What Is Malt—and How Do You Use It?

Here’s what’s actually in your malt shakes.

You’ll stumble across it in different kinds of alcohol, and even desserts like candies and milkshakes—we’re talking about malt. With its unique flavor, it’s an important part of beer history, but it’s versatile enough for sweet uses, too. Still, what is malt, exactly, and what’s it used for? Brush up on all things malt below, including some recipes that call for the mysterious ingredient.

What Is Malt?

Malt has been around for hundreds—and potentially thousands—of years, though it’s not fully known exactly when it originated. It’s still widely used today as a sweetener, which may come as a surprise since malt is made from grains. 

So, how is malt syrup made? When you soak grain seeds, they germinate, which basically means that the seed becomes a seedling. When the seeds sprout, they’re heated to stop the germination process and remove excess moisture. Next up is the mashing process. That’s right—the soaked and dried grains are crushed to produce a syrup with the consistency of molasses. It’s sweet, gooey, slightly nutty, and has hundreds of uses.

Malt syrup isn’t the only malt product, however. Malt can also be dried into a fine powder, mixed with milk to make malted milk powder, and it’s famously used in alcohol, like beer and liquor. Regardless of the different forms of malt, malt is essentially sprouted and kiln-dried cereal grains.

Related: How to Accurately Measure Honey, Molasses and More Sticky Ingredients Without Making a Mess

What Is Malt Made Out Of?

At its core, malt is made from cereal grains. “Malt” itself mainly refers to the malting process, so any cereal grains can be used to make malt. In fact, it can be made from several types of grains, though it’s most commonly made from barley. Other grains used to make malt include rye, corn, wheat, and rice.

Since malt is made from simple ingredients, it’s often viewed as a healthier alternative to sugary sweeteners. It was even once used in nutritional supplements for infants and children. It carries over some of the nutrients found in the grains it’s made from, so it may provide some vitamins and minerals. The malting process breaks down the carbohydrates into simple carbohydrates, however, so it can be high in sugar and is therefore best when enjoyed in moderation.

Because malt is made from grains containing gluten, malt isn’t a gluten-free ingredient. Many malt products also contain wheat flour, so those with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity should avoid malt.

What Is Malt Used For?

As a fermenting agent and sweetener, malt is best known for its starring role in Whoppers, Ovaltine, shakes, and alcoholic beverages. It’s also found in some cereals, biscuits, and other foods. It’s a multi-purpose ingredient that adds flavor, but can also serve a function, such as helping bread rise or providing the sugars for fermenting beer. The sweet yet slightly nutty, toasty flavor imparts itself onto food or drink, adding a unique flavor that, admittedly, can be a little polarizing.

What Is Malt Liquor?

Malt liquor, not to be confused with concentrated malt syrup, is a type of beer. Naturally, it’s made from fermented grains, but what makes it different from regular beer is that it contains a higher percentage of alcohol—generally around 4 to 5 percent. This is why malt liquor or beer is sometimes referred to as “heavy beer.” The main distinction is that malt liquor is more intoxicating.

It’s also typically made with certain grains, such as corn or rice, giving malt liquor a sweeter flavor profile. This isn’t surprising since malt itself is sweet. While some enjoy the added sweetness, others may find it too sweet. Ultimately, whether you’ll enjoy malt liquor or not comes down to personal preference.

Related: The 10 Healthiest Types of Alcohol to Drink, According to a Registered Dietitian

What Is a Malt Shake?

A malt, or malted milkshake, is a popular dessert, and like the name suggests, it harnesses the sweetness of malt extract. It was popularized in the 1920s, making it an old fashioned delicacy that transports you to an old school diner or ice cream parlor.

Malt shakes don’t contain pure malt powder, however. They’re actually made with malted milk powder, which is a similar product. Though malt powder and malted milk powder aren’t the same thing, they both add a unique flavor and texture to food and drinks. Malted milk powder starts with a base of malted grains, such as barley or wheat, but also contains milk powder.

If you want to make a malt shake at home, it’s as simple as adding a tablespoon (or several) of malted milk powder to your shake. The not-so-secret ingredient gives it a richer flavor profile, but also adds thickness and a bit of grit to the otherwise smooth drink.

What Is Malt Powder vs. Malted Milk Powder?

You can buy malt powder online, but if you’re looking for an option you can pick up in most grocery stores, try malted milk powder. It combines malt powder with milk powder. This may sound like a subtle difference, but the two are very different. 

Regular malt powder, which is also called diastatic malt powder in baking, can “feed” yeast, so it’s great for helping dough rise, for example. Malted milk powder won’t have that effect, so while it can still be used in recipes for baked goods, it mostly just affects the flavor and texture. Malted milk powder is an obvious choice for making malt shakes, but it’s also a way to enhance pancakes, cookies, brownies, and more.

How to Cook With Malt

If you like munching on Whoppers at the movie theater and ordering malt shakes at a retro diner, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy giving malt a try in other recipes. Depending on what you’re making, you might need malt in powdered, syrup, or even vinegar form. In other cases, you could need malt powder’s close relative—malted milk powder.

Related: How to Make Coffee Without a Coffee Maker Using 3 Different Methods

Let’s start with the basics. The simplest way to cook with malt requires no cooking at all. A classic vanilla malted milkshake calls for four tablespoons of malted milk powder, which adds a toasty, nutty sweetness that’s sure to transport your taste buds back in time. 

Malted milk powder is also the secret ingredient in many recipes for baked goods, such as rich chocolate brownies. Sure, brownies are already sweet, but that’s not why malt is used in them. Malted milk powder imparts a bit of umami in baked goods, balancing out the sweetness and adding a depth of flavor.

Americans like to dip their fish in tartar sauce, but malt vinegar is the condiment of choice for fish and chips in the UK. It offers a tang that balances out the salty dish, which is why it’s also great for salad dressings and other fish recipes.

At first, malt may seem like a limiting ingredient. Besides shakes, what can you make with malt? Once you get to experimenting with malt in its many forms, you can make breads, bagels, cakes, puddings, pies, fudge, and so much more.

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