The Well Plated Cookbook is now available for pre-order! Chocolate Malt Oatmeal Smoothie
This rich and creamy Chocolate Malt Oatmeal Smoothie is my transport to a less complicated time, when drinking a chocolate malt for breakfast could be deemed sensible and met with enthusiasm.
Perhaps having a shake for breakfast was never technically acceptable, but my childhood self certainly would have embraced the concept. Now in my semi-prudent adult life, I’ve turned to oatmeal smoothies to start my day and, fortunately for all young and old, the two—shakes and smoothies—need not taste quite so different.
I’ve been a fan of oatmeal in my smoothies for a few years (it makes them gloriously thick and filling), and of chocolate in my everything since the days of my kindergarten milk cart (we could have chocolate or plain—not a hard choice), but malt is a recent addition to my pantry. I’m not entirely certain why it took me so long to put it in my grocery cart, but with my affinity for nostalgic flavors and dishes, I am confident that malt is here to stay.
Though a trip to the ice cream shop no longer eradicates my problems quite as effectively as it did when I was nine, drinking a healthy oatmeal smoothie that tastes strikingly similar to a classic chocolate malt does give my adult self quite the mood boost. The base of the oatmeal smoothie is frozen bananas, which give it a thick, ice cream-like consistency. The addition of oatmeal (fiber + an even more decadent texture), cocoa powder, and today’s special guest, malted milk powder, carry it from smoothie to healthy shake. (If you’re not in the mood for chocolate, consider this Oatmeal Smoothie option!)
What is Chocolate Malt?
Malt (or malted milk) powder is the single ingredient that transforms a standard milkshake into a malt. It’s sweet and slightly nutty. Though its taste won’t strike you at first, as you slowly sip, the malt flavor builds, leaving a lingering, caramely finish that makes me long for simpler times and old-fashioned ice cream parlors. I’d like to pour myself an extra large chocolate malt oatmeal smoothie, put on a pair of saddle shoes, and step into a Norman Rockwell painting.
My favorite liquid to use in any smoothie is almond milk, because it maximizes the creamy factor.
To finish these chocolate malt oatmeal smoothies with flair, I added a shower of chopped malted milk candies. Though you might want to skip the extra garnish if you’re having these oatmeal smoothies first thing in the morning or after a workout, the candy edges them from breakfast to dessert.
More Marvelous Smoothies
Recommended Tools to Make This Smoothie
- High-Powered Blender. I bought a certified refurbished version of this one directly from the manufacturer for a reduced price.This blender also works great here.
- Stainless Steel Straws. Makes smoothies taste even more refreshing.
All we are missing are two bendy straws and maybe a set of those soda jerk white paper hats. Bonus if the hat disguises my morning bed hair!
Chocolate Malt Oatmeal Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats - or quick oats
- 1 large banana, - cut into slices and frozen
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk - vanilla soymilk, or coconut milk
- 3 - 4 tablespoons malted milk powder*
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 - 2 teaspoons maple syrup - optional
- Chopped malted milk candies - optional
Instructions
- Place the oats in your blender and pulse a few times to pulverize. Add the banana, almond milk, cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons malted milk powder and blend until smooth.
- Taste and add maple syrup 1 teaspoon at a time, as desired. For a stronger malt taste, add 1 additional tablespoon malted milk powder. Enjoy immediately, topped with chopped malted milk candies as desired.
Notes
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