You’ll love these buttery Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies. Made with malted milk powder and loaded with milk chocolate chips, they’re sweet, chewy and packed with malt flavour. No chilling the dough, ready in 35 minutes!

Have you gotten on the malt bandwagon yet? 💕 If you love all things malt, you’ll adore these soft and chewy Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Who knew that adding a touch of malted milk powder could make the tastiest CCC’s? You can expect crispy edges, soft centres and LOADS of chocolate chips. They’re the cookie of my dreams.
The malt powder doesn’t overwhelm the cookie, instead it gives you a sweet, nutty, almost caramel-like flavour that you just can’t put your finger on. If you love malt milkshakes and chewy cookies, this will be the perfect cookie for you!
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy: This is a really simple cookie recipe requiring no chill time and no special equipment.
- Soft and chewy: You can expect soft and chewy cookies with crisp edges. They’re not too thick and not too thin!
- Amazing flavour: These Malt Cookies deliver on malt flavour with oodles of milk powder in the cookie dough and plenty of chocolate chips.
- Freezer-friendly: You can freeze the cookie dough to bake these cookies at a later date.
Recipe testing
Ever since I made my Chocolate Malt Mousse Pie, I’ve been ALL about the malt. I will put it on and in e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I’ve found King Arthur’s malted milk powder on Amazon and it’s now the best thing in my pantry.
While I’m partial to a cold glass of milk with a few teaspoons of malt powder in it, I’ve now found my new malt obsession. THESE Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies 👆🏻
Nutty and sweet, with a zillion chocolate chips, they make for a downright delicious treat.
I took my favourite White Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and adapted it ever so slightly to include a quarter of a cup of a secret ingredient: malted milk powder. Umm hello!
Malt powder adds an umami flavour, think malty, nutty and almost caramel-ly. Similar to what brown butter does in my Peanut Butter Miso Cookies.
If you love Chocolate Chip Cookies, you need to try these crispy cookies. I promise, the malt powder just makes them extra special. THAT and the chocolate chips.
Made by creaming butter and sugar, there’s no need to chill the cookie dough, so they can be ready in minutes – tempting right?
Just remember to reserve a few milk chocolate chips to decorate the top of each cookie while they’re still warm AND loads of flakey sea salt.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of regular ingredients to make these cookies. Many supermarkets will sell malted milk powder in the tea and coffee aisle, but I’ve been buying mine on Amazon. More on that below!
Here are the most important ingredients, including any substitutions you can make.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I prefer to use unsalted and add salt to the cookie dough but if you use salted, you can omit the salt in the cookie dough. You’ll need to start with softened butter instead of melted butter or cold butter.
- Brown sugar AND caster sugar: This cookie recipe has both brown sugar and caster sugar in it. If you don’t have access to caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar instead.
- Vanilla extract: It’s easy to skip vanilla or think it’s not that important but it really is. It really enhances the warm malt-y flavours at work here. I prefer to use a good quality vanilla extract over vanilla essence.
- Malted milk powder: I’ve tested this recipe with King Arthur’s malt powder that is available online, but you might have luck finding malt powder at your local supermarket or grocery store in the baking aisle.
- Chocolate chips: While I love to use big chocolate chunks in my thick New York-style Cookies, I’ve opted for traditional chocolate chips in these Malt Cookies. You can use any chocolate you like – even white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips or even caramel chips work beautifully in this recipe.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Malted Cookies
It only takes a few minutes to make this buttery cookie dough. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
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Step 1: Add butter and sugars to a large bowl. Mix using an electric mixer on medium speed just until combined and creamy.
Step 2: Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on medium speed just to combine.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients. Mix again on low speed just until a soft cookie dough forms.
Step 4: Add chocolate chips to the cookie dough and mix briefly.
Step 5: Portion out cookie dough (roughly 2 tablespoons each) into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving room for cookies to spread.
Step 6: Bake for 11-12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Sprinkle the top of the cookies with flaky sea salt. Leave to cool completely.
Storage instructions
Storage: You can keep leftover baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Make ahead: Alternatively, you make the cookie dough ahead of time. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 48 hours until you are ready to bake.
Leave the dough at room temperature for 10 minutes before baking as per instructions below. Alternatively, you can roll the cookie dough into balls and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookie dough balls at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before baking.
Frequently asked questions
Many supermarkets sell malted milk powder, often in the coffee and tea aisle or the baking aisle. I buy the King Arthur’s malted milk powder from Amazon – it’s great!
The most common reason for cookies not spreading in the oven is adding too much flour. Using a baking scale to measure your flour will ensure you add just the right amount.
If your cookies are too flat, it could be that your butter was too warm to begin with or you may have over-mixed your butter and sugar. The easiest way to stop your cookie dough from spreading too much is by chilling the dough in the fridge or even the freezer before baking.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Milk chocolate chip cookies made with malt milk powder.
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 35 grams (1/4 cup) malt milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 115 grams (3/4 cup) milk or dark chocolate chips, plus extra for decorating
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars using an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes on medium speed until pale and creamy.
- Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined. Sift in flour, baking soda, malt powder and salt and mix to combine. Add chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop to roll balls of dough (roughly 1.5 tablespoons each) in your hands and place them onto your prepared trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread out.
- Bake for approximately 11-12 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Press a few extra chocolate chips on top. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Malted milk powder: I’ve tested this recipe with King Arthur’s malted milk powder that is available online, but you might have like finding malt powder at your local supermarket or grocer.
Chocolate chips: You can use any chocolate chips you like – white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or even caramel chips work beautifully in this recipe.
Storage: You can keep leftover baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Make ahead: Alternatively, you can roll and freeze the cookie dough balls to make them ahead of time. You can then leave the dough at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking as per instructions below.
Fernanda says
Hello, your recipes are so good. I have a question. For the cookies, when you say plain flour what kind of flour do you mean? I LIVE IN south America, we have flours for bread and for bakery. Which one?
Another question
All the receipts you give here , talking about cookie Dough can be frozen?? For how many months would you recomend? Would you recommend for the frozen dough to use egg in powder instead that an actual egg?? So is more safe?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Fernanda, I’m not sure what the equivalent flour is in South America, but plain flour here is a general baking flour that has a medium protein content (similar to all purpose flour in the US). My guess is the bakery flour you mentioned might work better as bread flour tends to have a high protein content and can result in baked goods being tough. Yes you can freeze this cookie dough, however I can’t give any food safety advice I’m sorry. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Caprice Samuda says
Wow…can I just say these are the best cookies I have ever had!
I was half way through the recipe when I realized I didn’t have chocolate chips BUT I did have a dark chocolate caramel and sea salt Lindt bar. I ended up chopping that up into chunks and used it instead.
I was worried the flavours would be too conflicting and overpowering but OMG! The malt and caramel pair perfectly, and the dark chocolate and sea salt balance the sweet.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Caprice Samuda says
Bah 5 stars not 4!
Jessica Holmes says
Oh that sounds so good! So pleased you enjoyed them Caprice!
Joshua says
I loved these cookies! The malt added such a nice flavour.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Josh! Malt is the best! 🙌🏻
Aisha says
Hi.. my cookies did not spread and in 12 mins they were not completely cooked .. i dont know why .. maybe you can help ..
Ps. Imy oven is electric oven ..
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Aisha, cookies spreading can depend on a few different factors, including the temperature of your butter, the amount of flour added and the type of cookie sheet you used. If they are thicker, you may need to cook them for a bit longer but they will still taste great! If you want to chat more, you can email me at hello@sweetestmenu.com
Megan says
These look like they’re very chewy.
Yogesh says
Hi sweetest menu you love sweets right 😋😋
Natalie says
I love the addition of malt milk powder! These cookies look so delicious and chocolatey!
Jessica Holmes says
Thanks Natalie!