These vanilla malted cookies are flavored with cream cheese and malted milk powder. The cookies have crispy edges and chewy centers.
What is malted milk?
Malted milk is a powdered product made from malted barley, dry milk powder, and flour.
It is mixed into milkshakes, smoothies, and a variety of baked goods. It can also simply be mixed into a glass of milk to make malted milk.
Malt powder gives baked goods a certain zing. I call it the dessert equivalent of umami in savory foods. You can’t put your finger on the exact flavor, but it leaves you craving more.
Malted Milk Cookies
These are very simple, no fuss cookies. While they may look plain on the outside, they’re one tasty and addicting little treat.
They remain fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This makes them perfect for holiday cookie gift boxes!
All the recipe ingredients are beat together in a stand mixer. You may also use an electric hand mixer.
I don’t suggest mixing this dough together by hand. The dough is a bit stiff.
How to Fill Pastry Bag with Batter
To make filling piping bags (or pastry bags) easier, gather the following items:
- pastry bag
- piping tip
- scissors
- tall deli container, drinking glass, or something similar
- Start by inserting piping tip down into pastry bag. Use the scissors to snip off the bottom of the pastry bag, exposing half of the piping tip.
- Fold the top of piping bag down over a tall deli container (as shown in the photo above). Alternatively, use a tall drinking glass or cup the piping bag in your hand.
- Transfer cookie batter into the piping bag using a sturdy spatula. Use sides of the deli container to help scrape the cookie batter off the spatula.
- Fill the piping bag only half to two-thirds full of batter. Overfilling will make the piping bag difficult to manage.
Once the piping bag is filled with cookie dough, you’re ready to start piping!
Recommended piping tip and piping bag:
I use this large open star piping tip (ateco #826). It has a 1/2-inch opening. This piping tip is paired with an 18-inch piping bag. I recommend these disposable bags or this reusable decorating bag.
Note: The star piping is great size tip to have on hand. It can be used for making churros or cruller donuts.
How to pipe cookie rosettes
- Keep the piping bag in a vertical position. Hover piping tip a few centimeters off the parchment paper. Squeeze out a little batter until a star forms onto the parchment paper.
- Using constant, continuous pressure, drag the piping tip in a circular motion, going around the initial star.
- Let pressure go once you return to the original starting point of your rosette. Pull piping bag in the same direction of circle to quickly release dough and close off the rosette.
Other Piped Cookie Shape Options
Not a fan of rosettes? Pipe the cookie dough into easier shapes like strips and circles.
If you don’t have a piping bag and piping tip, you may also use a cookie press to portion out the dough.
More recipes with malted milk powder
- Ideal for parties and celebrations, this chocolate malt sheet cake is easy to make. The flavorful chocolate cake is topped with chocolate malt buttercream.
- These birthday madeleines have a touch of malted milk which provide a nice, creamy flavor!
- Three layers of vanilla malt cake studded with fresh berries and frosted with chocolate malt buttercream. This chocolate malt berry cake is rich yet balanced cake
Vanilla Malted Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup malted milk powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, milk powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in sugar. Mix until combined. Add vanilla paste and egg. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add flour mixture ½ cup at a time on low speed.
- Transfer batter to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe rosettes (or strips, circles) onto parchment lined baking sheets. Space cookies at least 1-inch apart. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating sheet midway through baking. Bake until edges are lightly golden brown. Let cool in tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Nestle Carnation Malted Milk Powder. You can find it at any Target or Walmart for under $3.00
okay. The prep for this cookies was very easy. Piping this cookie was a mess. It seems no matter what size I piped it lost its design and turned into a giant blob.It also took an additional 5 to 10 minutes to bale.This cookie needed way more flavor…I added a ton of vanilla. You can smell the malt but it does not taste like it. I will not be making these again
I’m sorry to hear that. The dough is supposed to be quite firm. Perhaps the butter was too warm?
I suggest using pure vanilla paste (or scraped vanilla bean) to flavor the cookie. Vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract will not taste as good.
I made these just now and they are delicious! Question though: I piped them into beautiful rosettes, but when they baked, they lost their definition. There is a very subtle swirl but not as 3D as yours were. Any ideas why? Thanks.
Thank you for trying out the recipe!
Use a star tip with sharp, well-defined edges. Perhaps the dough was too warm when it placed in the oven? You can try letting the piped cookies chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking.
Hi, I’m making the cookies tonight. I’m curious about a chocolate malt version- do you think I could substitute some of the flour for cocoa powder? Maybe 1/3 cup? Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
A chocolate malt version would be wonderful! I suggest keeping the flour measurements the same and use 3/4 cup malted milk powder and 3-4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
Hi Maryanne. Just made these using a star tip to pipe and they’ve completely flattened in the oven! I even tried chilling the next tray before baking, and still puddles. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong? Thanks so much
Really delicious! I used a cookie press and made daisies for spring.
Thanks for trying out the recipe! The cookie press is a great idea!
Hi, Maryanne! I made these cookies last year and I loved the flavor, but I had a lot of difficulty piping the dough. It was very tough and made a few of them less-than-pretty due to the muscle I had to put into it.
I do not own a stand mixer, so I had to mix by hand. Maybe that had something to do with it? Any advice you may have would be great – I’d love to make them again with even better results!
Hi Ryan! I’ve only made this recipe using a hand mixer and stand mixer. However, I’ll test it out this weekend mixing by hand and let you know the results!
Thank you! I may have used a hand mixer, but I don’t recall…
If using a hand mixer, what attachment would you use? Mind didn’t come with a paddle.
I made these cookies and they are the best butter cookies I have tried!!The malted milk powder and cream cheese really put them over the top. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Debby! Thanks for trying out the recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hey, how are ya?! I would really like to make these yummy cookies! Do I really need a stand mixer? So many recipes call for one….do I really need to use one?
You can also use an electric hand mixer.
Can these cookies be made without cream cheese?
No, the cream cheese is vital to this recipe.