Malted milk powder is made from barley, wheat flour, and malt powder, and is added to milkshakes for sweetness and flavor. It was trademarked in 1887 by the Horlick brothers, who created it as a fortifying powder for sick children. It became popular among explorers due to its affordability and indefinite shelf life. Malted lattes became a pop culture craze in the 1920s with the invention of the electric blender. The powder is now used in many products besides beverages, but is still high in fat and sugar.
Malted milk is a powder made from barley, wheat flour, and malt powder that is combined with milk to form a beverage. Often, malted milk powder is added to milkshakes to add sweetness and flavor. Only non-diastatic malt powder is used as a flavoring agent in malted milk, whereby diastatic malts are used in baking to help the breads rise by breaking down the starch in the sugar.
Historically, the term was trademarked in 1887 by pharmacist James Horlick and his brother William, at a factory in Racine, Wisconsin. The two brothers started the Horlick Food Company by making a powder that could be added to milk to fortify it for sick children. For more than six years, the Horlick brothers worked to improve their product and in 1887 produced the first whole milk powder. Originally marketed for newborns, the product quickly gained popularity, especially among explorers, due to its affordability and indefinite shelf life. Horlick’s malted milk was widely available in pharmacies in both powdered and tablet form, and pharmacists began using the powder to make an inexpensive syrup to sweeten sodas.
With the invention of an electric blender by Fred Osius in the 1920s, malted lattes became a pop culture craze. The sweet powder could be flavored and added to ice cream to form a thick, filling drink with a high fat content. A combination of powder and ice cream was marketed as a full meal in a glass and typically fetched a hefty price tag.
The powder has since found its way into many products besides beverages. In 1939, the Overland Candy Company added it to their Giants candy product. After merging with the Leaf brand, the product was re-released in 1947 under the Whoppers name. It is also used in cookies, donuts, hot drinks and as a topping for ice cream.
While usually high in fat and sugar, malted milk is packed with vitamins and minerals. Carnation, Ovaltine and Horlick Original Products are a good way to increase calorie intake and milk consumption in children, especially picky eaters. Most of the modern products found on the shelves are heavily sugared and still remain a special treat.
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