Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies are based on an ice cream from my favorite ice cream shop of all time, Salt & Straw. It’s this delicious, creamy vanilla ice cream stuffed full of rich and salty cookie dough chunks and tons of fudge, all laced with a yummy malted flavor. I wanted to create a cookie that encapsulated that salty, malt flavor.
This cookie is incredibly flavorful, perfectly chewy on the edges, and soft in the middle. The secret is brown butter and a whole lot of malted milk powder. You’re going to love these Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies. Try not to eat all of the dough!
Ingredients for Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butter
Every cookie has to start with butter as its base. I almost always use salted butter because I think it makes things taste better, but I know a lot of bakers who are die hard unsalted butter users too. If you do use unsalted butter, you may want to add a pinch more salt to the dough.
Brown sugar and white sugar
The combo of brown sugar and white sugar creates a soft, moist interior, and crisp edges, yielding the perfect cookie texture.
Egg
Egg adds fat and helps the cookies rise a little bit, so don’t skip it. I haven’t tried this with an egg substitute, but you can certainly try it and let me know how it is!
Vanilla
I love Mexican vanilla in baked goods because the flavor is so pronounced.
Flour
All-purpose flour will do just fine here. Nothing fancy.
Baking soda
Don’t get it mixed up for baking powder.
Malted milk powder
Malted milk powder is the secret to the rich and unique flavor in this cookie. (I used Carnation brand) If you’ve never had it before, it’s a powder made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. You have probably had in in milkshakes from old-school malt shops, but it also adds a really yummy rich and nutty flavor to baked goods.
You can find malted milk at most grocery stores in the US. You’ll usually find Carnation brand, which is the brand I grew up adding to my milkshakes.
Don’t make the mistake of using plain dry milk powder in these cookies. It won’t be quite as good!
Salt
For this recipe, I use two different kinds of salt. Kosher salt for the dough, and flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top of the cookies after they come out of the oven. I usually use Morton kosher salt because it’s what they have at my Walmart! But I know a lot of foodies like Diamond Crystal kosher salt too.
For sprinkling, I recommend Maldon flaky sea salt. You can buy it for a relatively low cost in a big box that will last you a long time.
Chocolate chips
My preference for this recipe is semi-sweet because I think it pairs the best with brown butter and salt, but you can use milk chocolate or even dark chocolate if you prefer.
How to Make Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown the Butter
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir it until it foams, turns a dark amber color, and smells nutty. You’ll notice that the little flecks at the bottom of the pan will start to turn a dark brown color. Once the butter is browned, pour into a heat proof container and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until solid but not frozen.
Make the Dough
Add the chilled butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until creamy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar, and beat for 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Make sure they are throughly combined, or the malted milk will clump up and not mix in. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and give it another quick mix.
Bake
Form the cookies into 3 tbsp balls and place on a lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 ℉. Let the cookies sit, undisturbed, on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Devour!!!
I hope you love this Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. If you like it, would you consider leaving a review? It would mean so much.
Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup malted milk powder I used Carnation brand
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for garnish.
Instructions
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the butter, stirring constantly, until it foams, turns a dark amber color, and smells nutty. The little flecks at the bottom of the pan should turn a dark brown color. Pour into a heat proof container and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until solid but not frozen.
- Add the chilled butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until creamy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar, and beat for 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, malted milk, and salt. Do not skip this step. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Roll cookie dough into 3 tbsp balls. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Evenly space 6 cookies per baking sheet. Chill for 15-20 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers are still soft. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaky sea salt. Let cool on the baking sheet undisturbed for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
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