Double Chocolate Malted Cookies

Name: Double Chocolate Malted Cookies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 51 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted; 1 cup light brown sugar; 1 egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 cup baking cocoa; 1 cup flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/3 cup malted milk powder; 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks

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These double chocolate malted cookies combine the toasted, earthy flavors of malted milk powder with an extra helping of rich dark chocolate.

double chocolate malt cookies on a cooling rack.

“Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee”.

Do you hear that? It’s what these impossibly fudgy, double chocolate malted cookies are whispering.

And should you choose to answer their chocolatey siren call, I can promise you won’t be sorry.

Here’s how to make these cookies

First, make the batter.

In a bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar stirring until any clumps have dissolved. You can use an electric mixer, but I prefer to just stir these cookies together with a silicone spatula.

Stir in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.

Add the remaining ingredients minus the chocolate chips/chunks (baking cocoa, flour, malted milk powder, baking soda and salt) and stir until the ingredients are just incorporated. The batter should be soft but shouldn’t be sticky to the touch.

Fold in a 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips/chunks.

A note on your chocolate selection: These cookies are best with a chocolate that has 60% or more cacao. Why? The higher the percentage, the more intense (and less sweet) the flavor, which makes for a perfect counter balance to all the other deliciously sweet items we’re adding.

I also recommend using baking chocolate or chocolate feves because the chocolate will melt and create a beautifully marbled chocolaty cookie. Chips are ok, too, but they’re made with additionally ingredients that help them hold their shape, meaning you’ll get concentrated bits of chocolate rather than an even distribution.

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

chocolate cookie dough on a baking sheet.

Second, scoop the batter.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop three tablespoon balls of dough. Gently roll the tops of the cookies in the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips/chunks.

While you can bake these cookies almost immediately, I highly recommend scooping them out onto a baking sheet and letting them refrigerate for 24 hours.

Refrigerating your dough allows the flavors to mature (think a richer, chocolaty flavor) and will lead to a fudgier, chewy texture (almost brownie-like). If you’re in a crunch for time and want to bake them immediately, they’ll still be delicious but will have a cakier texture.

Finally, bake the cookies.

Place the cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet leaving about two inches of space between cookies.

Bake at 350F for 11 minutes or until the cookies are no longer shiny on top.

Remove the cookies from your oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.

split cookie with chocolate oozing out of the center.

Expert tips

Use a 60% cacao or higher chocolate for a rich, chocolaty flavor.
For best results, refrigerate dough before baking: The longer you refrigerate the dough the more the flavors will mature and marry. With these cookies in particular, letting them refrigerate overnight will lead to the best results.
The importance of leaving cookies on the baking sheet: The goal of taking the cookies out when they’re no longer shiny is to keep them from becoming too browned or drying out. At this point, they’ll be slightly under-cooked, and leaving them on the hot baking sheet allows them to finish cooking through without browning further.
Storage: These cookies can be kept in an air tight container at room temperature for up to a week or frozen (I like to individually wrap mine in plastic wrap) for up to 6 months.

stack of double chocolate cookies next to a glass of milk.

Frequently asked questions

What does malted milk powder do to cookies?

Malted milk powder has a creamy, toasted, earthy flavor and adding it to baked goods like cookies adds an additional layer of umami. It’s particularly good at amplifying chocolate flavors.

What’s the difference between malt powder and malted milk powder?

Malt powder is a powder made from grains that can be used to add flavor (non-diastatic malt powder) or convert starch into sugar in breads and pastries, which creates a smoother, higher rise with less yeast (diastatic malt powder). Malted milk powder is malt powder that has had milk solids added to it.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!