Once you’ve enjoyed a thick, creamy milkshake at an old-school diner, it’s hard to compare it to a lackluster version made at home. But one of the key ingredients in the best restaurant-made milkshakes is also what makes them so delicious: malted milk powder. This addition gives milkshakes a depth of flavor including toasted and nutty notes that elevate the sweet treat from a one-dimensional drink. It also amplifies the sweetness of the shake.
However, adding malted milk powder to your shake (which turns it into a malted milkshake) offers more than just flavor. Malted milk actually affects the texture of the milkshake, too. Made up of powdered milk, malted barley, and wheat flour, it thickens your drink and helps it develop a more luscious viscosity that milk and ice cream alone can’t. So, what’s the best way to add some to your next shake? It’s easy, but it’s also important to incorporate malted milk powder into a milkshake at the right time. For best results you’re going to need a blender, but as long as you mix hard enough you could also use malted milk powder in a blender-free milkshake.
How to add malted milk powder to milkshakes
For the best milkshake results at home, pay attention to when and how you mix all of the ingredients together. Start with a blender pitcher that has had a chance to chill in the fridge to help keep the ingredients cold while they mix. Next, combine the milk, ice cream, and any other flavors you want to add to the milkshake and blend it up until everything is fully combined. Only then should you add the malted milk powder and blend the milkshake again until the powder is incorporated before serving it up with any toppings you fancy.
With the simple addition of malted milk powder, you can intensify the flavor and texture of diner-style milkshakes at home. Whether you mix up the flavor with one of our 20 best ingredient suggestions to add to milkshakes or enlist our tips for making homemade milkshakes, malted milk powder can elevate this delicious dessert. It’s a simple but highly effective ingredient to add to your pantry, and once it’s there it can elevate your next cake, too.
If you’re struggling to find malted milk powder in your local grocery store, you can buy Horlicks Original malted milk on Amazon. Adjust the amount to taste, but about two tablespoons per serving should be plenty.
