavor is described by many as “earthy and nutty.”
Others say that maca powder has a malty yet sweet flavor. This makes it suitable for adding to smoothies, baked goods, and other warm beverages instead of malted milk.
In addition to the taste, maca powder has great health benefits. For instance, it provides energy without adding too much caffeine. Also, maca powder helps enhance body resilience and reduces stress levels.
5. Coconut Milk Powder
No, we aren’t saying that coconut milk powder tastes the same as malt milk powder, but it still makes a great alternative. Coconut milk powder has a similar fat proportion to malted milk.
However, we suggest that you add some maple syrup and coconut milk powder because coconut milk powder (alone) cannot offer the malt flavor and sweetness of malt milk powder.
6. Soy Milk Powder
If you still haven’t found a substitute for malt milk powder, you can opt for soy milk powder. The best thing about soy milk powder is its longer shelf life.
However, soy milk powder only makes a good alternative for malt milk powder if you need baking recipes. It won’t be the best thing to use for milk beverages.
7. Ask Someone
Well, we realize that this might not exactly be a substitute, but if you cannot find malt milk powder, you can always ask someone, right? Perhaps you know a café that has malted milkshakes available.
Ask them if you can purchase some of their malt flavorings. It will probably be the syrup, but you might be lucky and find that they use malt milk powder.
Liquid malt milk is available, but you will need to keep the recipe in mind before using that!
To conclude
While nothing can truly replace the unique taste of malt, we hope this provides you with a few options for acceptable substitutes for malt milk powder so that you can go on with your recipe. Good luck!