The Secret Ingredient That Makes Diner Pancakes Taste So Good

Whenever I flip through the phone book-length menu at a diner, I internally panic over whether to choose something savory or sweet. Then I remember I can order “pancakes for the table,” and whomever I’m with will happily share a stack with me. 

That’s because diner pancakes aren’t just any pancakes. Whether you like them plain with a pat of butter or studded with chocolate chips, these plate-sized cakes are fluffy and light with an underlying sweetness and a toasted, nutty quality. I figured that je ne sais quois was just the work of nostalgia or a well-seasoned griddle. But it turns out there’s a key ingredient that makes diner pancakes taste so good, according to 2022 F&W Best New Chef Caroline Schiff: malted milk powder.

“Malted milk powder adds a toasty, roasty, nutty, slightly caramelized flavor to sweets,” says Schiff, who has plans to open her own diner in Brooklyn. “Think of malted milk ball candies. It is also a classic diner staple ingredient which is why certain things always taste better at a diner — pancakes, waffles, milkshakes, etc.” 

What is malted milk powder?

Commonly made from barley malt, wheat, milk, and a little salt, malted milk powder is a non-diastatic malt powder, meaning its enzymes aren’t active and it doesn’t have leavening properties. This shelf-stable ingredient is increasingly available in the baking aisle and online; brands include Carnation and King Arthur Baking Company. “It’s kind of a pastry chef secret, but I feel like it’s becoming more and more of an everyday pantry item,” says Schiff. 

Ovaltine, which comes in classic and chocolate flavors, is a malted drink mix that’s made with malted milk powder and other ingredients including added sugar. It’s very sweet and can’t be used as a direct swap for malted milk powder, but it can also be delicious in baked goods and drinks like Chocolate Malted Milk. 

How to use malted milk powder

Because it’s not an active ingredient, malted milk powder is easy to work with when baking at home, and you generally don’t need to change much about your recipe when incorporating it into baked goods like brownies, cookies, and fudge, says Schiff. “For batters and doughs, I generally start with about one tablespoon of malted milk powder for a cup of flour,” she says. “It does have a sweetness to it, so in batter, you can opt to pull back on the sugar ever so slightly — about two teaspoons sugar for each tablespoon of malted milk powder.”

Schiff doesn’t suggest tweaking the sugar quantity for cookie dough, however, since doing so can affect the texture. 

Keep in mind that malted milk powder can clump up easily if not incorporated carefully, says Schiff. “Whisk it into the flour and other dry ingredients first to evenly distribute. Or, for liquids, dissolve by whisking it into the warmed liquid, such as warmed milk or whatever your recipe calls for,” she says. “If I’m making a ganache or chocolate sauce, I like to whisk it in as the mixture comes to a simmer, stirring until no clumps remain.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s another diner classic that is the easiest way to use malted milk powder. Add a tablespoon or two to a blender with ice cream and milk, then simply blend everything up for a diner-worthy milkshake.